Mar 28, 2024  
Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog 2020-2021 
    
Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog 2020-2021 [ARCHIVED CATALOG] See drop-down menu above to access other catalogs.

Optional High Pass, Mid Pass, Low Pass, No Pass Policy


The primary purpose of the Optional High Pass, Mid Pass, Low Pass, No Pass policy is to afford undergraduate students an opportunity to explore coursework in areas outside of their major/minor degree requirements without concern of the potential impact of a traditional letter grade on their GPA. The parameters of the Optional High Pass, Mid Pass, Low Pass, No Pass policy are outlined below:

General Guidelines:

  • Undergraduate students may select Optional High Pass, Mid Pass, Low Pass, No Pass  (HP/MP/LP/NP) grades rather than traditional letter grades in up to 12 credits of free elective coursework during their undergraduate degree.
    • Any courses a student opted-in for Pass/No Pass during Spring 2020, Fall 2020 will not be counted towards the 12 credit limit
  • Undergraduate students may opt-in for a maximum of 8 credits per semester which are free elective credits
    • For Spring 2021 only, in light of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Core Curriculum and free elective courses will be eligible for Optional High Pass, Mid Pass, Low Pass, No Pass  (HP/MP/LP/NP) grades rather than traditional letter grades. Beyond Spring 2021, this option may only be used for free elective courses.
  • Prerequisites will be enforced based on the original letter grade earned
    • A student who did not earn a high enough grade to meet prerequisite requirements will need to repeat the course
    • If a student earned a letter grade high enough to meet prerequisite requirements before selecting the Optional High Pass, Mid Pass, Low Pass, No Pass, they may contact registration@bridgew.edu to have their original grade reviewed for prerequisite purposes
  • Courses traditionally graded as Pass/No Pass (such as Internships or Practica) are not impacted by this policy in any way
     

Excluded from the Optional High Pass, Mid Pass, Low Pass, No Pass are those in the following categories:

  • Any course(s) which are major/minor requirements, including cognates
  • Core curriculum courses (will be an option for Spring 2021 in light of COVID-19 pandemic)
  • Any course(s) which are being repeated

Timeframe for requesting High Pass, Mid Pass, Low Pass, No Pass grading 

  • Undergraduate students will have until the full semester withdrawal deadline each semester to request High Pass, Mid Pass, Low Pass, No Pass in no more than 8 credits which are free elective credits.
    • For Spring 2021 only, this deadline will be extended until May 1st, 2021
  • A High Pass, Mid Pass, Low Pass, No Pass form will be made available to students each semester by the Registrar’s Office
    • Once a student has opted-in to High Pass, Mid Pass, Low Pass, No Pass grading for a course, they may not change back to a letter grade
  • Once final grades have been submitted by faculty, the Registrar’s Office will process any High Pass, Mid Pass, Low Pass, No Pass requests received.

Processing/Conversion of letter grades

The Registrar’s Office will convert letter grades for students who have requested High Pass, Mid Pass, Low Pass, No Pass in the following way:

  • High Pass (HP)- Any letter grade A through B-
  • Mid Pass (MP)- Any letter grade C+ through C-
  • Low Pass (LP)-Any letter grade D+ through D-
  • No Pass (NP)-Any F grade

A High Pass, Mid Pass, & Low Pass grade will earn credit but will not be used to calculate the GPA. A No Pass grade will not earn credit and will not be used in calculating the GPA.

Undergraduate students are not eligible for Deans list in the semester they use the Optional High Pass, Mid Pass, Low Pass, No Pass.

Undergraduate students who receive an Incomplete may not use the Optional High Pass, Mid Pass, Low Pass, No Pass for that course.

Students are strongly encouraged to consult their academic advisor prior to making a decision to ensure they understand the full impact of requesting High Pass, Mid Pass, Low Pass, No Pass grades in place of earned letter grades.