A student's scholarship rating in each of his or her courses is determined by the combined results of examinations, class, laboratory, and other assigned work. This rating is reported by the instructor in accordance with the following grading system:
| A | outstanding achievement and an unusual degree of intellectual initiative |
| B+ | high level of intellectual achievement |
| B | noteworthy level of performance |
| C+ | performance beyond basic expectations of the course |
| C | satisfactory work |
| D | work of inferior quality, but passing |
| F | failure - no credit |
| AF | failure for excessive absences |
| WF | failure because of unauthorized withdrawal |
| I | work incomplete |
| X | absence from final examination |
| NC | no credit |
| NR | no report (used only at midterm) |
| IX | work is both incomplete and absent from final examination |
| AU | audited course only - no credit |
| P | pass - credit |
| NP | not pass - no credit |
| SA | satisfactory work |
| UN | unsatisfactory work (failure) - no credit |
| W | official withdrawal from a course - no credit |
Incomplete and Absence from Final Examination
The “I” and “X” are marks used, as explained below, to reflect a student's irregular status at the time final end-of-term grade reports are due.
An “I” (Incomplete) is given to a student who has failed to fulfill all requirements of a course. The student may petition the instructor before the close of the term to assign an end-of-term mark of “I” indicating incomplete performance. The instructor may agree to this mark when, as a result of serious illness or other justifiable cause, the work cannot be completed by the end of the term. An “I” will not be granted to a student who has been excessively absent during the term or who has simply failed to complete the work of the course before the close of the term without an exceptionally good reason.
The responsibility for completing all course work rests with the student. Time limits are determined by instructor of record and a contract for course extension is signed by the student and faculty member. The maximum time limit for clearing an incomplete is one year from the end of the course. However, there may be a minimum time limit invoked when the course is a prerequisite for a course being taken the following semester. The Course Extension/Incomplete Grade form is found on the Office of Academic and Student Affairs website under “Student Use Forms.” The “I” carries no penalty and does not affect the grade-point average. Student records will be audited periodically, and students who show a consistent pattern of “I” grades may be placed on academic probation. In cases where a Contract for Course Extension is not submitted, a grade of "F" is assigned after one year from the end of the term in which the Incomplete was given.
An “X” is given to a student who missed the regularly scheduled final examination, and the “X” functions as a failure until it is cleared. If the reason for absence is acceptable to the instructor of record and the Assistant/Associate Dean in the Office of Academic and Student Affairs, an examination must be taken as soon as possible but not later than one month from the date of the regular final examination. A permanent grade is recorded after the final examination is taken. If the examination is not taken as specified, or if the reason for absence was not acceptable, the student receives an “F” in the course.
A student who is both incomplete and absent from the final examination may receive both an “I” and “X” (IX), which will function as a failure until cleared as specified above.
The “NR” grade is to be used only at midterm for
- didactic courses that are compressed and have not started by the time mid-semester grades are reported, or
- clinical rotations not begun by midterm.
Pass/No Pass Option
The Pass/NoPass (P/NP) grading option is available for students in good academic standing for selected courses at Creighton. With this option the instructor of record is not informed which students have registered “P/NP.” The instructor's letter grade assignment will be changed to the appropriate “P” or “NP” designation when final grades are processed. A “C” is the lowest possible passing grade. The hours passed by this option are counted toward graduation requirements, but the “P” or “NP” grade does not affect the student's grade-point average. Students may not register “P/NP” for required and supporting courses in their major area of study. Thus, the “P/NP” option is not available to professional students for courses offered within any department of the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions, or for any biomedical science or elective courses which are taken in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a degree in occupational therapy, pharmacy, or physical therapy.
Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Option
The Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (SA/UN) grading option differs from the “P/NP” option in that the faculty member decides when it will be utilized, and must apply it consistently to all students enrolled in the course. Faculty who utilize the “SA/UN” grading system in required or elective courses must so indicate in the course syllabus. Hours passed with grades of “SA” are counted toward the hours required for graduation but do not figure into the grade-point average. The “UN” grade functions as an “F” in computing the grade-point average and in determining scholastic standing. The “SA/UN” grade designations may be used by faculty when reporting student midterm performance, even if letter grading will be utilized to record performance at the end of the term.
Pharmacy Standard Grading System
Approved by the Pharmacy faculty in July 2024.
| 100-89.5% | A |
| < 89.5% and ≥ 84.5% | B+ |
| < 84.5% and ≥ 79.5% | B |
| < 79.5% and ≥ 74.5% | C+ |
| < 74.5% and ≥ 69.5% | C |
| < 69.5% and ≥ 59.5% | D |
| < 59.5% | F |
This grading scale will be in effect for all courses in the pharmacy program that use a letter grade system. Starting with the Pharm.D. Class of 2028, students must earn a grade of C or higher to progress in the curriculum.
Occupational Therapy Standard Grading System
| 100-92% | A |
| < 92% and ≥ 87% | B+ |
| < 87% and ≥ 83% | B |
| < 83% and ≥ 78% | C+ |
| < 78% and ≥ 73% | C |
| < 73% and ≥ 68% | D |
| < 68% | F |
This grading scale will be in effect for all courses in the occupational therapy program unless an alternate scale is made available in writing to students in a given course by the instructor within the first week of the semester.
Physical Therapy Standard Grading System
Approved by Physical Therapy-Omaha and Physical Therapy-Phoenix faculty in Spring 2023.
| 100-90% | A |
| < 90% and ≥ 88% | B+ |
| < 88% and ≥ 80% | B |
| < 80% and ≥ 78% | C+ |
| < 78% and ≥ 70% | C |
| < 70% and ≥ 60% | D |
| < 60% | F |
This grading scale will be in effect for all courses in the physical therapy program unless an alternate scale is made available in writing to students in a given course by the instructor within the first week of the semester.
Additionally, an elevated grading scale may also be used in some physical therapy courses:
| 100-92% | A |
| < 92% and ≥ 90% | B+ |
| < 90% and ≥ 83% | B |
| < 83% and ≥ 80% | C+ |
| < 80% and ≥ 73% | C |
| < 73% and ≥ 70% | D |
| < 70% | F |
Grade Points and GPA
Degree candidates are not only required to complete a given quantity of hours, but must also achieve a certain quality of excellence which is determined on the basis of grade points.
Quality points are obtained by multiplying the number of hours assigned to a course by the grade point value of the grade received in the course:
- A yields 4 points for each hour
- B+ yields 3.5 points for each hour
- B yields 3 points for each hour
- C+ yields 2.5 points for each hour
- C yields 2 points for each hour
- D yields 1 point for each hour
- F, AF, and WF yield no points
The grade-point average (GPA) is based only on work taken at Creighton, and is computed by dividing the total quality points earned by the total number of credit hours attempted. Thus 16 hours at straight “C” grades would give 32 quality points. Clearly, this GPA would be 2.00 (32 quality points earned divided by 16 semester hours attempted).
Grade Reports
Grades are made available to students each mid semester and at the end of the term via the student's N.E.S.T. account.
In an effort to comply with accreditation and ongoing programmatic quality assurance, completion of all course evaluations and senior assessments is required in the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions in order for the student to be assigned a course grade and/or graduate.