The passing grade for your program is posted on InfoWeb. You must meet grade point average requirements to pass:

• If you’re in a general bachelor’s program and have achieved a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5, you’ve passed.
• If you’re in an honours program and have achieved a cumulative grade point average of at least 4.5, you’ve passed.

If your cumulative grade point average is less than the minimum required for your program, your faculty may put you on probation. This means that you will be monitored until your cumulative grade point average (CGPA) reaches the minimum required by your program. After this, the faculty may allow you to reregister.

If you are on probation, you may continue in your program so long as your cumulative grade point average reaches the minimum required within a time period set by the faculty.

Your faculty can require you to withdraw from your program or from the faculty if you’re on probation and you haven’t achieved the minimum cumulative grade point average required by the program after two sessions of full-time study or 24 credits of part-time study. You must remain out of the program for 12 months from your withdrawal date.

If you are required to withdraw from a program, you may be eligible for another program in your faculty. If you are required to withdraw from your faculty, you may reregister after 12 months. To reregister, you must submit a new application for admission and adhere to the admission requirements in effect. Before you send your application, we strongly recommend that you contact your faculty, because you may have additional requirements to meet.

You can reregister in your program with probationary status or register in a general bachelor’s program. If you register in a general bachelor’s program, you won’t be on probation unless your average is less than 3.5.

If you’ve met the requirements for the courses you’ve been registered in but haven’t maintained the required grade point average for your program, you can register for up to 24 additional credits to raise your average to the required level. You must register for courses at the 2000 level or higher, depending on the faculty. (Each faculty determines what proportion of courses must be in your discipline and what proportion can be outside it.)

If you’ve interrupted your studies for six consecutive sessions or less, you can reregister in the same faculty without submitting a new application for admission. If you’ve been away for seven or more consecutive sessions, you must make a new application for admission to one of the types of programs described in Regulation 3.1.

With the exception of the Faculty of Arts, you must fill out a Modification/Cancellation of Registration form and return it to your academic secretariat. We also strongly recommend that you meet with an academic adviser before interrupting your studies, to ensure that you’re not penalized. For example, certain bursaries require that you be registered full time without interruption throughout your studies and some professional programs such as Nursing require that you take some refresher courses after 6 months of absence.

Students registered at the Faculty of Education must meet with the program director prior to interrupting their studies.

Regulation 11: Academic Standing, Probation and Mandatory Withdrawal

The University of Ottawa’s official grading system is alphanumeric. Transcripts include letters and numerical values (in other words, the letter grade A+, which represents a grade of between 90%–100%, has a numerical value of 10). This system is used for all courses, except in certain cases approved by the University Senate. Some courses use a “Satisfactory/Not satisfactory” or “Pass/Fail” system, because of the type of learning outcomes (for example, “Pass/Fail for CO-OP placements or “Satisfactory/Not Satisfactory” for nursing placements).

The passing grade depends on the program or faculty. We recommend that you visit your faculty’s website.

For undergraduate studies, the passing grade is usually D.

However, there are some exceptions:

• In the Faculty of Education, the passing grade is C.
• In the Faculty of Engineering, the passing grade is D+ for all courses at the 2000 level or higher.
• In the School of Nursing, the passing grade the following six courses is C+:
  • NSG3105
  • NSG3320
  • NSG3107
  • NSG3111
  • NSG3123
  • NSG4330
• For the Programme professionnel pour infirmiers/ières autorisé(e)s (equivalent to the English-language Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing for Registered Nurses, which will no longer be offered after Winter 2013), the following six courses require a passing grade of C+:
  • NSG3503
  • NSG3516
  • NSG3518
  • NSG3520
  • NSG3522
  • NSG3708
• For graduate studies, the passing grade is C+. Some programs may require a higher grade.

Your grade point measures your performance in a course. It is based on the number of credits and the numerical value of your letter grade. Your grade point for each course is calculated by multiplying the number of course credits by the numerical value of your letter grade. For example, if you received a B+ in PSY 1101, multiply the numerical value of a B+ (7) by the number of course credits (3), and you get a grade point of 21.

The sessional grade point average (SGPA) measures your performance in all your courses during one session.

Your SGPA is calculated by dividing the sum of all your grade points by the sum of the credits for all the courses you’ve taken during a session. Example :

1. 27 + 30 + 18 + 21 + 24 = 120
2. 5(courses) x 3(credits) = 15
3. 120 ÷ 15 = 8.0

Your SGPA only includes courses you’ve taken at the University of Ottawa, Saint Paul University, Dominican University College or Carleton University.

If you’ve written a supplemental examination for a course, only the grade you receive after the examination counts for your grade point average. The grades for all courses you’ve taken within the 15-credit limit for repeating courses (before and after supplemental examinations) appear on your transcript.

Your annual grade point average measures your performance in all of your courses over one academic year (May to April).

Your annual grade point average is calculated by dividing the sum of all your grade points by the sum of the credits for all the courses you’ve taken during an academic year (May to April).

For example:

AGPA calculation = 126 ÷ 24 = 5.3

Your cumulative grade point average (CGPA) measures your academic performance in all of the courses that are part of your program of studies.

Your cumulative grade point average is calculated by dividing the sum of all your grade points by the sum of the credits of all the courses you’ve registered for which are part of your program of studies.

Decimals are rounded to the next highest number if the third decimal is 5 or higher and to the next lowest number if the third decimal is 4 or lower.

For a general bachelor’s, you must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5.

For an honour’s bachelor, you must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 4.5, except in programs that have received special Senate approval.

You can use the CGPA calculator, which was created to help students predict and track their average. Calculations are for information purposes only.

Your diploma grade point average (DGPA) is a specific measure of academic standing required for certain bachelor’s degrees, which includes only certain courses required by your program.

Your diploma grade point average (DGPA) is calculated in the same way as your cumulative grade point average (CGPA), but only includes a sub-set of courses required by your program.

In the faculties of Engineering and Science, your diploma grade point average is calculated based on your courses at the 3000 level and higher. The limit of 15 credits that you can repeat applies.

In the faculties of Arts, Science, Health Science and Social Sciences, your diploma grade point average is calculated based on your courses at the 2000 level and higher. The limit of 15 credits that you can repeat applies.

There is no diploma grade point average for general bachelor’s degrees, nor in the other faculties.

Your grade point average of credited courses measures your performance when you’re changing faculties, changing programs or being readmitted.

Your grade point average of credited courses is calculated by dividing the sum of your grade points by the sum of your credits for courses recognized by your faculty when you’re changing faculties, changing programs or being readmitted.

Grade point averages only include courses you’ve taken at the University of Ottawa, Saint Paul University, Dominican University or Carleton University.

If you’ve written a supplemental examination for a course, only the grade you receive after it counts for your grade point average. Your two grades (before and after the supplemental examination) appear on your transcript.

For every course you’ve repeated up to the 15-credit limit for repeated courses, only your last grade is included in your grade point average. Grades for all courses you’ve taken within the 15-credit limit (before and after the supplemental examinations) appear on your transcript.

Out of program courses (HP) are not included in your average. Out of program status for a course must be determined before the deadline for course changes.

The following shows the four-point scale equivalent to the official University of Ottawa alphanumerical grading system, as determined by the Ontario Medical School Application Service (OMSAS).

To calculate your cumulative grade point average on a four-point scale, convert your grade in each course first. Don’t convert your cumulative grade point average directly to the four-point scale. Calculate your cumulative grade point average (CGPA) by dividing the sum of all your grade points by the sum of credits of all the courses you’ve taken.

Example for two sessions:

Calculation of cumulative grade point average on a four-point scale for two sessions:

1. 11.7 + 12 + 27 + 9.9 + 22.2 + 11.7 + 9 = 103.5
2. 5(courses) x 3(credits) + 1(course) x 9(credits) + 1(courses) x 6(credits) = 30
3. 103.5 ÷ 30 = 3.45

Your grade report shows your academic performance for one session. It’s available as soon as the session grades are official. For the exact dates, see the “Important dates and deadlines” page. Your grade report is only available online on InfoWeb, via the uoZone portal.

Your transcript is an official document that shows all the courses you have registered for at the University, all of your results, and all of the degrees, diplomas and certificates you’ve received from the University. The University doesn’t issue partial transcripts. Course titles appear in the language of the course, and the University doesn’t translate transcripts. If at least six students were registered for a course you took, the group average and the number of students registered in the course appear on your transcript.

You can order a copy of your transcript through InfoWeb (via uoZone), for an administrative fee. You must have a valid credit card and enter your student number and personal identification number. Please note that in all circumstances, if you owe money to the University, you can’t receive a transcript until you’ve settled your debt.

You can also make a request by mail or fax. Print and complete the form.

Please allow five to seven business days for delivery of documents.

Send your request by fax to 613-562-5323 or mail it to

University of Ottawa
InfoService
75 Laurier Avenue East
Ottawa ON K1N 6N5

If your grade report contains errors or is missing important information, you must let your home faculty know within 90 days of the date on which grades become official. Otherwise, your grade report will remain unchanged. See the “Important dates and deadlines” page.

For more information, see Grade reports and transcripts.

Regulation 10.4