Minimum Academic Performance

The Graduate College requires that a student must have an aggregate grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.000 to obtain a graduate certificate or degree at the University of Cincinnati. The GPA used for this purpose should aggregate graduate-level coursework completed since the student’s matriculation into the particular degree program from which the student seeks graduation, and only courses taken that are applicable to the degree/certificate count towards this GPA. Transfer graduate credits may also be accepted at the discretion of the degree program (and within Graduate College limits), and any transfer credit coming from courses taken at the University of Cincinnati will contribute to the GPA certified for graduation. Please note that programs establish minimum academic standards that may exceed the overall university standards provided above, so students need to be aware of their program requirements.

Note that there is no grade replacement for graduate students, so any failed graduate courses remain in the student record. However, if a student retakes a failed course and obtains a passing grade, and if the GPA calculated without that original failing grade is above 3.000, then the program can petition the Graduate College for a waiver of the GPA requirement for graduation. Multiple failing grades, or multiple attempts to pass a course, are examples of why a petition may be denied.