DATES AND DEADLINES

The two most significant dates that impact all UBC students are the add/drop and withdrawal deadlines.

Before the add/drop deadline, you can withdraw from classes and receive a tuition refund or transfer into classes with space. After add/drop but before the withdrawal deadline, you can withdraw from courses with a W standing. This means that your transcript will show that you withdrew from a course, but don’t worry, one or two W’s are unlikely to affect your long-term academic success.

You can add and drop courses through the Student Services Centre before the add/drop deadline, but withdrawing from a course after the deadline should be discussed carefully with an advisor to learn about how it will affect you.

UBC’S GRADING SYSTEM

UBC assigns percentage grades that correspond with letter grade ranges. This means that 90 to 100 per cent is an A+, 85 to 89 is an A, 80 to 84 is an A-, 76 to 79 is a B+, 72 to 75 is a B, 68 to 71 is a B-, 64 to 67 is a C+, 60 to 63 is a C, 55 to 59 is a C- and 50 to 54 is a D and anything below 50 is an F.

While the passing grade for most courses is 50 per cent, some courses require a passing grade of 60 per cent or above, so be sure to read your syllabus at the beginning of term. The syllabus will also contain important grading information, like how final grades for the course will be calculated, and may contain department or faculty-wide policies, like grades adjustment (scaling).

CREDIT/D/FAIL

In some undergraduate degree programs, students can take up to 12 credits with a Credit/D/Fail standing instead of receiving a percentage grade on their transcript. This means that courses will appear on your transcript as either credit (55 per cent or higher), D (50 to 54 per cent) or F (50 per cent or lower). Courses in which the passing grade is 60 per cent will be assigned Credit or Failed standing only.

Courses taken for Credit/D/Fail standing will not affect your GPA, even with D or F standing. Consider making full use of this system for degree electives!

ACADEMIC STANDING

When students start at UBC, they are automatically assigned “good standing.”

If your average falls below a certain threshold, you may be put on academic probation. This lowers the number of credits a student can take per semester. Students on probation can return to good standing by improving their academic results, and faculty advisors are able to help. Guidelines for academic standing vary depending on faculty. To learn more visit vancouver.calendar.ubc.ca.