Your grades and GPA play an important role in your trajectory as a student, influencing your academic standing, eligibility for scholarships, and future opportunities such as graduate school or professional programs. It’s essential to understand the policies that dictate how grades at McGill are recorded, how your GPA is calculated, and how this impacts your academic standing.

Grading and GPA

Familiarizing yourself with McGill's Grading and Grade Point Average policy (published in the Course Catalogue) will help you:

  • Understand how your grades will appear on your Minerva transcript and how your GPA, TGPA (Term GPA) and CGPA (Cumulative GPA) are calculated.
  • Understand the grades you must maintain to remain in your degree (i.e. your academic standing - see below).
  • Know McGill's Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) policy - consult SOUSA's S/U Option page for full details.
  • Recognize the meaning of other grade symbols, such as:
    • J - unexcused absence (failure);
    • K - incomplete; instructor has extended the deadline for submission of work in a course;
    • L - approved to write a deferred examination in a course;
    • W - withdrew with permission, after the Course Change deadline (not calculated in TGPA or CGPA).

By being aware of these university policies, you can make informed decisions about your coursework, manage your academic progress effectively, and avoid surprises when reviewing your transcript.

Academic standing

Academic standing is determined at the end of each term based on your final grades. These results are reviewed together to determine whether you are meeting the Faculty’s academic progression requirements. Your standing then determines whether you can continue in your degree, whether conditions are placed on your registration, or whether you are required to appeal for readmission before returning to your studies. For full details on Academic Standing, consult this SOUSA webpage.

It is your responsibility to review your academic standing on your unofficial Minerva transcript each term and reach out to your assigned degree advisor if you need support.