Nagoya University has implemented a unified grade evaluation standard for undergraduate and graduate schools alike, beginning with students subject to the curriculum for students enrolled AY 2020 and onward.
Please check the Rules on Grade Evaluation and the GPA System at Nagoya University for details. For a summary, see "1. Grade Evaluation" and "2. GPA System" below.
Please also see below for discussion of "3. Course Withdrawal System", "4. Inquiries Regarding Grade Evaluation" and "5. Grade Evaluation Standards etc. for Students Enrolled AY 2019 and Earlier".
*For students subject to the curriculum for students enrolled AY 2019 and earlier, the grade evaluation standards and GPA system used at the time of their enrollment will be applied. (The GPA system applies to undergraduates only.)
Table of Contents
4. Inquiries Regarding Grade Evaluation
5. Grade Evaluation Standards etc. for Students Enrolled AY 2019 and Earlier
1. Grade Evaluation
Grade evaluations will be under either a six-level evaluation system (A+, A, B, C, C-, F) or two-level evaluation system (P, NP). F or NP indicate that the course was not passed, and the student will receive no credit for the course.
1-1. Grading Standards and Corresponding Letter Grades
|
|
Letter Grade |
Pass/ No Pass |
Grading Standards |
|
Six-level evaluation standards |
A+ |
Pass |
Excellent performance demonstrating an excellent understanding of the subject matter, a foundation of extensive knowledge, and a skillful use of concepts and/or methods for accomplishing advanced tasks. |
|
A |
Very good performance demonstrating an almost complete understanding of the subject matter, a foundation of knowledge, and an appropriate use of concepts and/or methods for accomplishing tasks. |
||
|
B |
Good performance demonstrating a sufficient understanding of the subject matter and an ability to handle the problems and materials encountered in the subject. |
||
|
C |
Adequate performance demonstrating a basic understanding of the subject matter, an ability to handle relatively simple problems, and adequate preparation for moving on to more advanced work in the field, but also demonstrating noticeable deficiencies. |
||
|
C- |
Minimally acceptable performance demonstrating at least a partial understanding of the subject matter and some capacity to deal with simple problems, but also demonstrating deficiencies serious enough to make it inadvisable to proceed further in the field without additional work. |
||
|
F |
No Pass |
Failed to achieve minimally acceptable performance. This grade also signifies that the student must repeat the subject to receive credit. |
|
|
Two-level evaluation standards |
P |
Pass |
Passed. Passing grade for those courses designated as pass/fail courses for grading purposes. |
|
NP |
No Pass |
Not Passed. Failing grade for those courses designated as pass/fail courses for grading purposes. |
|
|
Others |
T |
Pass |
Transfer Credit. Credits transferred for courses taken at outside institutions or before enrollment. |
|
W |
--- |
Withdrawal. Recorded when the student officially withdraws from the course or when the instructor has a legitimate reason for determining the student has no intention to continue the course (such as if the student did not turn in assignments or was absent from examinations). The instructor will not assign a grade. |
1-2. Recording of Grades in Transcripts
On a transcript, completed courses that have been given a grade using the six-level evaluation system, two-level evaluation system, or given a T grade will be recorded, and courses given an F, NP or W grade will not be recorded.
On a course completion confirmation sheet, completed courses and courses from the semester in question where an F, NP or W grade was given will be recorded.
1-3．Standard method for converting marks-out-of-100 to letter-based evaluation
In some courses, a grade evaluation will be made with a mark out of 100 and converted into a letter grade according to the six-level evaluation standards. The standard method in such case is as follows. However, depending on the undergraduate/graduate school, individual course, etc., this chart may not apply, so please refer to course registration guidelines and course syllabuses for each undergraduate/graduate school and the Institute of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
|
Letter Grade |
A+ |
A |
B |
C |
C- |
F |
|
Mark out of 100 |
95 or above |
80 or above, but below 95 |
70 or above, but below 80 |
65 or above, but below 70 |
60 or above, but below 65 |
below 60 |
2. GPA System
As part of our policy to promote the autonomous learning of students and to increase the international compatibility of grade evaluations, Nagoya University has implemented the Grade Point Average (GPA) System, which is the average of grades for registered courses, for undergraduate students subject to the curriculum for students enrolled AY 2011 and onward.
2-1. Letter Grades and Corresponding Grade Points
Grade Points (numerical values given to each grade letter; hereinafter referred to as "GP") are converted as follows. GP is applicable only to undergraduate students, and not to graduate students. Accordingly, GPAs are only calculated for undergraduate students.
|
Letter Grade |
A+ |
A |
B |
C |
C- |
F |
|
GP |
4.3 |
4.0 |
3.0 |
2.0 |
1.0 |
0 |
2-2. GPA Types and Calculation Methods
There are two types of GPA: the GPA used as an indicator to show the state of learning and performance during the semester in question (hereinafter "Semester GPA"), and the GPA used as an indicator to show the state of learning and performance during the student's entire enrollment at the University (hereinafter "Cumulative GPA").
The formulae for calculating Semester GPA and Cumulative GPA are as follows. Calculated numbers shall be rounded to two decimal places.
- Semester GPA
| Semester GPA = (Number of credits awarded at A+ for the semester × 4.3 + number of credits awarded at A for the semester × 4.0 + number of credits awarded at B for the semester × 3.0 + number of credits awarded at C for the semester × 2.0 + number of credits awarded at C- for the semester × 1.0) / (Number of credits awarded at A+ for the semester + number of credits awarded at A for the semester + number of credits awarded at B for the semester + number of credits awarded at C for the semester + number of credits awarded at C- for the semester + number of credits awarded at F for the semester) |
- Cumulative GPA
| Cumulative GPA = (Number of credits awarded at A+ × 4.3 + number of credits awarded at A × 4.0 + number of credits awarded at B × 3.0 + number of credits awarded at C × 2.0 + number of credits awarded at C- × 1.0, during the student's entire enrollment at the University) / (Number of credits awarded at A+ + number of credits awarded at A + number of credits awarded at B + number of credits awarded at C + number of credits awarded at C- + number of credits awarded at F, during the student's entire enrollment at the University) |
2-3.Courses Subject to GPA Calculation
- All courses included in calculations carried out for the purposes of meeting graduation requirements are subject to GPA calculation.
- Courses that are unrelated to graduation requirements, such as optional courses and teacher-training courses, are not subject to GPA calculation.
- Courses receiving an evaluation of P, NP, T or W are not subject to GPA calculation.
-
Handling of GPA in the Case of Retaken Courses
- When a student retakes a course for which he or she initially received an F grade and then receives an A+, A, B, C or C- grade, the initial F grade is not be in the calculation for Cumulative GPA.
- When a student retakes a course for which he or she initially received an F grade and then receives another F grade, these F grades shall not be included multiple times in the calculation for Cumulative GPA.
- When a student receives a T grade according to credit recognition based on the results of certification examination for a course for which the student initially received an F grade, the F grade is not included in the calculation for Cumulative GPA.
- When a student has already received credits for a course but then retakes the course and receives an A+, A, B, C, C- or F grade, the retaken course grade is not included in the GPA calculation.
- In the cases described above, the above procedures do not necessarily apply to courses that students are allowed to take multiple times.
2-4. GPA Display
GPA is recorded on the end-of-semester course completion confirmation sheet in the form of Semester GPA and Cumulative GPA.
With regards to transcripts, GPAs will not be printed on transcripts printed out using the automatic certificate issuing machine. If you need your GPAs recorded on your transcript, please consult the Student Affairs Section at your undergraduate/graduate school.
3. Course Withdrawal System
At Nagoya University, a Course Withdrawal System is implemented to accompany the GPA System. When calculating GPA, F grades lower GPA, as they are counted in the calculation, while W grades have no effect on GPA, as they are not counted. Thus, there is a big difference between an F grade and a W grade.
For this reason, if you registered for a course but no longer intend to take/receive credits for that course, you may receive a W grade by indicating that you do not intend to take the course. This should be done according to the method indicated by the course instructor, and you should do so by a specified deadline (end of May for Spring Semester, end of November for Fall Semester; the deadline is subject to change depending on the circumstances for each individual course).
Note that the Course Withdrawal System may or may not apply, depending on variables such as the course format and decisions made by the course instructor, so please refer to the course registration guidelines and course syllabuses for each undergraduate/graduate school and the Institute of Liberal Arts and Sciences. For courses that are subject to the Course Withdrawal System and use a Course Withdrawal Form, please consult the Student Affairs Section at the undergraduate/graduate school offering the course or the Institute of Liberal Arts and Sciences Administration Office for the form.
4. Inquiries Regarding Grade Evaluation
If you have any questions regarding grade evaluation, please fill in the "Academic Achievement Inquiry Form" (the form can be downloaded from the Nagoya University portal) with the necessary items, and submit it to the office counter in charge (For Liberal Arts and Sciences Courses, the Institute of Liberal Arts and Sciences Administration Office, and for specialized courses, the Student Affairs Section at each undergraduate/graduate school), within, as a general rule, 3 days after grades are announced (includes announcement date).
For courses that have no grade evaluation recorded, please directly consult the office counter in charge.
5. Grade Evaluation Standards etc. for Students Enrolled AY 2019 and Earlier
5-1. Undergraduate Programs
Evaluation criteria for students subject to the curriculum for undergraduate students entering in AY 2011 through 2019 are as follows. For earlier evaluation criteria, please contact your School's Student Affairs Section.
- Letter Grade Evaluations
|
|
Letter Grade |
Pass/ No Pass, etc. |
GP |
Standards for Corresponding Mark Out of 100 |
|
Courses evaluated using a five-level standard |
S |
Pass |
4.3 |
90+ |
|
A |
4.0 |
80-89 |
||
|
B |
3.0 |
70-79 |
||
|
C |
2.0 |
60-69 |
||
|
F |
No Pass |
0 |
Below 60 |
|
|
Courses evaluated by a pass/no pass standard |
P |
Pass |
--- |
--- |
|
NP |
No Pass |
--- |
--- |
|
|
Credits obtained before enrollment or at outside institutions |
Approved |
Pass |
--- |
--- |
|
Letter indicating that a grade evaluation will not be made. Please refer to the course syllabus for definitions. |
Absent |
--- |
|
--- |
*"Approved" will be recorded as "Pass" on transcripts.
*Regarding "Standards for Corresponding Mark Out of 100," courses that have difficulty using this standard may establish a separate set of standards.
*The GPA System is implemented for undergraduate students enrolled AY 2011 onward.
*The Course Withdrawal System is implemented for undergraduate students enrolled AY 2012 onward. Whether or not the system is applicable is indicated on the syllabus of each course.
- The courses included in GPA calculations, GPA types and calculation methods, and handling of GPA for retakes for students enrolled AY 2011 are generally the same as in the new standards, but the following information is provided in the course guidebook.
Grading and GPA (Grade Point Average) System
1) GPA is defined using the following formula at Nagoya University.
2) Courses for which students registered but received an "absent" are not included in the GPA calculation.
3) Courses graded on a pass/fail basis are not included in the GPA calculation.
4) Courses taken at another university for which credits were transferred to the student's record at Nagoya University are not used in calculating GPA.
5) Courses which are not prescribed as graduation requirements, such as optional courses, use the five-level evaluation system but are not reflected in the GPA.
6) If students re-take a failed course (graded "F") and receive an "S," "A," "B" or "C" the second time, the initial F grade will not be counted in the Cumulative GPA.
7) Grades finalized at the end of each semester are reflected in both the Semester GPA and the Cumulative GPA, both of which are shown on the "View Completed Courses" section on the Nagoya University portal.
We hope that this system will raise students' consciousness towards their own learning and become an aid towards taking the initiative in their learning.
| Semester GPA | A GPA value based on the number of completed credits and F-graded credits a student obtained in a particular semester. |
| Cumulative GPA | The cumulative GPA value based on the number of completed credits and F-graded credits a student has obtained since enrollment. |
Evaluation criteria for students subject to the curriculum for graduate students entering AY 2004 through 2019 are as follows. For earlier evaluation criteria, please contact your graduate school's Student Affairs Section.
1) Four-level evaluation standards: A, B, C, D（A, B, C are passing grades and D is a failing grade）
- Graduate School of Education and Human Development, Graduate School of Law, Graduate School of Economics, Graduate School of Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Graduate School of Mathematics, Graduate School of Environmental Studies (2004-2019)
- Graduate School of Letters, Graduate School of Information Sciences (2004-2016)
- Graduate School of Engineering (2004-2010)
- Graduate School of International Development (2004-2016)
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (2012-2019)
- Graduate School of Humanities, Graduate School of Informatics (2017-2019)
2) Five-level evaluation standards：S, A, B, C, F（S, A, B, C are passing grades and F is a failing grade）
- Graduate School of Engineering (2011-2019)
- Graduate School of International Development (2017-2019)