Grading System

The School of Dentistry uses the letter grades of “A”, “B”, “C” and “F” for final course grades. Numerical values are established by the Administrative Council and published in the LSUSD Student Handbook of Policies and Procedures. For the Programs in Dentistry, Dental Hygiene and Dental Laboratory Technology, the grades of “A”, “B” and “C” indicate passing work, with “A” being the highest grade given. The “F” grade indicates failure in a course. The LSU Health Sciences Center Office of the Registrar notifies each student of his/her academic standing in writing at the end of the academic year.

For the Program in Dentistry, the grade point average (GPA) is derived by multiplying the clock hours total by the quality points earned and dividing that product by the total number of hours attempted. Proportional weight is given to the number of clock hours in each course. An “A” has the value of 4 quality points, “B” = 3 quality points, “C” = 2 quality points and “F” = no quality points. Thus, a 2.0 GPA is equivalent to a “C” average.

For the Programs in Dental Hygiene and Dental Laboratory Technology, the grade point average (GPA) is derived by multiplying the number of credit hours assigned to each course by the quality points earned and dividing that product by the total number of credit hours attempted. Proportional weight is given to the number of credit hours in each course. An “A” has the value of 4 quality points, “B” = 3 quality points, “C” = 2 quality points and “F” = no quality points. Thus a 2.0 GPA is equivalent to a “C” average.

Pass/Fail Grades

The Pass/Fail grading system applies in certain required courses, as well as in all selective courses, and the criteria are specified in the evaluation section of the individual course outlines.

For the Program in Dentistry, when a “Pass” grade is awarded, the student earns the clock hour value of the course; however, should a “Fail” grade be incurred, the clock hours are charged against the GPA as an “F” would in any letter-graded course.

For the Programs in Dental Hygiene and Dental Laboratory Technology, the student earns the credit hour value of the course; however, should a “Fail” grade be incurred, the credit hours are charged against the GPA as an “F” would in any letter-graded course.