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. The LSUSD Grading Scale is:

A= 90-100

B= 80-89

C= 70-79

F= 69 and below

I= Incomplete

The “F” grade denotes failure of the course.

The “I” grade denotes failure to complete the course for verified reasons beyond the student’s control at the time grades for the course are reported.  The deficiency must be removed by the student at which time the “I” will be converted to the letter grade the student has earned.

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.

For the Programs in Advanced Dental Education, a final grade of “A” or “B” must be earned in each course in the resident’s department of study. A final grade of “C” or above must be earned in all other required courses. Required courses in which less that the minimum grade is earned must be retaken or, at the discretion of the course director, with approval from the Program Director, appropriate remedial work and/or testing may be assigned to assure that the minimum knowledge and grade is achieved for the 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, Dental Laboratory Technology, and the Programs in Advanced Dental Education, 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.