Mar 28, 2024  
Graduate Record 2015-2016 
    
Graduate Record 2015-2016 [ARCHIVED RECORD]

Darden Graduate School of Business Administration: Academic Rules & Regulations


About   Academic Rules  Information   Programs/Courses    Faculty  

Academic Regulations
Students of the University of Virginia are subject to two sets of regulations, those of the University as a whole and those of the respective schools. Listed below are rules that apply within the Darden School. Appropriate excerpts from University regulations are set forth in the next section.

Attendance Policy
Darden students are expected to attend class in order to contribute as well as learn. Whenever students miss class, they should, out of courtesy, inform their instructor as to the circumstances, in advance if possible.

Auditing Courses
MBA students and students enrolled in other schools of the University may audit elective courses with the permission of the instructor.

Credit/No Credit
Grades Darden students may not take courses on CR/NC basis.

General Statement
The Master of Business Administration Program is offered in two formats. First is a two-year Full-Time Format Program that begins only in the fall semester and is designed to be completed in May of the following academic year. The other forms are episodic Executive Format Programs that allow students through a combination of residence periods and off-site learning opportunities to earn the MBA degree over a 22-month period. Students must complete 60 credit hours to meet the requirements of the Master of Business Administration degree. Both the Full-Time Format Program and the Executive Format Programs include a common set of core courses and an additional set of course requirements.

Grade Appeals
Darden students who wish to appeal a grade must first attempt to resolve the issue with the instructor of the course. Absent a satisfactory outcome, the student should consult with the administration of their respective program to review the matter. The final level of appeal is the Senior Associate Dean for Degree Programs and must be submitted in writing after the initial appeal decision has been communicated to the student.

Grading System
The Darden School recognizes the following grade categories: Distinguished Performance (DP); High Performance (HP); Standard Performance (SP); Low Performance (LP); Unsatisfactory Performance (UP); Fail/No Credit (F). The following grade categories are recognized only for designated MBA for Executives, Global MBA for Executives and PhD courses: Satisfactory (S); Unsatisfactory (U).

Incomplete Grades
From time to time, occasions arise that necessitate assigning a student a grade that falls outside the standard range. An IN (Incomplete) grade implies that, for reasons known to the individual faculty member, the student enrolled has not completed his or her work at the end of the specified academic period. The IN grade can only be assigned by the instructor teaching the course, only after the student has informed the instructor of the problem area, and only after the instructor has specifically reviewed with the student the provisions under which the IN grade is granted. In assigning an IN grade, a faculty member assumes the responsibility of determining the requirements to be met to replace the IN with a standard grade. In accepting an IN grade, the student must assume the responsibility for clearing the IN grade, normally, on or before the end of the semester immediately following the semester in which the IN assignment was made or, in unusual circumstances, by a time approved by the Academic Standards Committee. (Example: An IN grade assigned in June would normally have to be cleared by the end of the summer term in order for the student to begin classes in the fall. An IN grade assigned in the fall term would normally have to be cleared before the end of the spring term.)

An IN grade can only be cleared by a standard letter grade or a W (withdrawn), not by a second IN. An IN grade that is not cleared by the student within the prescribed period will automatically become an F grade. Students who receive one or more IN grades will come under Academic Standards Committee jurisdiction and will remain under the Academic Standards Committee until the IN grade becomes a letter grade. At that point, normal rules regarding Academic Standards Committee jurisdiction will apply. The Academic Standards Committee will take no direct (formal notification) action on an IN grade unless the student’s grades apart from the IN grade(s) warrant Academic Standards Committee action. In essence, the student who receives one or more IN grades will be monitored by the Academic Standards Committee until the IN grade(s) is removed. No student can enter the second year or receive an MBA with an IN grade.

Performance Standards
The Darden School requires minimum performance standards for its students to graduate with an MBA degree. There are minimum performance standards that students must meet upon completion of half of the credit hours required to graduate and at graduation. If a student does not meet these minimum performance standards, an automatic dismissal from Darden results and the student must petition for readmission. All performance standards are determined by the faculty and are based on Academic Standard Committee (ASC) points.

The Darden School has a minimum performance standard when half of the total credit hours required to graduate from the programs have been completed (i.e. mid-degree requirement). If a student does not meet the mid-degree requirement of her respective MBA program, automatic dismissal from Darden results, and the student must petition the ASC for readmission. The Darden School also requires a minimum performance standard for its students to graduate with an MBA degree (i.e. the graduation requirement). If a student does not meet the graduation requirement of The Darden School, automatic dismissal from Darden results, and the student must petition the faculty for readmission.

Performance standards for the mid-degree and graduation requirements are enforced on the basis of Academic Standards Committee (ASC) points. Students receive ASC points when they earn a UP or F as a grade of record in a course. ASC points are computed by multiplying the credit hours of the course by the weight assigned to the grade. A UP has a weight of 1 while an F has a weight of 2. For example, ASC points by course credit hours are as follows: 


 

0.5 credit hours

1.5 credit hours

3.0 credit hours

Unsatisfactory Performance

0.5 ASC points

1.5 ASC points

3.0 ASC points

Fail

1.0 ASC points

3.0 ASC points

6.0 ASC points

The minimum performance standards are determined by multiplying the ASC percentage approved by the faculty and the credit hours applicable to the ASC requirement (mid-term and graduation) rounded to the nearest 0.5 credit hours.

Mid-degree: The minimum performance standard to continue pursuit of a Darden MBA degree is not met when ASC points are 30% or more of the cumulative credit hours completed. E.g. If the cumulative number of credit-hours completed is 30 then students with 9 or more ASC points (30 * 30%) will be automatically dismissed from Darden.

Graduation: The minimum performance standard to graduate is not met when the ASC points are 25% or more of the total credit hours required for graduation e.g. If the total number of credit-hours required for graduation is 60 then students with 15 or more ASC points (60 * 25%) will be automatically dismissed from Darden. 

 ASC Requirement

ASC percentage

Credit hours

Example

 Mid-degree

30%

Mid-degree credit hours

30% * 30 mid-point credit hours =9

 Graduation

25%

Total credit hours

25% * 60 total credit hours=15 or more ASC points

Performance Standards The Darden School requires minimum performance standards for its students to graduate with an MBA degree. There are minimum performance standards that students must meet upon completion of half of the credit hours required to graduate and at graduation. If a student does not meet these minimum performance standards, an automatic dismissal from Darden results and the student must petition for readmission. All performance standards are determined by the faculty and are based on Academic Standard Committee (ASC) points.

The Darden School has a minimum performance standard when half of the total credit hours required to graduate from the programs have been completed (i.e. mid-degree requirement). If a student does not meet the mid-degree requirement of her respective MBA program, automatic dismissal from Darden results, and the student must petition the ASC for readmission. The Darden School also requires a minimum performance standard for its students to graduate with an MBA degree (i.e. the graduation requirement). If a student does not meet the graduation requirement of The Darden School, automatic dismissal from Darden results, and the student must petition the faculty for readmission.

Performance standards for the mid-degree and graduation requirements are enforced on the basis of Academic Standards Committee (ASC) points. Students receive ASC points when they earn a UP or F as a grade of record in a course. ASC points are computed by multiplying the credit hours of the course by the weight assigned to the grade. A UP has a weight of 1 while an F has a weight of 2. For example, ASC points by course credit hours are as follows:

0.5 credit hours 1.5 credit hours 3.0 credit hours
Unsatisfactory Performance 0.5 ASC points 1.5 ASC points 3.0 ASC points
Fail 1.0 ASC points 3.0 ASC points 6.0 ASC points

The minimum performance standards are determined by multiplying the ASC percentage approved by the faculty and the credit hours applicable to the ASC requirement (mid-term and graduation) rounded to the nearest 0.5 credit hours.

Mid-degree: The minimum performance standard to continue pursuit of a Darden MBA degree is not met when ASC points are 30% or more of the cumulative credit hours completed. E.g. If the cumulative number of credit-hours completed is 30 then students with 9 or more ASC points (30 * 30%) will be automatically dismissed from Darden.

Graduation: The minimum performance standard to graduate is not met when the ASC points are 25% or more of the total credit hours required for graduation e.g. If the total number of credit-hours required for graduation is 60 then students with 15 or more ASC points (60 * 25%) will be automatically dismissed from Darden.

ASC Requirement ASC percentage Credit hours Example
Mid-degree 30% Mid-degree credit hours 30% * 30 mid-point credit hours =9
Graduation 25% Total credit hours 25% * 60 total credit hours=15 or more ASC points

There are two designations for every course as determined by the respective MBA programs: required and core. Being deemed a “required” course by an MBA program determines whether a make-up assignment is required for receiving an F grade of record. Being deemed a “core” course determines the distribution used to determine grades.

If a student receives an F as a grade of record in a required course, the student must satisfactorily complete a written makeup assignment. Students must receive a grade of Low Performance or better on the written makeup assignment to receive the credit hours for the required course; however, the grade of F will remain on the transcript. Students who do not receive a grade of Low Performance or better will be dismissed from the program and they must petition the faculty for readmission. Written makeup assignments will be given only for required courses. ASC will formally notify the student of the need for a makeup assignment. All required courses must stand ready to administer a makeup assignment to any student receiving an F. The form of the written make-up assignment and the completion date are at the discretion of the MBA programs in conjunction with the course head. The assignment should cover material representative of the entire course for which the credit hours are attributable. This makeup requirement will be administered by the course head of the relevant course, who must inform the Academic Standards Committee and the Registrar of the outcome through a written correspondence. If the course head advises the Academic Standards Committee that the make-up activity has been completed satisfactorily, the original F grade remains on the transcript, but the notation “Credit by Additional Work” is added to the transcript.

Non-required courses are defined as any course that is not defined as a required course by the MBA programs. No makeup assignment is required for a student earning an F grade in a non-required course. First Year Electives in the Full-Time Program are exception to the F course grade requirement for non-required courses. Students are required to earn 4.5 credits of First Year Electives. Students who earn an F grade in a First Year Elective course will be required to make up these credits in their second year by taking:

  1. the First-Year Program electives offered in the Second-Year Program,
  2. the First-Year Program electives offered in the First-Year Program during their second year.

Faculty permission is required for students to retake the First Year Elective in which they received an F; however, the grade of F will remain on the transcript, but the notation “Credit by Additional Work” is added to the transcript.

Readmission
Students who are dismissed from the MBA Program because they do not meet the mid-degree requirement may petition the Academic Standards Committee for readmission. Students who are dismissed from the MBA Program because they do not meet the graduation requirement (i.e. an accumulation of ASC points equal to 25% of the total credit hours needed to earn an MBA degree), may only petition the faculty for readmission. Readmission will depend on the presence of extenuating circumstances and the ability of the student to complete the remainder of the program satisfactorily.

Students who, based on grades received before the end of the program, have failed to meet the graduation standards of the Darden School may submit a petition for the consideration of the faculty at the time the grades are available or at the end of the program. Students who, based on grades received before the mid-degree evaluation, have failed to meet the mid-degree standards of the Darden School may submit a petition to the Academic Standards Committee for consideration at the time the grades are available or at the mid-degree evaluation of the program.

Transfer Credit
The Darden School of Business does not honor transfer credits from other institutions, except in cases of approved international exchange programs. In such cases credits for elective courses taken at the partner institution are offered under the following conditions: 

  • The course has been approved by the Electives Coordinator acting on behalf of the MBA Policy Committee. The Electives Coordinator shall require that the course be a graduate level offering that relates to or enhances the Darden MBA Program. Using Darden elective courses as a standard, the Electives Coordinator shall determine the credit hours allowed for such course. Students must satisfactorily complete the course according to the standards of the partner institution. The Electives Coordinator shall determine whether any grade received is equivalent to less than a B− on a Darden scale and report such determinations to the Academic Standards Committee.
  • No more than 15 credit hours will be given for courses taken outside the Darden School (other University of Virginia courses outside Darden will count toward the 15-credit-hour maximum, provided the courses have prior approval from Darden).
  • Students will normally take a minimum of nine credit hours in Darden electives (excluding Business Projects and Research Elective courses).

Withdrawals
The Dean’s office may ask a student at any time to withdraw from a particular course or from the school because of unsatisfactory academic work or for other adequate reasons.