Educational Policies

CALCULATION OF THE GPA IN THE MAJOR

The policy for the calculation of GPA in the major is as follows:

• Only upper division courses that are used to fulfill a requirement for the major and which are also included in the GPA calculation as outlined in San Diego Senate Regulation 500(A)(3) are to be included in the calculation of the GPA in the major.
• Grades in courses not applied to a major requirement and grades in lower division courses are not to be included in the calculation of the GPA in the major. The grade of F should never be included in the calculation, since the course can never fulfill a major requirement. The grade of D should be included only if the department or program accepts such grades as applicable to the major and only if the course is used to fulfill a major requirement.
• The calculation should include only the best grades that a student has achieved in the minimum number of courses necessary for completion of the major, that also meet the requirements above. Thus, if a program requires fifteen upper division courses which meet the requirements of SD 500(A)(3), and the student has taken eighteen upper division courses that would be applicable to the requirements, only the fifteen best grades among those courses shall be counted in the calculation of the major GPA.

Committee on Educational Policy: Established 1995; Am May 2000; Am November 2008

Educational Policy Committee: Am May 2021 (effective Fall 2022 for all students)*

*If a student admitted prior to Fall 2021 is adversely impacted by the new calculation rules (May 2021 amendments), the Office of the Registrar, in consultation with college and major advisors, will calculate the major GPA under the prior policy rules (November 2008 version).