Academic Standing

Undergraduate Students

Good Standing

Students are considered to be in good academic standing if they are not on probation (either university probation or program probation) and have not been dismissed or suspended from Saint Louis University.  

University Probation

Students will be automatically placed on university probation if any of the following occurs:

  • the Saint Louis University cumulative grade point average falls below 2.00
  • the Saint Louis University semester grade point average is below a 1.00
  • more than two Incomplete or two In-Progress grades on their academic transcript

Students on university probation may not register for more than 12 credits in the fall and spring semesters, 9 credits in the summer semester and 3 credits in the winter term. Please see the Summer/Winter Enrollment Limits.

Students may not remain on University probation for more than three consecutive semesters (including summer and winter, if enrolled).

Program Probation

Although the University’s minimum grade point average is 2.00, some individual majors, programs, schools, or colleges may require higher minimum grades or additional academic, clinical or professional criteria. These programs have specific policy statements regarding eligibility for continuation, progression, probation, and dismissal from the individual programs. Students have the obligation to familiarize themselves with these policies which can be found in the Academic Catalog.

Academic Suspension

Students may be suspended from a course, from a school or college, or from the University for academic or disciplinary misconduct. Please see the Student Handbook for additional details.

Academic Dismissal

A student may be dismissed from the University under the following conditions:

  • Inability to eliminate probationary status within the two semesters subsequent to the assignment of probation, or
  • A grade point average deficit points1 of less than -15 points.
1

Grade Point Average Deficit Points are defined as students’ Total GPA Points - (2.00 * GPA Credits).  Deficit points are a numerical representation of the severity of being below a 2.00.  Students on academic probation will have deficit points since their GPA is below 2.00. Small deficit points mean that students are very close to a 2.00, while larger number mean that students are further from 2.00.

Changing Majors

Students on University probation changing majors within their home college/school or to a different college/school will remain on University probation under the conditions outlined in the original probation notification.

Students on program probation but not University probation changing majors within their home college/school or to a different college/school will return to good standing unless conditions are outlined in their change of major approval.

Graduate Students 

Classified students are in good academic standing when they are making progress toward a degree within the time period established for that degree by the University. Students will not be advanced to candidacy or be eligible to graduate or continue an assistantship while not in good academic standing. Candidacy is achieved after passing the oral exam, regardless of whether the prospectus is part of the exam.

Students are not in good standing if any of the following conditions are true:

  • They are on academic probation
  • Their transcripts reflect more than two incomplete grades
  • Their time to degree has expired
  • They have been placed under temporary suspension for academic deficiencies or misconduct
  • They have been formally dismissed from the University

If the cumulative grade point average of classified students falls below 3.00 (on the four-point scale, “B” = 3.00), students are automatically placed on academic probation (not to be confused with probationary admission). To continue degree pursuit, students must progress toward a 3.00 cumulative average and are expected to emerge from academic probation within nine credits or two successive academic terms during which coursework registrations are recorded. Students may not be advanced to candidacy status while on academic probation.

Graduate students are expected to complete academic work at the “B+” level. A limited number of credits in which the grade of “C” or "D" is earned may or may not be accepted toward a degree at the discretion of the individual department or program. The classified student’s cumulative grade point average in academic work presented to fulfill degree requirements must be at least 3.00.

Program Probation

Although the University’s minimum grade point average is 3.00 for graduate students, some programs, schools, or colleges may require higher minimum grades or additional academic, clinical or professional criteria. These programs have specific policy statements regarding eligibility for continuation, progression, probation, and dismissal from the individual programs. Students have the obligation to familiarize themselves with these policies which can be found in the Academic Catalog.

Each college, school, and center is responsible for establishing specific policies and procedures regarding the placement of, monitoring of and subsequent dismissals associated with academic probation at the program and university levels.