As an undergraduate student, the following information about the grading system at Bilkent University is important for your success.
Course Load
For each undergraduate program, there exists a semester “normal course load interval” defined by the relevant department and approved by the Faculty or School Board. The normal course load interval consists of a lower and an upper limit. Upon recommendation of the academic advisor and with the approval of the department chair, the maximum course load of a student in one semester can be at most two more courses over the upper limit of the normal course load of the program. More information can be found in Article 4.2 of the “Academic Regulations for Undergraduate and Associate Degree Programs.”
Attendance
Students must attend all lecture, laboratory, and practical sessions, take all examinations, and participate in any activities that the teaching staff may consider appropriate.
Examinations and Assessment
Apart from work conducted throughout the semester, students are usually asked to take a final examination and at least one midterm examination for a course. If a staff member considers it appropriate, practical laboratory work or other such assignments may be assessed as midterm examinations or as a final examination.
Grades are finalized when they are announced via the internet on the date specified in the Academic Calendar. Semester grades for practical studies and other non-lecture courses are determined by an evaluation of the student’s overall work and performance throughout the semester.
Grades
The University grading system uses letter grades with pluses and minuses. Letter grades and their grade point equivalents are:
| A+ | 4.00 | B+ | 3.30 | C+ | 2.30 | D+ | 1.30 | F | 0.00 | ||||||||||
| A | 4.00 | B | 3.00 | C | 2.00 | D | 1.00 | FX | 0.00 | ||||||||||
| A- | 3.70 | B- | 2.70 | C- | 1.70 | FZ | 0.00 |
Other grades used are S (Satisfactory), U (Unsatisfactory), I (Incomplete), P (In Progress), T (Transfer), and W (Withdraw). These grades do not have grade point equivalents.
| S | : | accorded to students who are successful in non-credit courses. |
| U | : | accorded to students who are unsuccessful in non-credit courses. |
| I | : | accorded to students who, although otherwise successful, have failed to complete the required assignments for a course due to illness or some other valid reason. Proof of illness or other reason for non-completion must be submitted within two days of the date of the final exam. A student receiving an incomplete grade for any course must make up for the deficiencies within 14 days after the final exam in order to obtain a grade. Otherwise, the grade I automatically becomes FX. At the discretion of the department chair, the period specified above may be extended until the beginning of the following semester. |
| P | : | progress, used for multi-semester courses. |
| T | : | reflects approved transferred courses from other universities or from an exchange program. A student with a grade of T is exempted from an equivalent number of credits on the condition that the courses are accepted by the department on the recommendation of the department chair and with the approval of the board of the faculty/school. This grade may provide an exemption for a particular course at the program. |
| W | : | student has withdrawn from the course before the withdrawal deadline of the respective semester. |
A student with extraordinary performance in a course may be granted an A+ grade. However, the number of A+ grades in a given course is limited based on class size: If the class size is less than 25 students, no A+ grades may be given; if the class size is between 25 and 74 students, only one A+ grade may be given; if the class size is between 75 and 124 students, two A+ grades may be given; if the class size is between 125 and 174 students, three A+ grades may be given; if the class size is between 175 and 225 students, four A+ grades may be given; if the class size is more than 225 students, five A+ grades may be given. (The letter grade A+ was instituted beginning with the 2010-2011 academic year.)
Students who have not met the minimum performance and/or attendance requirements to qualify to take the final exam receive an FZ grade before the final exams begin. Failing students who have not shown up at the final exam receive an FX grade instead of an F.
In undergraduate programs, a grade of C or higher (or S for non-credit courses) is a passing grade for the course. Letter grades F, FX, FZ, and U are all failing grades. Grades C-, D+, and D are considered failing grades when the student’s Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) is less than 2.00 and conditionally passing grades when the CGPA is 2.00 or higher. For courses ENG 101 and ELS 104, grades C-, D+, and D are considered failing grades regardless of the CGPA.
In graduate programs, in addition to grade S, a grade of C or higher is a passing grade in master’s programs and a grade of B or higher is a passing grade in Ph.D. programs. Letter grades lower than C and grade U are failing grades in master’s programs and grades lower than B and grade U are failing grades in Ph.D. programs.
Grade Point Average (GPA) and Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA)
A student’s academic performance is determined at the end of each semester by computing a weighted average of the letter grades he/she has received during that semester. For each course, the grade point equivalent of the letter grade received by the student is multiplied by the credit units for that course; the sum of these products is then divided by the total credit units taken in that semester to yield the Grade Point Average (GPA) for that semester. The Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) is calculated by multiplying the grade point equivalent of the letter grade by the credit units for each course and then dividing the total sum by the total credit units taken in the program.
All-inclusive Grade Point Average (AGPA)
The All-inclusive Grade Point Average (AGPA) is calculated just like the CGPA, however without the new grade of a repeated course replacing the former grade. Class and graduate rankings are based on the AGPA. Graduates with an AGPA of 3.75 or higher graduate summa cum laude, between 3.50 – 3.74 with magna cum laude and 3.00-3.49 with cum laude.