Satisfactory Academic Progress | Graduate & Professional

Students must maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined quantitatively and qualitatively to continue to receive federal, state and institutional financial aid. Quantitatively, students must complete a minimum number of credits each term and must not exceed a maximum number of attempted credits for their programs. Qualitatively, students must achieve and maintain certain term and cumulative grade point averages (GPAs). The following provides specific information for each program:

Athletic Training | Students must successfully complete 100% of their attempted credits each term.

Audiology | Students must successfully complete 100% of their attempted credits each term.

Business (graduate) | Students must achieve a 2.7 or higher GPA for each course and maintain a 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA.

Education (graduate) | Students must complete at least 67% of their attempted credits each term. Students must also achieve a 3.0 or higher GPA each term, and maintain a 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA.

Gerontology | Students must complete at least 67% of their attempted credits each term. Students must also achieve a 3.0 or higher GPA each term, and maintain a 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA.

Healthcare Compliance | Students must successfully complete 100% of their attempted credits each term. Students must achieve a C or higher in all of their coursework, and must maintain a 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA.

Master of Healthcare Administration | Students must complete at least 67% of their attempted credits each term. Students must also achieve a 3.0 or higher GPA each term, and maintain a 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA.

Occupational Therapy | Students must complete at least 67% of their attempted credits each term. Students must also achieve a 2.8 or higher GPA each term, and maintain a 2.8 or higher cumulative GPA.

Optometry | Students must successfully complete 100% of their attempted credits each term. Students must achieve a C or higher in all of their coursework.

Pharmacy | Students must complete 100% of their attempted credits each term. Students cannot have grades of No Pass (N) in more than three blocks during any term. Student must also achieve a 2.3 or higher GPA, and maintain a 2.3 or higher cumulative GPA.

Physical Therapy | Students must complete 100% of their attempted credits each term. Students must also achieve a 2.7 or higher GPA each term, and maintain a 2.7 or higher cumulative GPA.

Physician Assistant Studies | Students must complete 100% of their attempted credits each term. Students cannot have grades of No Pass (N) in more than two courses during any term.

Professional Psychology (master's degree, PsyD, and PhD) | Students must complete at least 67% of their attempted credits each term. Students must also achieve a 3.0 or higher GPA each term, and maintain a 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA.

Social Work (graduate) | Students must complete at least 67% of their attempted credits each term. Students must achieve a 2.0 or higher GPA each term, and maintain a 2.0 or higher cumulative GPA.

Speech-Language Pathology | Students must complete at least 67% of their attempted credits each term. Students must achieve a 3.0 or higher GPA each term, and maintain a 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA.

Letter Grades

Letter Grades are calculated in both the qualitative and quantitative measurement.

Audited Courses

With the consent of the instructor, students may attend any class. Students auditing classes may participate in discussion with the instructor's consent but will not receive credit or evaluation of papers or tests. To receive notation on their transcripts, students must register as auditors and pay the auditing fee. All audits must be declared by the end of the add-drop period. Once you declare the audit option you may not revert back to the graded option. Audited courses do not count toward qualitative or quantitative measurement.

Course Withdrawals

Students may add courses through the first ten class days of the semester (first three days of a three week term). Students may drop a class through the first ten class days of the semester (first three days of a three week term) without having the class appear on the transcript. Students may withdraw through the tenth week of the semester (second week of a three week term) and receive a W on the transcript, with no grade penalty. Late adds, drops, or withdrawals are normally not permitted unless approved by the appropriate Academic Standards committee. If a student receives a W on their transcript it is counted towards the quantitative measurement.

Incompletes

An instructor may issue a grade of Incomplete (I) only when the major portion of a course has been completed satisfactorily but health or other emergency reasons prevent the student from finishing all requirements of the course. Prior to submitting an Incomplete grade, the instructor and the student complete an Incomplete Grade Contract detailing the completion and submission of all remaining work. After submission of the work, the instructor completes a Grade Change form and submits it to the associate dean for Student Academic Affairs for approval; the form is then processed by the Registrar.

Latest Completion/Expiration Dates

• Fall Incompletes: Dec. 31 of the following year
• Winter Incompletes: Jan. 31 of the following year
• Spring and Summer Incompletes: May 31 of the following year

If agreed-upon work is not completed and no grade change submitted in the allotted period (and an extension has not been granted), when the Incomplete expires the grade becomes an F or N. Faculty may request an extension of an Incomplete (before the expiration date of the Incomplete) by notifying the Registrar’s office.
Incompletes (I) are quantitative. After the grade is submitted it is both quantitative and qualitative.

Pass/No Pass

Students must declare the pass/no pass option before the end of the 10th week of the course, by completing the appropriate form in the Registrar's Office. Once students declare the pass/no pass option they may not revert back to the graded option. Pass/No Pass are quantitative.

Repeated courses

If a course taken at Pacific University is repeated at Pacific University in the schools of Occupational Therapy, Optometry, Physical Therapy, or Professional Psychology, both grades are counted in the grade point average. If a course taken at Pacific is repeated at another institution, the Pacific grade will still be counted in the GPA. No course may be counted more than once toward graduation requirements. Financial aid is available for the first repeat of any previously passed course. Each attempt is factored into quantitative measurement. The higher grade is factored into qualitative measurement.

Students’ satisfactory academic progress is monitored and evaluated by the Financial Aid Office at the end of each term.

Financial Aid Warning

Students will be placed on financial aid warning the first time satisfactory academic standards are not met. Students will be eligible for financial aid the following term, however, if they fail to meet SAP standards for a second consecutive term their financial aid will be suspended.

Financial Aid Suspension

If students fail to meet SAP standards for a second consecutive term, their financial aid will be suspended. Students may appeal if they have been placed on financial aid suspension.

Financial Aid Appeal

Students may appeal their financial aid suspension with the Financial Aid Office. Students must submit a paper detailing why they failed to make SAP and what has changed in their situation that will allow them to meet SAP standards at the end of the new term. If approved, financial aid will be reinstated and the student will be placed on financial aid probation.

Students may appeal each suspension. A submitted appeal does not guarantee reinstatement of financial aid.

Financial Aid Probation

If students fail to meet SAP standards for a second consecutive term, they may appeal their financial aid suspension. If approved, the student is placed on financial aid probation and they must successfully complete SAP at the end of the new term or their aid will be suspended.

Academic Plan

If students fail to meet SAP at the end of their probationary period, they may appeal the Financial Aid Suspension.  If approved, the students must complete an Academic Plan with the Director of Academic Advising.  The Academic Plan must outline a multi-semester plan that requires students to successfully meet SAP requirements by a particular point in time.