Grades and Course Units
University Policy
School of Law Policy
Excerpt from Article IX of Academic Regulations
Grading Scale and Procedures
a. Letter Grades with Numerical Equivalents. The Faculty has established the following scale of numerical equivalents for letter grades:
| A+ = 4.3 | B+ = 3.3 | C+ = 2.3 | D = 1.0 |
| A = 4.0 | B = 3.0 | C = 2.0 | F = 0 |
| A– = 3.7 | B– = 2.7 | C– = 1.7 |
(i) First-Year Courses.
For all first-year doctrinal courses, the following grade distribution is mandatory:
| Grades | Grade Distribution | |
| A+ | 2–5% | |
| A+, A | 15–25% (A+ subject to 5% limitation above) | |
| A+, A, A– | 30–40% (A+, A subject to limitations above) | |
| B+ and above | 50–70% (subject to limitations on A range above) | |
| B | 22–50% (subject to limitations above and below) | |
| B– and below | 0–8% (subject to limitations below on ranges C+ and below) | |
| C+ and below | 0–5% | |
| D, F | 0–5% |
For the first-year Lawyering Program, the above distributions are not mandatory.
(ii) Second- and Third-Year Courses.
For second- and third-year courses and seminars with enrollment of 26 or more students receiving grades, a mandatory B+ median applies, subject to the following additional requirements:
| Grades | Grade Distribution |
| A+ | Maximum 5% |
| A+, A, A– | Minimum 30% |
| B+ and below | Minimum 50% |
| B and below | Minimum 10% |
| B– and below | Maximum 15% |
| C+ and below | Maximum 10% |
| D, F | Maximum 5% |
For seminars and courses with a graded (including CR/NC) enrollment of 25 or fewer Boston University JD students, the above distributions are not mandatory, but a median of B+ is recommended.
(iii) In coursework for which a letter grade is assigned, the minimum passing grade is D.
b. Grades without a Numerical Equivalent—The Faculty has authorized the award of the following grades for courses satisfying JD degree requirements but not incorporated into the grade point average:
| AUD = Audit | P = Pass | F = Fail | |
| CR = Units | NC = No Units | H = Honors | |
| W/D = Withdrawal from Course | * = Indicates Currently Enrolled |
c. Units/No Units/Honors. Second- and third-year students may elect to register for up to 8 units of non-required coursework on a Units/No Units/Honors basis after first year, if the coursework qualifies. If a graded seminar or course is taken by a student on a Units/No Units/Honors basis, the student must earn a “C” or better on the graded work in the course or seminar to pass. A student who does not satisfy that standard will not receive units for the course, and the course will not appear on the student’s transcript except as provided under (c(ii)).
(i) The result of any course or seminar taken on a Units/No Units/Honors basis is not reflected in a student’s grade point average except as provided under (e).
(ii) If a student receives a grade of C– or D in a course taken on a Units/No Units/Honors basis in the final term before the student’s anticipated graduation and the student requires units in the course to be eligible for graduation, the grade shall be included in the student’s grade point average and on the student’s transcript and the student shall receive units for the course.
(iii) A student must make any election to take a course on a Units/No Units/Honors basis by the end of the add/drop period. A student, however, can elect to reverse this decision and take the course on a graded basis for an additional two-week period after the end of the add/drop period.
(iv) Faculty may prohibit students from taking a course for a CR/NC/H grade. Should a faculty member elect to restrict the grading for a course, the course description will note the grading structure.
(v) Students may have no more than 8 units of “Units/No Units/Honors” graded courses applied to their JD degree requirements (85 units).
d. Pass/Fail—The required 1L Lawyering Lab, moot court, and certain clinical courses are graded solely as pass (“P”) or fail (“F”). A “P” grade signifies successful completion of the course requirement(s); an “F” grade signifies failure to complete the course requirements. P and F grades earned in these courses do not have a numerical value that affects the calculation of a student’s grade point average.
e. The Registrar will release final grades to students as soon as possible after the examination period. Instructors may not release final grades directly to students.
f. Instructors may change final grades to correct clerical or mathematical error. Final grades may not otherwise be changed except by vote of the Faculty.
Excerpt from Article XIII of Academic Regulations: Assigning Units to Academic Offerings
A. Minimum Requirements for Assigning Units to Academic Offerings: (1) Not less than 12.5 hours (750 minutes) of classroom or direct faculty instruction per unit and 42.5 hours of total student work per unit (including classroom or direct faculty instruction); or (2) at least an equivalent amount of work as required in section A.1 for other academic activities, including, but not limited to, simulation, field placement, clinical, cocurricular, and other academic work.
B. Any academic offering that does not require a minimum of 750 minutes of in-person classroom instruction or in-person direct faculty instruction per unit is only permitted if such offering (1) is allowed by guidelines that have been issued by the JD Program Committee in relation to this Article, or (2) has been approved by the JD Program Committee or the Dean’s designate.
C. For purposes of this Article: (1) An hour of student work means 50 minutes of classroom or direct faculty instruction or 60 minutes of other student work; and (2) time devoted to required in-class examinations and in-class exercises, including midterm examinations, final examinations, and quizzes, counts as classroom or direct instruction, and time devoted to studying for examinations counts as student work.
