Grades and Course Units
University Policy
School of Theology Policy
Course Units and the Term System
Boston University School of Theology operates on a term basis. Two terms and two summer sessions constitute the academic year.
Courses carry 0 to 4 units; however, most courses (that is, full-term courses) carry 3 units, with doctoral-level courses carrying 4 units. Full-time registration is at least 9 units per term. Part-time registration is 1 to 8 units. For persons who are completing degree program requirements at full-time equivalency, full-time certification status based on part-time registration is permitted at the discretion of the School of Theology.
The payment of School of Theology tuition allows for term registration of 9 to 14 units. Students pay for each unit over 14. Students may attend in overload status (more than 14 units) by permission of the student’s advisor, the registrar, and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
Most Boston Theological Institute courses are 3 units, unless the student demonstrates via a petition to the registrar that the course is not a full course at the host school.
Auditing a Course
An audited course will be charged at the normal School of Theology tuition rate. No units are awarded for an audited course; an audited course therefore does not accumulate as units or count toward the completion of a degree program.
Pass/Fail Option
Each MDiv, MSM, and MTS student may enroll in one free elective course during the program on a Pass/Fail basis, provided an official petition, complete with appropriate signatures, is filed with the registrar. The deadline for a student to designate a course Pass/Fail is the course’s drop with a “W” grade date. Term-long courses have a consistent drop with a “W” date, and it is published per term on the official academic calendar of the University Registrar. The deadline for nonstandard courses is computed individually and is published by individual course on the MyBU Student Portal. This option is understood to be in addition to any course offered only on a Pass/Fail basis. A grade of C or higher constitutes passing by School of Theology (but not necessarily University) standards; a grade of C– or lower constitutes failing by School of Theology (but not necessarily University) standards.
This policy also extends to free electives taken outside of STH, provided that, in addition to the petition requirements stated above, the student secures within the first two weeks of the term written approval from the Boston University instructor or, in the case of the BTI, the instructor and the registrar of the consortium school.
Core courses and courses taken to fulfill the requirements of certificates or ordination may not be taken Pass/Fail.
STM, PhD, and DMin students may not enroll for courses on a Pass/Fail basis, unless they are courses that, by faculty action, give only Pass/Fail grades.
Tuition Rates at Other Boston University Schools
Students are encouraged to take courses in other schools and colleges within the University to the extent permitted by each School of Theology degree program. Tuition rates may, however, vary at other Boston University schools and colleges. Students planning on taking a course at one of the other schools must be registered as a full-time student (registered for 9 or more hours) and have a certification code of 1. A student carrying a part-time load (8 or fewer unit hours), who may or may not be “certified full-time,” will be assessed the tuition rate of the school in which the course originates.
Honors Eligibility
Master of Divinity, Master of Theological Studies, and Master of Sacred Music students are eligible to earn honors upon graduation based on the following cumulative GPA scale:
3.7–3.79 cum laude
3.8–3.89 magna cum laude
3.9–4.0 summa cum laude
