How Athabasca University grades undergraduate courses
Athabasca University adopted the province-wide alpha/4.0 grading system for undergraduate final grades effective January 1, 2003. Courses with start dates of January 1, 2003 or later receive a letter grade from A+ to F, and the transcript shows each letter grade with its grade point. For these courses the Office of the Registrar keeps only the letter grade in the official student record. It does not keep a percentage.
The minimum passing grade is D, unless the detailed course description sets a different minimum. Where a course kept a 60% minimum pass from the old system, the minimum pass becomes C-, and no D+ or D is assigned in that course.
Courses that started before January 1, 2003 were graded on the former percentage scale in effect at the time.
Source: Undergraduate Grading Policy §1-§3 and §7. — verified Sep 2026
How your GPA is calculated
AU calculates GPA on a 4.0 scale as a credit-weighted average: the sum of (grade point × credit hours) divided by the sum of credit hours. Two averages are used:
- Transcript GPA: the cumulative average of all completed AU courses.
- Program GPA: the average of courses completed toward a specific program. It is used for graduation requirements, awards, the honours list and graduation with distinction.
Courses graded pass/fail carry no grade points and are left out of GPA calculations. Grades such as AD (Audit), IP (In progress), W (Withdrawal) and NCC/NCI (not for credit) are also not included in GPA.
In the program GPA, unsuccessful attempts are included, and for a repeated course the highest grade achieved is used. The program GPA excludes:
- transfer credit courses
- pass/fail courses
- courses with a W or WF
- courses that are extra to the degree
- credits awarded through Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR)
- non-credit courses and courses with no grade
Percentage grades from before 2003 that form part of a GPA are converted to the 4.0 scale course by course, using the policy's conversion scale.
Source: Undergraduate Grading Policy: Definitions, Additional Athabasca University Grades, §5-§6 and §10-§12. — verified Sep 2026
Honours list, awards and graduation with distinction
These recognitions are based on the program GPA, truncated to two decimal places:
- Awards: a minimum GPA of 3.50 to be considered.
- Honours list: a minimum GPA of 3.60.
- Graduation with Distinction: a program GPA of 3.60 to 3.84.
- Graduation with Great Distinction: a program GPA of 3.85 or higher.
Undergraduate degree graduates who have completed at least 24 credits at Athabasca University are automatically considered for graduation with distinction or great distinction.
Source: Undergraduate Grading Policy: Definitions (Awards, Honours List, Graduation with Distinction and Great Distinction) and §9. — verified Sep 2026
Frequently asked questions
What grading scheme does Athabasca University (AU) use?
Where does this AU grade scale come from?
Does an A+ count for more than an A at Athabasca University?
No. On AU's undergraduate 4.0 scale, A+ and A both carry 4.0 grade points, so an A+ does not raise your GPA above an A.
Source: Undergraduate Grading Policy §1, Approved Common Provincial Grading Scale. — verified Sep 2026
Do failing grades count in my Athabasca University GPA?
Yes, with two exceptions. All failing grades are included in the cumulative average except WF (Withdrawal Failure) and U (Failure in a course using pass/fail grade mode).
For older courses, the passing grade for undergraduate courses taken before December 31, 2002 is 50%, and for courses started before September 1989 it is 60%, unless the course outline or syllabus states otherwise.
Source: 2026-27 Undergraduate Calendar, Marks and grades: Grading policy and Grade-point average sections. — verified Sep 2026
