Grading system
Montclair State University uses a plus/minus letter grading scale on a 4.0 scale for both undergraduate and graduate coursework; no A+ grade is awarded. Graduate coursework does not use D-range grades (D+/D/D-) — these were eliminated for graduate students effective Fall 1989.
XF is a punitive, GPA-affecting grade (0.0 quality points) applied when a student had federal financial aid funds returned for a course because they stopped attending without officially withdrawing — distinct from a standard failing grade for academic reasons (F). An IN (Incomplete) withholds a grade until outstanding work is completed under a formal contract with the instructor; if not resolved by the stated deadline (February 15 for Fall, June 30 for Spring, October 15 for Summer), it becomes an F.
Source: Grading Standards, University Catalog 2026-2027 Edition — verified Sep 2026
GPA calculation
Montclair State University calculates GPA to three decimal places for all purposes — graduation, academic honors, Dean's List, academic probation, academic furlough, suspension, and dismissal — with no additional rounding.
Source: Grading Standards, University Catalog 2026-2027 Edition — verified Sep 2026
Graduate good standing
Graduate students must maintain a minimum 3.000 cumulative GPA to remain in good academic standing.
Source: Grading Standards, University Catalog 2026-2027 Edition — verified Sep 2026
Degree requirements
Undergraduate: the baccalaureate degree requires 120 credits; a minimum of 30 credits must be completed at Montclair State, and the final 24 credits must be taken at Montclair State rather than transferred in. A minimum 2.000 overall GPA and 2.000 major GPA are required; some majors set a higher minimum.
Graduate: master's degrees require a minimum of 30 graduate semester hours; doctoral degrees require a minimum of 48 graduate-level semester hours beyond the master's, or 72 beyond the bachelor's; certificate programs require a minimum of 9 graduate-level semester hours. A minimum 3.000 GPA is required for degree and certification programs, and a minimum 2.500 GPA for certificate programs.
Source: Undergraduate and Graduate Degree Requirements, University Catalog 2026-2027 — verified Sep 2026
Transfer credit
Only grades of C- or better are accepted in transfer, with two exceptions: a D grade earned as part of a New Jersey Associate's Degree (A.A./A.S.) is accepted, and when the first grade in a two-term course sequence is a D and the second is C- or better, both are accepted. Courses graded P, CR, or S transfer at full credit value if college-level.
Montclair State does not cap credits transferred from a regionally accredited 4-year institution, but accepts no more than 60 credits from a 2-year institution or program. Students transferring courses that apply to their major must complete at least 12 credit hours of upper-division (300/400-level) coursework in the major at Montclair State. Quarter-hour credits from other institutions convert at two-thirds of a Montclair State semester credit hour.
Source: Undergraduate Transfer Course Guidelines, University Catalog 2026-2027 — verified Sep 2026