Grading System
UMass Amherst's official undergraduate grading system has been in effect since Fall 2004. Grades A through F carry grade points (4.00–0.00) that count toward the cumulative GPA. Three additional notations also count in the GPA as failures: INC (Incomplete, 0.00 — counted as an F until resolved), IF (Incomplete Failure, 0.00 — an unresolved INC after the following semester), and __ (blank/missing grade, 0.00). An Incomplete not resolved by the end of the following semester automatically converts to IF.
Notations that do not affect the cumulative GPA include: AUD (Audit), CR (Credit), DR (Dropped), IP (In Progress), NR (No grade submitted), P (Pass), SAT (Satisfactory), W (Withdrawn), WF (Withdrew Failing), WP (Withdrew Passing), and Y (Year-long course in progress).
Source: Faculty Senate Academic Regulations 'Grading System and Credit Guidelines' (Sen. Doc. 12-032/05-020), effective Fall 2004; corroborated by Registrar 'Grading System & GPA Calculation' — verified Sep 2026
GPA Calculation
The cumulative GPA is calculated by dividing total grade points earned across all semesters by total credits attempted — excluding credits for courses graded P, Y, W, CR, SAT, AUD, DR, IP, WP, WF, or NR. Credits and grades from courses transferred to UMass Amherst are not included in the UMass GPA. Five College cross-registration courses are included. When a course is repeated, only the last grade counts in the GPA (all attempts appear on the transcript).
Source: Registrar 'Grading System & GPA Calculation' (GPA steps 2–3, transfer credit note); Faculty Senate Academic Regulations §E (repeated courses) — verified Sep 2026
Transfer Credit and GPA
Grades and credits for courses transferred to UMass Amherst from other institutions appear on the official transcript but are not factored into the UMass GPA. This applies to courses taken prior to first enrollment (§O) and courses taken at another institution while on leave (§P). Students who received transfer credit for a course equivalent to a UMass course may not repeat that course for credit or quality points. Five College cross-registration courses are an exception — those grades are included in the cumulative GPA.
Source: Faculty Senate Academic Regulations §O–P (transfer courses); Registrar 'Grading System & GPA Calculation' (cumulative GPA note) — verified Sep 2026
Frequently asked questions
What grading scheme does University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass) use?
Where does this UMass grade scale come from?
Do UMass Amherst grades use plus and minus?
Yes. The standard undergraduate scale includes plus and minus grades: A (4.00), A− (3.70), B+ (3.30), B (3.00), B− (2.70), C+ (2.30), C (2.00), C− (1.70), D+ (1.30), D (1.00), F (0.00). There is no A+.
Note: students taking courses at the Five College Interchange (Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, Smith Colleges and UMass Amherst) use a slightly different plus/minus scale for those courses: A− counts as 3.75, B+ as 3.25, B− as 2.75, C+ as 2.25, C− as 1.75, D+ as 1.25, D− as 0.75.
Source: Faculty Senate Academic Regulations 'Grading System and Credit Guidelines', Section A (effective Fall 2004) — verified Sep 2026
Does the graduate grading scale differ?
Yes. Graduate students enrolled in courses numbered 600 or above follow different rules: C−, D+, and D are not valid grades in those courses, and SAT (Satisfactory) is available instead of the elective pass/fail option used at the undergraduate level.
Source: Faculty Senate Academic Regulations 'Grading System and Credit Guidelines', Section A (undergraduates enrolling in 600+ courses) — verified Sep 2026
