Grades & GPA FAQ

Your all-college GPA is the GPA used from all your grades at any college or university you’ve attended, including SMU. Your SMU GPA is your GPA based only on your SMU grades. Some schools/majors use your all-college GPA or grades in courses you’ve taken at another institution to determine if they will admit you to their major.

An "F" is a failing grade. With a "D-" and above you will earn course credit, but may not meet the requirements for your major or be able to progress in a sequence of classes. If you make a "C" or lower in a class, double check your major requirements in the SMU Catalog or ask your academic advisor.

"Freshman Forgiveness" doesn’t exist. However, SMU does have the Grade Replacement Repeat policy that students may take advantage of, regardless of their year. For classes taken Fall 2017 and later, if you made a D+ or lower in a course, you may repeat the course here at SMU and the second grade will be used in place of the first grade to calculate your SMU GPA. Your first grade will always stay on your transcript, though, so please be aware that it could still impact you in the future if you choose to attend graduate school or transfer to another university.