Dean's High Honors List
A student shall be eligible for the Dean's High Honors List in any semester in which his or her grade point average is at least 3.70, and provided he or she receives no grade of "D," "F," or "I," and has earned a minimum of 12 semester-hour credits.
Part-Time Student Dean's High Honors List
A part-time student shall be eligible for the Dean's High Honors List on an annual basis (defined as any courses taken during the Spring, Summer and/or Fall semesters) if his or her grade point average is at least 3.70, the student has earned a minimum of 12 semester-hour credits for the year, and provided he or she receives no grade of "D," "F," or "I."
Dean's Honors List
A student shall be eligible for the Dean's Honors List in any semester in which his or her grade point average is between 3.30 and 3.699 inclusive, and provided he or she receives no grade of "D," "F," or "I," and has earned a minimum of 12 semester-hour credits.
Part-Time Student Dean's Honors List
A part-time student shall be eligible for the Dean's Honors List on an annual basis (defined as any courses taken during the Spring, Summer and/or Fall semesters) if his or her grade point average is between 3.30 and 3.699 inclusive, the student has earned a minimum of 12 semester-hour credits for the year, and provided he or she receives no grade of "D," "F," or "I."
Full-Time Dean's Honors List
A student who achieves Dean's List honors must be in regular attendance during the appropriate semester, and must have completed a minimum of 12 credits, as a full-time student with a grade point average of 3.3 or higher for the semester. A grade of "D," "F," or "I" disqualifies a student for the Dean's List, regardless of average.
Part-Time Dean's Honors List
To be considered for the Part-Time Dean's List, a student must be in regular attendance during the appropriate semester, and shall have completed a minimum of 6 credits with an average of 3.3 or better for the semester. A grade of "D," "F," or "I" disqualifies a student for the Dean's List, regardless of average. In some cases, full-time students will see their name on the Part-Time Dean's List.
Latin Honors
To be eligible to graduate with Latin Honors, an undergraduate student must have completed at least 60 semester hours of work at Suffolk University. (Courses for which a student receives credit through CLEP examinations may not be counted toward this minimum of 60 semester hours.)
Graduation Honors, Transfer Students
Transfer students with fewer than 60 semester hours at Suffolk University are recognized for high academic achievement. Transfer students who have completed 45– 59 semester hours of Suffolk University courses (courses for which a student receives credit through CLEP examinations may not be counted toward this minimum of 45 semester hours) are eligible for the following honors:
At the conclusion of each semester, students failing to make satisfactory progress are reviewed by the Academic Standing Committee of their respective school.
Suffolk University expects students to maintain an overall grade point average of 2.0 and a grade point average of 2.0 in the major field of study, as well as a 2.0 grade point average in the minor. Failure to maintain these degree requirements may result in academic probation or dismissal.
Students are notified by mail of any actions taken by the Academic Standing Committees.
As a part of our Academic Standing, the following review processes are completed after every semester.
Warning Status:
Sawyer Business students whose overall GPA is above 2.0 but fail to achieve a semester GPA of 2.0 will receive a warning letter. College of Arts and Sciences students whose overall GPA is above a 2.0, but who fail to achieve a semester GPA of 2.0 for two consecutive semesters will receive a warning letter.
Students who earn a GPA below 2.0 in their major, even if only one course has been completed, are alerted to minimum GPA requirements and referred to their major for advising.
Students who earn excess grades of "I", "L", and/or "W" are sent a warning and may have their records frozen for advising.
Students are sent a warning if any single grade of “F” is earned.
Typically, students placed on probation are put on a reduced course load and are instructed to improve their grade point average by the next committee review. Students who are demonstrating academic improvement may have their probation extended until they return to good academic standing. Those failing to demonstrate improvement are in imminent danger of dismissal.
Extracurriculars: No student on academic probation shall be eligible to participate in athletics, hold elected or appointed office, or represent the University in extracurricular or intercollegiate activities. However, a student on academic probation may continue membership in extracurricular activities such as clubs or fraternities, and may write for, but not be a member of, the staff of campus publications. In the event a student’s average does not improve, the Academic Standing Committee may require further curtailment of extracurricular activities as a condition of continued academic probation at Suffolk University.
Financial Aid: Please note that the academic standing review is an academic process and is separate from the guidelines from the federal government that manage access to student aid. It is possible to be allowed to continue at a university academically and not be allowed to continue to receive financial aid. ALL students who have financial aid and find themselves in academic difficulty should meet with their financial aid advisor to understand their personal situation.
Continued failure to make satisfactory progress toward a degree will inevitably result in dismissal from the University. Low grade point average, unexplained semester absences, refusal to complete prescribed remedial coursework, unwillingness to honor the recommendations of the Academic Standing Committee and/or other specific conditions are but a few of the situations that can undermine satisfactory progress and constitute legitimate grounds for dismissal.
Once dismissed for scholastic failure, a student is ineligible to enroll in further courses at the University until s/he is readmitted by the Academic Standing Committee. Dismissal does not suspend a student’s responsibility to meet prior course commitments. Consequently, all Incomplete “I” grades will convert to “F” grades unless attended to within one academic year.
Applying to Return to the University
Students who have been academically dismissed may apply for readmission after one semester by providing the appropriate committee with a written letter of petition. The filing deadline for petitioning is August 1 for fall re-admission and December 1 for spring re-admission. Please address the letter to: "The Academic Standing Committee.”
This letter should contain three main sections:
Letters should include your personal contact information for mail, email and phone:
If dismissed from the College of Arts and Sciences, send letters to:
Sharon Lenzie, Assistant Dean
College of Arts and Sciences
41 Temple Street
Boston, Ma 02114
Phone: 617-573-8268
slenzie@suffolk.edu
If dismissed from the Sawyer Business School, send letters to:
Lauren Mahoney, Assistant Dean
Sawyer Business School, Undergraduate Programs
8 Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108-2770.
Phone: 617-573-8345
lmahoney@suffolk.edu
Fresh Start
In the College of Arts and Sciences, a student dismissed for academic reasons, who is seeking readmission after an absence of five or more years from the University, may petition the Academic Standing Committee to grant him/her grade amnesty under the Fresh Start Program.
If approved, all Suffolk work completed prior to readmission will be reevaluated. Only course work with a grade of “C” or better, earned prior to readmission, is listed on the new transcript and counted for credit toward the degree. The grade point average is computed solely on work attempted after reinstatement. The handling of grades and credits reflects the policy governing the awarding of credits to students transferring work to Suffolk from another college into Suffolk.
Normally a student readmitted through the Fresh Start Program is not eligible for scholastic honors. All prior grades are used to compute the student’s academic progress for financial aid evaluation.
At Suffolk, a “credit hour” is defined as an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutional-established equivalence that reasonably approximates no less than:
Federal financial aid regulations stipulate a student must be enrolled in at least 12 credits per semester to be considered full-time and at least 6 credits per semester to be considered half-time. Summer session full-time status is based upon combined 12 credits over all summer modules or sessions. Graduating students in their last semester are considered full-time (except for financial aid purposes) if they are registered for all remaining degree requirements, even if they are registered for less than full-time status.
All international students are required to complete at least 12 credits each fall and spring semester.
Enrollment statuses for fall and spring terms are listed in the table below:
| Full-time | Half-time | Less Than Half-Time | |
| Undergraduate and Graduate | 12-17 credits | 6-11 credits | <6 credits |
Restrictions: ESL students can take a maximum of 3 credits. ELI students can only take 0 credit courses.
Enrollment statuses for summer session are listed in the table below:
| Full-Time | Half-Time | Less Than Half-Time | |
| Undergraduate and Graduate | 12-17 credits | 6-11 credits | <6 credits |
Once matriculated into a degree program at Suffolk, students are expected to complete all of their coursework at the University. Exceptions are made for international study or where academic hardship merits consideration. A student must be in good academic standing (2.0 GPA or better with no Incomplete grades) and have transferred fewer than 63 outside credit hours into Suffolk. If approved for a course at another institution, a student must attain a grade of "C" or higher in order to receive transfer credit. It is expected that students will complete their final 30 credit hours at Suffolk University. New students in their first semester without final grades may not be approved for outside courses. Courses taken at other institutions may affect student eligibility for graduation honors.
College of Arts and Sciences
Students who feel their situation warrants an exception must apply through the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Sawyer Business School
Students who feel their situation warrants an exception must apply online through the Business School's Undergraduate Programs Office. Petitions must be received at least two weeks prior to the start of Suffolk University semesters (spring, summer, fall, or winter).
Once matriculated, a student may apply to take no more than two courses of outside coursework during the BSBA degree program. Most upper-level business courses are not applicable.
Twelve to 17 credits constitutes a normal full-time schedule. Students who meet the following criteria can register for 18 credits (fall and spring term):
Students who do not meet the above criteria or who wish to enroll in more than 18 credits in either the fall or spring term or more than 8 credits per summer module must petition their academic dean's office for approval.
Students registered for more than 17 credits will be charged an excess credit rate during the fall and spring terms. Students are charged per credit hour during the summer sessions. Students should NOT assume financial aid will cover excess course charges.
The purpose of an independent study is to provide students with unique study opportunities with an individual faculty member. The guidelines with respect to independent studies are as follows:
The purpose of an independent study is to provide students with unique research opportunities to supplement the curriculum. This student-initiated work is done in conjunction with an individual faculty member. Students are responsible for developing a robust rigorous proposal, and for finding a full-time faculty member to supervise it. The faculty member may suggest readings/direction that helps further develop the research proposal. However, students must do preliminary work outlining their ideas (e.g., research questions, bibliography) before meeting the professor, so as to show their motivation and that they have foundational knowledge on the topic they are proposing to research. Independent studies may be proposed for 1 to 3 credits and are to be completed within one semester.
Proposals must detail the following: (1) a title for the project, which is unique to the student’s research; (2) the academic goals of the project including a list of the research questions the student will explore; (3) an explanation and detailed description of the activities the student will engage in to research these questions; (4) a list of assignments/deliverables, a timeline of due dates, and a description of the anticipated direct contact hours between faculty/student; (5) an explanation of how the independent study grade will be calculated (e.g., what % of the grade is allocated to each deliverable); and (6) a preliminary bibliography of articles and books that will be read.
The policies with respect to independent study credits are as follows:
Please refer to the SBS Independent Study Agreement and Proposal form.
Transfer applicants are considered for admission based on work completed at a regionally accredited two- or four-year college or at international institutions approved by the Ministry of Education in the country where the institution resides. In some cases, transfer applicants with less than one year of college completion are also considered based on the results of the high school transcript and test scores. Credit is generally transferable provided that such coursework is successfully completed and equivalent to that offered at Suffolk University.
In the Sawyer Business School, transfer credit is awarded only for courses equivalent to freshman/sophomore years. Courses not required at Suffolk University until the junior/senior years may qualify for validation credit. Students admitted to the Sawyer Business School are required to complete at least 50 percent of business credit hours at Suffolk University.
A minimum of 45 hours in any bachelor degree program must be earned at Suffolk University, including all major and general education requirements. Requirements for specific degrees are listed by major in the undergraduate degree section. In all cases, students must complete all major and University requirements to qualify for a bachelor degree. This may necessitate completing more than the required hours for graduation. In addition, the final 30 credits of any degree must be completed at Suffolk University.
Part-time degree applicants are expected to meet the same requirements as full-time degree students.
In the College of Arts & Sciences, a two-course residency requirement must be satisfied for completion of a minor.
A transcript is an academic document or electronic image maintained by the Office of the Registrar reflecting the unabridged student academic history at Suffolk University. Transcripts include course work from other institutions whose credits are awarded at the time of entrance or approved transfer credit after the student enrolls at the University.
The University reserves the right to refuse to issue a transcript of any student who has not fulfilled all financial obligations due to the University. A financial hold will be placed on a student record if the student is either delinquent or has defaulted on loans and/or has not completed required financial exit interviews or counseling.
Transcript requests must be submitted online or in writing to the Office of the Registrar.
Sawyer Business School
Selected business courses taken elsewhere at the freshman or sophomore level, but offered by Suffolk University at the junior or senior level, require validation in order to be eligible for transfer of credit. In order to validate a course, students must have:
Upon completion of the advanced course, a student must complete a Validation of Transfer Credit Form in the Registrar’s Office. The course(s) which may be validated will be listed on the student’s Suffolk University transcript and Credit Evaluation. The Credit Evaluation is the student’s original document of transfer credit provided by the Undergraduate Admission Office when the student was first admitted to the University. If a student has taken a junior/senior level course that is not required at Suffolk University, it cannot be validated.
| Students May Validate: | By Successful Completion (minimum grade of "C" of: |
| ACCT 321 | ACCT 322 |
| FIN 310 | FIN 315, FIN 410, or FIN 311 |
| FIN 315 | FIN 413 |
| ISOM 310 | ISOM 313 |
| ISOM 313 | ISOM 423 |
| ISOM 423 | ISOM 424 |
| MGT 317 | MGT 313, MGT 330 or MGT 331 |
When validating, no more than two transfer courses may be applied toward your major requirements.
Questions regarding transfer credit and validation procedures should be referred to the Business School Undergraduate Programs Office, 617-573-8345.
The following grading system applies to all undergraduate students.
| Letter Grade | Honor Point Equivalent per Credit |
| A | 4.0 |
| A- | 3.7 |
| B+ | 3.3 |
| B | 3.0 |
| B- | 2.7 |
| C+ | 2.3 |
| C | 2.0 |
| C- | 1.7 |
| D+ | 1.3 |
| D | 1.0 |
| D- | 0.7 |
| F | 0.0 |
"A," "A – ," "B+," and "B" are honor grades.
"B – ," "C+," and "C" represent satisfactory work.
"C – ," "D+," "D," and "D – " represent passing but unsatisfactory work.
"F" is a failing grade. It indicates that the student has not completed all course requirements in a satisfactory manner. Students who stop attending a course without having complied with the official withdrawal procedure can anticipate receiving a grade of "F." The "F" grade becomes a permanent part of a student’s record and cannot be expunged even if the course is successfully retaken. An undergraduate student who violates the academic honesty policy is subject to an automatic grade of "F".
"I" (Incomplete) indicates a student has done passing work in a course but has not yet submitted all the outstanding work required for a formal evaluation. The "I" is awarded at the instructor’s discretion, only if the student has completed at least half of the course requirements satisfactorily at the end of the semester, and there is a reasonable expectation that all course requirements can be completed in one academic year. An "I" must be formally re-evaluated by the instructor within one academic year, resulting in an evaluation grade or an extension of the "I," or it automatically converts to an "F*."
Students must complete coursework with the original instructor. The change in the "I" grade must be made by the original instructor, and in his or her absence, by the department chair. If this is not possible, arrangements must be made through the department chair in concurrence with an assigned instructor.
"IP" (In Progress) can be issued where by nature of the course content the course may not be complete by the end of the term. IP grades automatically convert to an "F*" after one academic year.
"L" (Lost) is awarded when a student’s name appears on a roster, but the student never appears in class or disappears before being formally evaluated by the instructor.
"W" signifies official withdrawal from a course. A "W" is assigned administratively if a student:
"AU" (Audit): In an audited course, a student will not receive credit or honor points; however, a student must pay the same tuition as if taking the course for credit. It is the student’s responsibility to inform the instructor that he/she is auditing the course during the first two weeks of classes. Under no circumstances may a student change from the evaluative letter grade system to audit or vice versa after the first two weeks of classes.
A student who audits a course is responsible for attending classes and completing required coursework.
"P" (Pass): A Pass-Fail option is available to students in lieu of a traditional letter grade subject to the following limitations and regulations:
Eligibility is restricted to Juniors and Seniors in good academic standing and to those Junior and Senior transfer students who have completed a minimum of 15 semester hours of coursework at Suffolk University. This option is limited to 12 credits per student. The pass/fail option may not be used for courses that fulfill general college requirements or major or minor requirements. The pass/fail option is only applicable to elective courses.
Students will designate courses as Pass-Fail at the time of registration. No changes from the designation of Pass-Fail to the letter grade system or vice versa are permitted after the course change period has elapsed at the opening of any semester or summer session. A Pass may be applied toward fulfilling degree credits, but may not be applied toward the quality point average.
Students planning to attend law school or other graduate schools should be aware that many professional and graduate schools prefer students to submit traditional letter grades.
"PC" (Pass/Credit) is awarded in courses successfully completed with a grade of "C" or better at an affiliated study abroad program or approved course work at a consortium institution after matriculation at Suffolk University. "PC" grades may be applied toward fulfilling degree credits, but they may not be applied toward the quality point average.
"NP" (No Pass) is awarded in courses unsuccessfully completed at an affiliated study abroad program or approved course work at a consortium institution after matriculation at Suffolk University. "NP" grades do not earn academic credit and are not applied toward the quality grade point average.
Courses officially dropped during the add/drop period will not appear on the student’s record.
Academic Honesty Policy
Cheating on examinations, plagiarism, and/or improper acknowledgement of sources in essays or research papers, and the use of a single essay or paper in more than one course, without the permission of the instructor, constitute unacceptable academic conduct.
It is dishonest to buy, sell, download, borrow, or lend papers. It is unacceptable to make up or falsify data that are supposed to be collected from survey, experimentation, or other means. Work that is represented as yours should be your own; if not, the source should be properly identified. This applies to lab reports, computer projects, and group projects as well as to individual assignments. Using cell phones, calculators or other electronic means when not approved is prohibited. Each instructor should fully explain the requirements of the course and the applicable policies regarding academic dishonesty.
Instructors who suspect academic dishonesty should report incidents to the Office of Student Affairs. Reports will be addressed through the Student Discipline System. An undergraduate student who has been found to have violated this policy is subject to an automatic grade of “F” in the course and to suspension, enforced withdrawal, or dismissal from the University or appropriate lesser penalties if warranted by the circumstances.
Grades are available online soon after the conclusion of each semester.
Students are solely responsible for their academic progress and should confer immediately with their academic advisor in the event their performance becomes substandard. Failure to maintain satisfactory progress can lead to loss of financial aid, academic probation or dismissal, or other equally serious consequences.
Scholastic averages are computed by multiplying the credit hours by the honor point equivalent. For example, a 4 credit course evaluated as "A" will be counted as 16 honor points (4 credits multiplied by 4.0 = 16). Grades of "I," "W," "P," "IP, "AU," "NC", "PC" and "L" are not computed in determining Honor Points, and have no impact on a student’s scholastic average.
A cumulative average of 2.0 (C) and an average of 2.0 (C) or better in one’s major, minor, and/or certificate concentration are required for graduation. Students are required to monitor their average in their major and minor. Should a student receive less than a "C" in a major course, the student must make an appointment with his or her advisor to discuss the suitability of the major. The Academic Standing Committee forwards the names of majors at risk to the academic departments.
Eligibility for Degree
In order to be eligible to receive a bachelor’s degree from the University, a student must:
File the appropriate petitions in the Registrar’s office. Completed petitions will be reviewed by the Registrar and the respective dean for approval.
It is critical that students have the required 2.0 GPA at the time of commencement in order to participate in the ceremony. In the event that a student has not completed all the required courses for graduation, he/she must arrange to complete the outstanding work in the Suffolk summer sessions immediately following graduation.
See Academic Honors.
CAS students may file a petition for a degree requirement substitution with their academic advisor and major department chair. The academic department chair and CAS Dean's Office must approve requirement substitutions. Only the CAS Dean’s Office may waive a degree requirement for CAS students.
SBS students may file a petition for a degree requirement substitution or waiver with the Office of Undergraduate Programs, Sawyer Business School. All requests are reviewed according to major, degree, and accreditation requirements.
Registration materials (program evaluations, transcripts, course schedules, etc.) are available to all students online prior to faculty advising at the beginning of each term’s pre-registration.
Newly accepted and re-entry students will receive information regarding orientation and/or registration from the Office of Undergraduate Admission.
Except in special cases, registration is closed after the first full week of classes in any semester. Late registration fees apply to any registration submitted once the term begins.
Students may add, drop, or change courses online based upon availability and eligibility during the first week of the term. Any course addition after the first week must have written permission of the faculty member. Refer to the academic calendar for add and drop dates.
Federal regulations require universities receiving federal funding to implement a policy monitoring student attendance in class.
Instructors are responsible for establishing the requirements for attendance and participation in each of their classes and for informing students of these requirements at the beginning of each course.
The Office of Health & Wellness Services does not excuse student absences. The student, when absent from class, has the responsibility of obtaining knowledge of materials covered in classes missed, including information about announced tests, papers, or other assignments.
If it becomes necessary for a student to withdraw from the University, the student is expected to complete an official withdrawal form available from the Office of Student Affairs. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the University if they plan to withdraw. If you have questions, please call the Office of Student Affairs.
Tuition liability will be based on the date in which the withdrawal form is received by the Office of Student Affairs. Non-attendance does not constitute official withdrawal or dropping of a course.
Student Class
Classification of students is determined by the number of credit hours completed. Freshman standing is assigned to students with 1 through 23 semester hours; sophomore standing, to those with 24 through 53 semester hours; junior standing, to those with 54 through 83 semester hours; senior standing, to those with 84 semester hours or more.
Change of Address/Name
Students are required to notify the Registrar of any change of home or local address within 48 hours of the effective change date, parent or guardian, or any change of legal name. Suffolk University requires a student's legal name be used on academic records and other official University documents.
All Suffolk University students are required to submit (or confirm) current emergency contact information each semester and when such information changes.
Academic Record Status
Student academic records are sealed at the time the degree is conferred. After this date, changes cannot be made to majors and minors, academic honors, removal of incompletes, grade changes, or other changes to an academic record.
