Scholastic Standing

Academic progress is measured by grades and credits earned. Students receive acknowledgment for high academic achievement and are given warning at the end of each semester via NDSU email when they become academically deficient.

To be eligible to register continuously without conditions, an undergraduate or professional student must maintain good academic standing, which is defined as a minimum cumulative institutional grade point average of 2.00 (4.00 scale).

Some programs of study have academic standards higher than the University minimum. Students should consult with their adviser or academic department for program specific requirements.

Records of all students are examined at the end of each grading period. Academic standing relates to the following:

Good Standing

Good standing reflects when a student's term GPA and cumulative GPA are both at or above 2.00. 

Academic Warning

An academic warning is to alert a student that his/her term GPA is below the minimum required for good standing, even though the institutional cumulative GPA is at or above 2.00. An academic warning does not appear on the official academic transcript but does appear on the unofficial transcript. Students are notified of their academic warning status via official NDSU email.

Academic Probation

An academic probation is issued when a student who entered the grading period on good standing or academic warning earns an institutional cumulative GPA below the minimum 2.00 for good standing. An academic probation does not appear on the student's official academic transcript, but does appear on the unofficial transcript. Students are notified of their academic probation status via official NDSU email.

Continued Probation

Continued probation is a formal extension of the academic probation status. It is issued when a student enters the grading period on academic probation or continued probation, shows adequate progress by attaining a minimum term GPA of 2.00, but his/her cumulative institutional GPA is still below the minimum 2.00 for good standing. Continued probation does not appear on the student's official academic transcript, but does appear on the unofficial transcript. Students are notified of their continued probation status via official NDSU email.

Academic Suspension

Academic suspension is issued when a student enters the term on either probation or continued probation and earns both a term GPA and institutional cumulative GPA below the minimum 2.00 for good standing. This includes students admitted on probation for their first semester at NDSU or readmitted on probation following an academic suspension.  A student may not be considered for readmission for two grading periods following an academic suspension (includes summer). An academic suspension appears on the student's official academic transcript.  A suspension hold is placed on the student's record by the Office of Registration and Record which prevents all future registration.  If a student has pre-registered for classes in a future semester, these courses will be administratively removed by the Office of Registration and Records.  Students who are suspended are notified of their suspension status via official NDSU email.

Filing a Suspension Appeal Based on Extenuating Circumstances

A student who has been suspended may appeal the suspension but only if there are extraordinary circumstances beyond the student's control that can be supported with documentation. An Appeal Academic Suspension form is available online and must be submitted to the Office of Registration and Records no later than the deadline published on the appeal form. If approved, the student must make satisfactory academic progress in the subsequent term according to the published academic standards of the University (see above).

Readmission After Serving an Academic Suspension

To be considered for readmission after serving an academic suspension, students must sit out a minimum of two semesters (includes summer) and file a Reactivation/Petition for Readmission Form to the Office of Registration and Records a minimum of 30 business days prior to the beginning of the semester in which the student is eligible for readmission or for when readmission is sought. The petition is reviewed by a college committee and if approved, the student will be readmitted on academic probation and may register for classes. Students who enrolled in courses at another institution while serving the terms of an NDSU academic suspension must arrange for an official transcript to be sent to the Office of Registration and Records before readmission will be considered. Students re-entering NDSU from an academic suspension who attended courses elsewhere must earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 in those classes.  NDSU reserves the right to revoke readmission if official transcripts are not received or the final cumulative GPA from a sending institution is below 2.00.

An Academic Suspension from Another Institution

NDSU honors suspensions of other institutions. Transfer and returning students who have been suspended from another institution may not be considered for admission or readmission until one year has lapsed or the suspension has been lifted. Students who fail to report all previous college work are subject to dismissal or loss of credit or both. Courses previously completed at NDSU may only be repeated at NDSU for grade and GPA improvement on the NDSU academic record, with the exception of Tri-College courses (see Repeated Courses section for more details).

Dean's List

To be eligible for inclusion on the Dean’s List for any given semester, a student must have earned a minimum grade-point average of 3.50 during that term while completing at least 12 semester hours (nine semester hours during the summer) in graded coursework.  Graded coursework includes the developmental course MATH 098.  MATH 098 does not satisfy graduation requirements and does not calculate into the cumulative grade-point average on the academic record, but it is factored into the overall attempted credits and honor points for Dean's List consideration. 

The Dean’s List is only maintained for undergraduate students and professional (Pharm.D.) students.  Credits taken simultaneously via transfer, collaborative or consortium registration are not included in the NDSU Dean’s List calculation and do not count toward the NDSU minimum credit requirement.  These courses are considered transfer credit (see transfer credit).

Notification: The Office of Registration and Record notifies University News of Dean's List honorees.

Academic Forgiveness

A former NDSU student who has not completed a baccalaureate degree and has not been in attendance at NDSU for six (6) or more years, but who is presently enrolled at NDSU, may request to exclude from grade-point-average calculations all grades earned in selected full terms (quarters or semesters) completed at NDSU prior to the six-year interval.

The courses and grades for the terms selected will remain on the student's academic record, but credits, honor points, and grades will be excluded from grade-point average calculations. Excluded courses cannot be used to satisfy any academic requirements. A student may exercise this option only once by submitting a written request to the Office of Registration and Records.