Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Qualitative Assessments: Every matriculated student is required to maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA), which varies based on the number of credits the student has already attempted. Compliance with this qualitative requirement is measured every term. Continued failure to meet this standard after a warning (automatic) or probationary (when permitted) period, or failing to fulfill the requirements of a prescribed academic plan, will lead to dismissal from the College. Probation may be granted and academic plans may be prescribed at the sole discretion of the College, only after a successful appeal by the student. Some programs have more restrictive requirements using different thresholds for passing grades. The details can be viewed, by program, in the Catalog. All course grades below the minimum passing standard for that course will be treated as failures in calculating the student’s GPA for qualitative assessment. Students will not be allowed to change programs without approval from the Academic Advisement Department.
Quantitative Assessments: Students are also required to pass a minimum percentage of the credits they attempt in order to remain eligible for enrollment. Quantitative progress assessments are subject to those same warning, probation, and academic plan procedures every term. Some programs have more restrictive requirements using different thresholds for passing grades. The details can be viewed, by program, in the Catalog. All course grades below the minimum passing standard for that course will be treated as credits attempted and not earned for purposes of quantitative assessment. Students will not be allowed to change programs without approval from the Academic Advisement Department.
Qualitative Standards
| Credits Attempted* | Cumulative GPA |
|---|---|
| 0-11 | 2.60 |
| 12+ | 3.00 |
*Credits attempted include transfer credit and credits taken in Berkeley College graduate programs. Foundation courses that are taken at Berkeley College will NOT count in grade point average (GPA) calculation due to the pass-fail grading scheme.
Quantitative Standards
| Credits Attempted** | Necessary Percentage Passed |
|---|---|
| 0-12 | 50% |
| 13-27 | 65% |
| 28+ | 67% |
**Credits attempted include transfer credit and credits taken in Berkeley College graduate programs. Foundation courses that are taken in the Berkeley College MBA program will be included on Berkeley transcripts alongside graduate-level work and will count in both attempted and earned credits. Credits earned include any course listed as a transfer credit and coursework completed in Berkeley graduate programs earning a grade of B or better.
150 Percent Rule
The 150 percent rule requires a student to complete degree requirements by the time the student has attempted 150 percent of the required credit hours necessary for graduation in the current degree program. The MBA is a 36-credit program, which means a student can attempt up to 54 credit hours before reaching 150 percent. Students for whom it is no longer possible to comply with the 150 percent rule before program completion will be declared ineligible to participate in Title IV, but may continue attending the program using alternative funding, assuming it is within the seven-year academic standard limit. Such decisions are not appealable.
Appeal Process
Students who fall below either qualitative, quantitative, or both standards will be issued a warning. If a student remains below SAP standards for two consecutive semesters, the student will be required to submit a written narrative directly to the Director of the MBA program. This narrative should specify why the student fell below standards and what has changed to allow the student to re-establish satisfactory academic progress. If the appeal is granted, the student will be placed on an academic plan. If the appeal is denied, the student will be dismissed. Students who fail to meet the requirements of their academic plans will be subject to dismissal.
SAP and Transfer Credits
In measuring compliance with SAP standards, transfer credits will be considered as credits attempted and earned. Therefore, since transfer credits are ungraded but are nevertheless counted in calculating SAP requirements, transfer students may be required to earn at least a 3.00 GPA in their first semester (and all subsequent semesters) at Berkeley College in order to remain in good standing.
SAP and Repeated Courses
When a course is successfully repeated, the original failure(s) is not included in calculating the cumulative GPA or the qualitative requirements. For the quantitative SAP measure, however, each failed attempt will be included in the “courses attempted” portion of the evaluation.
SAP and Incomplete Grades
Initial calculations of SAP will treat incomplete grades as F grades until such incompletes are replaced with passing letter grades. After the seventh week of the following semester, all unresolved incomplete grades will convert to F grades and will be treated as such in all SAP evaluations. To accommodate grade changes, final SAP calculations are made after all grades have been recorded.
SAP and Course Withdrawal
Students who drop courses will receive letter grades of WP (withdrawn-passing) or WF (withdrawn-failing). These grades will not be considered in the application of qualitative requirements, but will be counted as credits attempted for quantitative purposes.