Credits and Grades

Major courses receive 3 credits per semester and entail three meetings per week plus outside preparation. Minor courses receive ½, 1, or 2 credits per semester and require proportionately less time in meetings and preparation. The minimum semester commitment is 14 credits with four majors. A moderate semester load is 16 or 17 credits, including four or five majors. The maximum semester commitment is 20 credits. Taking six majors requires permission of the Academic Dean.

Grades are assigned on a scale of A+ to D–; a failing grade (E) receives no credit for the course. Grades are given only at the end of each semester. There is no published class ranking system, and no honors or prizes are awarded. At the midpoint and end of each semester, each teacher writes an evaluation of the student's work; copies are sent to the advisor and family. Only courses taken at Concord Academy after the freshman year are included in the student's grade-point average (GPA). Grades in courses taken for credit at other schools as part of semester or year programs are recorded on the Concord Academy transcript; however, grades earned at other schools are not included in the student's Concord Academy GPA. Concord Academy does not record the GPA on transcripts.

In the case of a year course, a student must complete both semesters and have a passing year grade in order to receive full credit for the course, unless otherwise indicated. If the spring semester grade is failing, the fall semester grade and credits are retained; for the spring, the failing grade and no credit are recorded; no year grade is calculated.

Any course that is a minor or a fifth major and is beyond the graduation requirement may be taken on a pass/fail basis. The purpose of this option is to encourage students to explore courses they might otherwise avoid. Students choosing this option are subject to the same attendance, assignment, and examination requirements as regularly enrolled students. Pass/fail forms must be signed by the instructor, advisor, and Academic Dean and are returned to the Registrar during the drop/add period; exceptions to this deadline are processed by the Academic Dean. No more than 3 credits in any given semester may be taken on a pass/fail basis. The passing grade P or failing grade E for the course is recorded on the transcript; a passing grade does not count in the student's GPA.

In some instances a student may wish to audit a particular course. Auditing a course is permitted only on a space-available basis. Auditors are expected to attend all class meetings, do the day-to-day assignments, and participate in class discussions, but they are not required to complete papers and tests, and they receive no academic credit for the course. Before applying for an audit, a student must consult with his or her advisor and with the instructor about readiness to undertake an audit. Audit forms must be signed by the instructor, advisor, and Academic Dean and are returned to the Registrar during the drop/add period; exceptions to this deadline are processed by the Academic Dean. The audit indicator AU for the course is recorded on the transcript.