Academic Progress
Degree Audits
Degree audits are automated checklists of graduation requirements. These reports are similar to transcripts because they list all academic activity. They are different from transcripts, however, because they organize the coursework attempted into logical blocks that represent what is required. They also clearly flag what has been taken and what has yet to be taken.
There are four parts to an audit:
-
Student Information
The top of the first page lists the student’s name, the academic program being evaluated, the catalog year that the requirements are being checked against, and the student’s anticipated graduation date (based on the date of admission). This section may also contain one or many text messages specific to the student, depending on his or her status at Pratt. -
Credit and GPA Information
This area lists the total credits required for graduation, the number required to be taken at Pratt (residency), and the GPA required for graduation. -
Required Course Information
This section is usually the longest. It lists the entire range of requirements and electives specific to the academic program being evaluated. Fulfilled requirements will be listed with the grade earned (or CR for transfer credit). Missing requirements are also noted with credits needed. -
Other Courses
Courses that usually do not count toward a program’s requirements are listed in this bottom section. Sometimes a course will not count toward graduation because it was dropped, or carries a grade that makes it ineligible for consideration such as an F or an INC. Also, some students choose to take an extra class for additional knowledge even though it doesn’t fulfill any particular degree requirement.
Students may view or print an audit at any time using Academic Tools.
- Log in to OnePratt with your OneKey.
- Find Self Service under the Academics menu.
- Navigate to "Student Planning" and then "My Progress" to view your degree audit.
Students may go online and receive a degree audit at any time. If you do not have a computer or access to a computer lab, come to the Office of the Registrar. Students who have questions about how to read the audit should visit their academic adviser's office or stop by the Office of the Registrar during office hours for an explanation.
Change of Program
Each student must follow the program and major for which they have been admitted to Pratt. The Institute will not recognize a change of major as official unless the change is processed with the appropriate approvals and recorded in the student information system. A student who wants to change their major must first meet with the department chair and then notify Graduate Admissions. Course requirements for the new major reflect the current catalog year. Hence, a change in major may result in more credits being required to graduate. It may also have an effect on the number of transfer credits allowed.
Addition of an Advanced Certificate
Students may not be in two majors at the same time; however, they may choose to add an Advanced Certificate to their program of study. The form must include the signed approvals by either the Department Chairperson or Certificate Coordinator. The degree and the certificate programs must be complete before graduation.
Thesis Enrollment
Thesis must be completed within three years, the duration of which equals the initial semester of thesis registration plus five (5) consecutive semesters of Thesis in Progress. Graduate students must register without interruption and pay the Institute’s tuition and fees for each additional semester of continued thesis work following the initial semester of thesis registration. Any extension beyond the three-year duration is subject to an acceptable demonstration of extenuating circumstances from the candidate and a written approval from the department chair and the dean.
First Registered Thesis Credit Semester
Graduate students will register for their thesis course. If the student does not complete the thesis by the end of that first semester, completion of the thesis is pending and the student will receive an IP (In Progress) grade. The student must enroll in Thesis in Progress the following semester.
Subsequent Semesters Of Thesis In Progress
Registration for Thesis in Progress must be made for each consecutive semester following enrollment in Thesis. A student is expected to complete their thesis within the next five consecutive semesters. If at the end of five semesters the thesis is still pending completion, the student will be withdrawn from the original Thesis course. Re-enrollment in the Thesis course will only take place with the written permission of the department chair.
Certification Of Enrollment For Registered Thesis Work
For certification purposes, Pratt considers students taking Thesis or Thesis in Progress to be full-time.
Thesis Submission And Final Grade
Students should refer to the latest version of the Graduate Theses Library Guidelines, available at the Pratt Library. Questions concerning organization and formatting of materials should be discussed with the Information/Reference department of the Pratt Library before final typing.
| Graduation | File on or Before |
|---|---|
| Summer Term / October 1 | September 15 |
| Fall Term / February 1 | January 15 |
| Spring Term / June 1 | June 15 |
Grading System
Letter Grades That Affect the Academic Index
| Grade | Quality Point | Evaluation |
|---|---|---|
| A | 4.00 | Excellent |
| A- | 3.70 | Excellent |
| B+ | 3.30 | Very Good |
| B | 3.00 | Good |
| B- | 2.70 | Good |
| C+ | 2.30 | Above Average |
| C | 2.00 | Average |
| C- | 1.70 | Below Average (UG Only) |
| D+ | 1.30 | Less Than Acceptable (UG Only) |
| D | 1.00 | Less Than Acceptable (UG Only) |
| F | 0.00 | Failure |
| WF | 0.00 | Failure Due to Lack of Attendance |
Note: The +/- grading system and numerical values within went into effect as of the fall 1989 semester and is not acceptable for recording purposes for prior semesters. A+ and D- are not accepted as part of the grading system.
Spring 2020 semester only: Pass/Fail grading accepted due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Grades That Do Not Affect the Academic Index
AUD (Audit)
Students must register for courses they plan to audit by contacting the Registrar’s Office in person or by way of their Pratt email account.
CR (Credit)
Grade indicates that the student’s achievement was satisfactory to assure proficiency in subsequent courses in the same or related areas. The CR grade does not affect the student’s academic index. The CR grade is to be assigned to all appropriately documented transfer credits.
The CR grade is applied to credit earned at Pratt only if:
- the student is enrolled in any course offered by a school other than the one in which the student is matriculated, and had requested from the professor at the start of the term a CR/NCR option as a final grade for that term; and
- the instructor has received approval to award CR grades from the Office of the Provost. (This does not apply to liberal arts courses within the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences.)
INC (Incomplete)
Designation given by the instructor at the written request of the student and available only if the student has been in regular attendance, to indicate the student has satisfied all but the final requirements of the course, and has furnished satisfactory proof that the work was not completed because of illness or other circumstances beyond his or her control. The student must understand the terms necessary to fulfill the requirements of the course and the date by which work must be submitted. If the work is not submitted by the understood date of submission, the incomplete will be converted to a failure. If unresolved at the end of the following semester, the grade is changed to failure with a numerical grade value of 0.
IP (In Progress)
Designation used only for graduate student thesis, thesis project for which satisfactory completion is pending, or Intensive English course for which satisfactory competence level is pending.
NCR (No Credit)
Indicates that the student has not demonstrated proficiency. (See CR for conditions of use.)
P (Pass)
Indicates that the student has demonstrated proficiency and passed the class.
WD (Withdrawal From a Registered Class)
Indicates that the student was permitted to withdraw from a course in which he or she was officially enrolled during the drop period for that semester.
Grade Point Average
A student’s Grade Point Average is calculated by dividing the total Grade Points received by the total Credits Earned. Grade Points are computed by multiplying the Credits Attempted for each class by a numerical value, called Quality Points, earned for completing that class.
Take the following example in which an A, B+, and B- were earned for three 3-credit classes. Multiple the Quality Points by Credits Earned for each class to find the Grade Points earned. Divide the total Grade Points by total Credits Attempted to find the Grade Point Average, which is 3.33.
| Grade | Quality PointsxCredits Earned | =Grade Points |
|---|---|---|
| A | 4.00x3 | 12.00 |
| B+ | 3.30x3 | 9.90 |
| B- | 2.70x3 | 8.10 |
| 30.00 |
Grade Point Average = Grade Points (or Quality Points x Credits Earned) ÷ Credits Attempted.
Only credits evaluated with letter grades that earn quality points are used in GPA calculations. Final grades for credit transferred from other institutions to the student’s Pratt record are not computed in the GPA.
Repeated Courses
A repeated course must be the same course as the one for which the previous final grade was awarded. When a course is repeated, the initial grade will remain, but only the subsequent grade earned will be averaged in the cumulative index from the point of repeat onward. Graduate students must repeat all required courses in which F is the final grade. No graduate student may choose to repeat a course that was passed with a grade of C or higher without specific authorization from the chair or dean.
Academic Standing
Pratt Institute’s policies on academic standing intend to ensure that all students receive timely notification when they are subject to academic discipline.
Each student is responsible at all times for knowing their own standing. These standings are based on the published academic policies, regulations, and standards of the Institute. Students subject to academic discipline are encouraged to take advantage of support services available to them, including Student Success, the Learning/Access Center, and their academic departments, in an effort to help them meet Institute academic standards.
All students’ records are reviewed at the end of each semester to determine whether any student who has failed to remain in good standing may continue in the program.
GOOD STANDING
All graduate students must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least a 3.0 (equivalent of a B) to remain in good standing. A graduate student whose GPA falls below a 3.0 at any time may be subject to academic dismissal, unless an exception is made by the dean, or by the chairperson with approval from the dean. Written notification will be furnished to the student and copied to their department.
APPEALS
Upon receiving notification of a pending dismissal action, students may appeal to the Associate/Vice Provost for Academic Affairs within 10 days. Along with an appeal statement describing any extenuating circumstances that impacted their academic performance and a plan to achieve good standing in the future, students may include letters of support from their academic department chairperson, faculty, or the offices of Health, Counseling, and Learning/Access Center, or others. Please note that these letters are not to be thought of as automatic exemptions from the dismissal, rather they are additional information to be considered as part of the appeal. The decisions reached by the Associate/Vice Provost are final and non-negotiable.
Academic Integrity Standards
At Pratt, students, faculty, and staff do creative and original work. This is one of our community values. For Pratt to be a space where everyone can freely create, our community must adhere to the highest standards of academic integrity.
Academic integrity at Pratt means using your own and original ideas in creating academic work. It also means that if you use the ideas or influence of others in your work, you must acknowledge them.
At Pratt we do our own work, we are creative, and we give credit where it is due.
Based on our value of academic integrity, Pratt has an Academic Integrity Standing Committee (AISC) that is charged with educating faculty, staff, and students about academic integrity practices. Whenever possible, we strive to resolve alleged infractions at the most local level possible, such as between student and professor, or within a department or school. When necessary, members of this committee will form an Academic Integrity Hearing Board. Such boards may hear cases regarding cheating, plagiarism, and other infractions described below; these infractions can be grounds for citation, sanction, or dismissal.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY CODE
When students submit any work for academic credit, they make an implicit claim that the work is wholly their own, completed without the assistance of any unauthorized person. These works include, but are not limited to exams, quizzes, presentations, papers, projects, studio work, and other assignments and assessments. In addition, no student shall prevent another student from making their work. Students may study, collaborate, and work together on assignments at the discretion of the instructor.
Examples of infractions include but are not limited to:
- Plagiarism, defined as using the exact language or a close paraphrase of someone else’s ideas without citation.
- Violations of fair use, including the unauthorized and uncited use of another’s artworks, images, designs, etc.
- The supplying or receiving of completed work including papers, projects, outlines, artworks, designs, prototypes, models, or research for submission by any person other than the author.
- The unauthorized submission of the same or essentially the same piece of work for credit in two different classes.
- The unauthorized supplying or receiving of information about the form or content of an examination.
- The supplying or receiving of partial or complete answers, or suggestions for answers; or the supplying or receiving of assistance in interpretation of questions on any examination from any source not explicitly authorized. (This includes copying or reading of another student’s work or consultation of notes or other sources during an examination.)
For academic support, students are encouraged to seek assistance from the Writing and Tutorial Center, Pratt Libraries, or consult with an academic adviser or other support resources.
Maximum Time for Graduate Study
All work for the master’s degree should be completed within seven (7) calendar years from initial registration in graduate courses as a graduate student at Pratt Institute. The departments will not approve registration after seven years without the written approval of the provost.
Final Grades, Grade Disputes, and Grade Appeal Policies
All grades are final as assigned by the instructor. If a student feels that a grade received is an error, or that he or she was graded unfairly, it is the student’s responsibility to make prompt inquiry of the instructor after the grade has been issued. Should this procedure not prove to be an adequate resolution, the student should contact the chair of the department in which the course was taken to arrange a meeting and appeal the grade. If this appeal is unsuccessful, a further and final appeal can be made to the dean of the school in which the course was taken. It is important to note that the faculty member who issued the grade holds the authority to change the grade except in cases of appealed grades.
If a grade is to be changed, the student must be sure that the change is submitted within the following semester. Petitions of change of any grade will be accepted only up to the last day of the semester following the one in which the grade was given. Other than resolution of an initially assigned incomplete grade or of a final grade reported in error, no letter grade may be changed following graduation.