Minimum Grade Requirements
Students must earn a grade of C or higher for courses to count toward the student’s degree requirements. Two grades of C or below in applied studies may result in dismissal. Graduate students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
Academic Probation
Academic probation constitutes notice of unsatisfactory academic performance, and warns that minimum standards for graduation are not being met. In most cases, two or more grades below C (including C-, U, and Y grades) in any one quarter, or a drop below the minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, are grounds for probationary status. Students who do not demonstrate significant academic improvement as outlined in the academic probation letter by the end of the probation period may be dismissed from the Bienen School of Music.
Graduate Services reviews students’ academic progress each quarter.
Academic Suspension & Dismissal
The Academic Review Committee reviews academic progress candidates for probation and students on probation. The Committee consists of three to five faculty members, and is convened by the Assistant Dean for Admission, Financial Aid and Graduate Services.
Students who do not make satisfactory degree progress may be suspended or dismissed from the University by vote of the Academic Review Committee. Dismissed students may submit a written appeal to the Director of Graduate Studies no later than 10 days from the date of dismissal. The Academic Review Committee reviews the appeal and informs the student of their final decision within 14 days of receipt. Dismissed students’ official transcripts may include the designation “Dismissed for Academic Performance.” Suspension terms are handled on a case-by-case basis.
Academic Integrity
Students in violation of academic integrity guidelines are subject to penalties ranging from reprimand, failure of a course, and suspension or dismissal from the University. Faculty are responsible for reviewing and reporting all suspected violations of academic integrity. Read the complete statement of the University’s principles regarding academic integrity. For further details on the academic integrity policy and guidelines, consult the Northwestern University Student Handbook.
Students may be required to submit their work electronically in addition to, or in place of, printed form. All student work may be analyzed electronically for violations of the University's academic integrity guidelines and may also be included in a database for the purpose of testing for plagiarized content. Students should be careful when using websites as sources for scholarly papers. Always ask course instructors about their individual policies for using web content as a legitimate source.