Academic Standards
Academic Standing - Undergraduate
Undergraduate academic standing is assessed at the end of each semester and is based on Wright State quality points, graded hours attempted, grade point average (GPA), and deficiency points. Students can view their academic standing on their Student Profile in WINGS and on their degree audit. Students who are not in good academic standing, including those suspended from the university, and those who are removed from probation are notified by the Registrar’s Office of their academic standing via email to student’s Wright State email account at the end of each semester.
Good Academic Standing
Undergraduate students are in good academic standing when their cumulative GPA is 2.00 or higher.
Probation
A student whose cumulative Wright State University GPA is less than 2.00 will be placed on academic probation. When a student subsequently attains a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00, they are removed from academic probation.
Students who are on academic probation should meet with their academic advisor to review any future course schedules. Students on academic probation are limited to a maximum of 16 credit hours per semester while on academic probation. All first-time probation students will be enrolled in a one-credit hour UVC 1000 course that will focus on student success and academic recovery.
Academic Suspension from the University
A student on academic probation who fails to achieve a cumulative 2.00 GPA or above in their subsequent term of enrollment will be eligible for academic suspension. Suspension decisions are made based on multiple factors, including, but not limited to the most current semester GPA, prior academic standing, prior repeated coursework, cumulative GPA hours attempted, and the cumulative number of deficiency points. Deficiency points represent the magnitude of academic recovery necessary to return to good academic standing. If suspended, students may petition for reinstatement after one regular (fall/spring) semester.
Notice of academic suspension from the university will be sent to the student via their campus email account by the Office of the Registrar.
Reinstatement after Academic Suspension
The reinstatement of undergraduate students who have been academically suspended from Wright State is not automatic nor guaranteed. Students must petition for reinstatement. Reinstatement decisions are made by the academic college to which the student seeks to enroll. Students may petition for reinstatement to a different major/college than was originally declared. Students who are reinstated are still on academic probation and are limited to enrolling in a maximum of 16 credit hours.
For the best selection of courses, students should submit a reinstatement petition in February for summer or fall semester reinstatement and in September for spring semester reinstatement. Petitions will be considered through the following deadlines: Fall semester: August 1; Spring semester: December 1; Summer semester: April 15.
Students who attended any colleges/universities while away from Wright State, must submit official transcripts, even if classes are still in progress. Transcripts can be sent electronically or by mail to Wright State University, Office of Undergraduate Admissions, 3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy., Dayton, OH 45435-0001 and must come directly from the other institution(s). Reinstatement petitions will not be considered until any outstanding transcripts are received.
Students can petition for reinstatement by sending an email to wsu-registrar@wright.edu. This email must include an essay (pdf or other document attached to the email). Students are expected to demonstrate self-awareness, accountability, and a clear plan for future success. In a well-developed essay, students should address the following:
- Describe the circumstances that contributed to your previous academic difficulties. Be specific and take responsibility where appropriate.
- Explain what has changed since that time (academically, personally, or professionally) that will support your success moving forward.
- Outline a concrete plan for how you will achieve academic success if reinstated, including specific strategies, resources, and support systems you will use.
- Reflect on what you have learned from your experience and how it will influence your approach to your education in the future.
Responses should be thoughtful, honest, and detailed, and demonstrate your readiness to return to the university environment. In addition to the essay, students are strongly encouraged to also include any substantiating evidence that should be considered with the petition. Examples may include:
- Doctor’s notes or medical records
- Letters from licensed counselors or therapists confirming progress
- Obituaries or documentation of loss of a family member
- Legal documents related to divorce, custody, or other major life disruptions
- Recommendations from Wright State instructors, academic advisors, or mentors
- Records of meetings with academic advisors or success coaches
- Degree plans or academic success plans developed with university staff
- Court records or legal documentation related to extenuating circumstances
Students will be notified of the college’s decision via email from the Registrar’s Office.
Non-Academic Dismissal from Colleges/Programs
Academic units may have additional, non-academic, professional standards that, if breached, may make it impossible/not feasible for a student to continue in a program or be eligible to pursue a profession related to the program or major. Examples of non-academic requirements might include requirements on integrity, criminal history, or the like.
Students found in violation of the ratified policy will be considered for dismissal by the appropriate administrative body of the academic unit. Students under consideration for dismissal will be notified, in writing, of the time, date, and location where they may be heard and present information to the decision-making body. The student will be notified of the decision and, if dismissed, of their right to appeal the decision.
Students who are dismissed from a college/program are expected to have access to advisors who can help them plan a transition to another college/program. The dismissing unit will inform the student that they may continue to use their current advisor through the student’s next enrolled semester.
Academic Standing and Financial Aid
Financial aid eligibility may be affected by academic standing. A student can be eligible to attend the university but be ineligible for financial aid. To qualify for financial aid, students must make Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).
In addition, federal financial aid policy will provide aid to students to repeat courses in which they previously earned a grade of D or higher only one time. Students who repeat such courses for a third (or subsequent) time will not qualify for financial aid for the course and may need to add additional courses to reach 12 qualified credit hours to receive federal financial aid.
For more information on undergraduate academic standing, please refer to Wright State policies 3350 and 3365.
Academic Standing - Graduate
Evaluation
Graduate students who have attempted 9 semester hours of graduate study may be evaluated each term by their graduate program committee and/or the School of Graduate Studies (the program, however, has the right to review or evaluate a student’s academic performance at any time). The evaluation will verify
- a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00
- only 6 hours of C grade allowed
- any D grades are not applied to the program
After the evaluation by the School of Graduate Studies, the student will be:
- recommended for continuation in the graduation program
- placed on probationary status, or
- dismissed from the Program and the School of Graduate Studies
Probation
Students admitted in regular status who have earned 9 or more graded semester hours of graduate credit will automatically be placed in probationary status the term their cumulative graduate grade point average (GPA) drops below 3.00. A student in probationary status may remain enrolled only as long as all of the following conditions are met:
- current semester GPA is 3.00 or higher;
- the total number of hours the student has earned that would count toward the student’s degree program is less than or equal to the total number of hours required for completion of the program plus an additional nine hours;
- the student undergoes formal advising before registering;
- the student is following any applicable remediation plan.
Dismissal
If any of the above 4 conditions are not met, the student will be immediately dismissed. Any petition to reverse a dismissal decision under this policy will be considered (by the Student Affairs Committee) only if a) it is accompanied by a viable remediation plan, on the approved form and endorsed by the director of the student’s program, and b) the completed petition (including the remediation plan) is received in the School of Graduate Studies no later than seven business days after the dismissal decision is communicated in writing. Students who are dismissed can reapply for admission only after having been unenrolled for at least one semester.
Conditional Status
Students entering the School of Graduate Studies on a conditional basis will have their academic records reviewed by both their academic departments and the School of Graduate Studies at the end of the term in which they complete the 9 semester hours of graduate course work. If the student’s grade point averages are 3.00 or above they will be:
- Recommended for regular status in the graduate program.
- Retained on a conditional basis until the department is satisfied with their ability to do graduate-level work.
If the student’s grade point averages are less than 3.00, they will be dismissed from the School of Graduate Studies.
Non-Degree Status
Students entering the School of Graduate Studies in non-degree status will have their work reviewed after the first 9 semester hours by the College of Graduate Programs and Honors Studies. If the student’s cumulative grade point average is below 3.00, the student will be dismissed from the School of Graduate Studies.
For more information about graduate academic standards, please refer to Wright State Policy 5370.
Dean’s List and President’s List
Wright State University (WSU) recognizes its high performing undergraduate students each semester, including summer. Eligible students will be awarded either Dean’s List or President’s List designation, based on semester Grade Point Average (GPA) and gradable hours attempted. Letter grades of CR, I, K, L, M, N, NU, P, U, W, and XU are not graded hours. Incomplete (I) and (M) grades must be resolved before Dean’s List and President’s List designation can be determined. Undergraduate students who qualify for the President’s List during a semester will be awarded the Dean’s List in the same semester. There is no Dean’s List and President’s List equivalent for graduate students.
Dean’s List and President’s List designation are indicated on both the official and unofficial academic transcript but do not show on a student’s online grade report. WSU has designated both the Dean’s List and President’s List as directory information. As such, both lists will appear for one calendar year on the WSU website. Student’s who have placed a FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) Directory Information Hold on their records will not be included in published lists nor included with any Public Records Requests.
Public Records Requests of Dean’s List and President’s List data can be directed to the Office of General Counsel (generalcounsel@wright.edu, 937-775-3540).
To be eligible for the Dean’s List, a student must be an undergraduate student who earns 6 or more gradable, undergraduate credit hours of WSU credit with a grade point average (GPA) for the semester of 3.50 to 4.00. To be eligible for the President’s List, a student must be an undergraduate student who earns 6 or more gradable, undergraduate credit hours of WSU credit with a grade point average (GPA) of 4.00 for the semester.
The Dean’s List and President’s List for the past three semesters can be found online at wright.edu/deanslist. (Note: the President’s List was first awarded after Spring 2026.)
For more information about the Dean’s List and President’s List, please refer to Wright State Policy 3340.
Graduation with Honors
Undergraduate students with outstanding academic records are recognized at commencement. Three distinctions are made: summa cum laude (Latin for “with highest honors”) recognizes a cumulative GPA of at least 3.90; magna cum laude (Latin for “with high honors”) indicates a cumulative GPA of at least 3.70; and cum laude (Latin for “with honors”) indicates a final cumulative GPA of at least 3.50.
Academic honors are based on meeting the minimum honors GPA requirement for work attempted at Wright State University, as well as for all transfer college work accepted, as of the end of the term in which the student graduates; (that is, by the day on which term grades are due). This recalculation of the GPA may result in the student’s Wright State transcript GPA not matching the student’s Latin Honors eligibility.
Students who hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution, including Wright State, and who earn a second baccalaureate degree at Wright State per the academic policy requirements for second degrees, are eligible for Latin honors. Latin honors are based on all course work at Wright State University attempted for the second degree following and excluding the first degree course work.
For more information about graduation with honors, please refer to Wright State Policy 3640
Fresh Start Rule
Recalculation of cumulative grade point average (GPA) and credit hours earned.
Undergraduate Fresh Start
An undergraduate student who re-enrolls in the university after an absence of three or more years may request the university, through the dean or director of his/her enrollment unit, recalculate the cumulative grade point average and hours earned during the period of previous enrollment. The Fresh Start Rule application must be submitted no later than the end of the student’s first reenrolled term and applies only to courses taken at Wright State University prior to that re-enrollment.
- If the application is approved, all courses taken prior to the Fresh Start Rule remain on the permanent record; however, only those courses with grades of A, B, C, or P are counted toward credit hours earned. No other grades are counted for credit as hours toward graduation.
- If the application is approved, the student resumes an academic program with no cumulative grade point average (0.00) for the period to which the Fresh Start Rule applies. This period is defined as all Wright State coursework prior to the application of the Fresh Start Rule (coursework prior to the first term of enrollment post-Fresh Start). For the purposes of scholastic action and advising, however, the student initially is assigned to the same scholastic standing as when he/she last attended the university. Thereafter, the student is subject to the conditions of probation and dismissal that govern all students.
After the Fresh Start Rule has been applied to the academic record, a student must earn at Wright State a minimum of forty-five quarter or thirty semester credit hours before graduation with a bachelor’s degree, or a minimum of twenty-four quarter or twenty-four semester credit hours before graduation with an associate’s degree.
All courses ever taken at the university will be used in the calculation of the cumulative point-hour ratio required for the purpose of determining graduation with Latin honors.
A student’s five cumulative grade replacements include those prior and subsequent to the application of the Fresh Start Rule.
- Courses re-taken following application of the Fresh Start Rule where the original grade was A, B, C, or P are not eligible to be repeated with grade replacement. If a student chooses to retake such course, the course’s hours earned will not be counted in total hours and the grade will not be counted in the cumulative GPA.
- Courses re-taken following application of the Fresh Start Rule where the original grade was not an A, B, C, or P are counted towards a student’s cumulative total of five grade replacements. In such cases, the hours earned will be counted in total hours and the grade will be counted in the cumulative GPA.
A student is eligible for only one Fresh Start.
Students who have earned a baccalaureate degree from any institution are not eligible for the Fresh Start Rule. Students who have earned an associate’s degree from Wright State may apply the Fresh Start Rule only to coursework earned after the conferral of that degree. Students who
have earned an associate’s degree from another institution may apply the Fresh Start Rule to Wright State coursework earned prior to earning that degree.
Graduate Fresh Start
A “fresh start” is defined as beginning a graduate program and having the graduate academic record amended to reflect no hours attempted and no graduate grade point average for the new program. A new program, for “fresh start” purposes, is defined as one which a student transfers into while in active status or returns to from inactive status. All courses and grades previously taken at Wright State University will remain on the student’s academic record.
To be considered for a fresh start, the student must submit an application to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies. Application forms are available in the School of Graduate Studies. The Dean can approve the application or defer action on it to the Graduate Student Affairs Committee of the Faculty Senate, which is the final appellate body for such decisions. The student and the academic program are advised by letter of the Dean’s or the Student Affairs Committee’s decision. If a favorable decision is rendered, the Registrar is sent a copy of the approved application and advised to make the appropriate adjustments to the student’s academic record.
The following conditions and restrictions apply to a fresh start graduate program:
- A student granted a fresh start will be admitted into the new program as a conditional degree-seeking student.
- Concentrations of graduate programs do not constitute a new program and, therefore, do not apply to the “fresh start” policy.
- The new program must be completed with a minimum of 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours of graduate credit.
- The seven year rule for completing the program requirements starts with the semester or quarter that the student first registers for courses required by the new program.
- Only one “fresh start” will be granted to a graduate student at Wright State University.
- Petitions to waive any of the conditions of the “fresh start” policy will not be favorably considered by the School of Graduate Studies.
For more information about the graduate fresh start policy, please refer to Wright State Policy 5580.
Second Start Policy
Recalculation of Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) and Credit Hours Earned
The Second Start policy allows an undergraduate student who is currently on academic probation or academically dismissed from Wright State to enroll in an articulated joint-enrollment program with a community-college partner institution. A student is eligible to use this joint-enrollment program as a Second Start if
- the student has attempted no more than 48 hours at Wright State, and
- if dismissed, enrolls in the joint-enrollment program within 12 months of dismissal.
Students in the Second Start program will be ineligible to register for courses at Wright State University for a minimum of two semesters. If the student does not return within three years of his or her departure from Wright State, he or she becomes ineligible for a Second Start and is instead eligible for a Fresh Start.
- Upon completing the requirements of the joint-enrollment program, the student will be re-admitted to Wright State University and may apply for the Second Start Rule.
- If the Second Start Rule is applied:
- The student resumes an academic program with no cumulative grade point average (0.00) for all Wright State coursework prior to the application of the Second Start Rule (i.e. coursework prior to the first term of enrollment post- Second Start). Thereafter, the student is subject to the conditions of probation and dismissal that govern all students.
- All Wright State courses taken prior to the student’s departure from Wright State remain on the permanent record; however, only those courses with grades of A, B, C, or P are counted toward credit hours earned.
- Coursework taken prior to the student’s return to Wright State does not count towards the residency requirement for a Wright State University degree. That requirement must be satisfied after the student’s return.
- All courses ever taken at the university will be used in the calculation of the cumulative point-hour ratio required for the purpose of determining graduation with Latin honors.
- A student’s five cumulative grade replacements include those prior to and subsequent to the application of the Second Start Rule.
Courses re-taken following application of the Second Start Rule where the original grade was A, B, or C are not eligible to be repeated with grade replacement. If a student chooses to retake such course, the course’s hours earned will not be counted in total hours and the grade will not be counted in the cumulative GPA.
Courses re-taken following application of the Second Start Rule where the original grade was D, F, or X are counted toward a student’s cumulative total of five grade replacements. In such cases, the hours earned will be counted in total hours and the grade will be counted in the cumulative GPA.
- A student is eligible for only one Second Start.
- Students who have earned a baccalaureate degree from any institution are not eligible for the Second Start Rule.
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