Berklee is offering students the following grading options for the spring 2020 semester. Please note that these are temporary adjustments to the grading policy.
Berklee College of Music and Boston Conservatory at Berklee faculty will assign letter grades as normal by the deadline of Thursday, May 14. After the letter grades have been submitted, you will have the option to change your letter grades to "pass" (P)/"no credit" (NC) for any or all of your spring 2020 courses by completing the Pass/No Credit Grading Option Form (login required) that will be available from May 14 until May 21.
If you receive grades A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, or D, you can choose to either keep the letter grade or request a P grade. Those receiving a grade of F can choose NC. International students’ F-1 status will not be affected by choosing the P/NC option.
Once you submit the form, the decision to select the P/NC grading option is irreversible.
Courses That Are Not Eligible for Pass/No Credit
A small number of courses, outlined below, are not eligible for the P/NC grading option and must be taken for a letter grade due to certification, licensure, or program requirements.
Undergraduate Students at the College and Conservatory
You may elect the P/NC credit grading option for any course except for the following:
Music Education
COND-221 Choral Conducting for Music Education Majors
COND-321 Choral Rehearsal Techniques for Music Education Majors
COND-222 Instrumental Conducting for Music Education Majors
COND-322 Instrumental Rehearsal Techniques for Music Education Majors
ENVC-361 Music Education Concert Choir
ISKB-221 Keyboard Class 1 for Music Education Majors
ISKB-222 Keyboard Class 2 for Music Education Majors
ISKB-321 Keyboard Class 3 for Music Education Majors
ISKB-322 Keyboard Class 4 for Music Education Majors
ISWD-222 Single Reeds for Music Education Majors: Clarinet/Saxophone
ISBR-221 High Brass for Music Education Majors: Trumpet/French Horn
ISBR-231 Low Brass for Music Education Majors: Trombone/Euphonium/Tuba
ME-111 Introduction to Music Education
ME-152 Computer Applications for Music Education
ME-211 Elementary Class Methods
ME-212 Music Classroom Methods and Materials
ME-311 Secondary Class Methods
ME-321 Choral Methods and Materials
ME-326 Multimedia for the Educator
ME-341 Teaching with a Multicultural Perspective
ME-381 Survey of Instrumental Literature
ME-383 Survey of Choral Music Literature
ME-431 Instrumental Methods and Materials
ME-475 Pre-practicum Apprenticeship/Seminar
ME-495 Practice Teaching/Seminar
PIXX-311 Private Instruction 5
PIXX-312 Private Instruction 6
PSME-311 Recital Class for Music Education Majors
Music Therapy
LSOC-212 Psychology of Music
LSOC-421 Abnormal Psychology
MTH-201 Introduction to Music Therapy
MTH-211 Mind-Body Disciplines for Musicians
MTH-220 Recreative and Compositional Methods in Music Therapy
MTH-250 Clinical Orientation to Music Therapy 1
MTH-281 Technology for Music Therapists
MTH-332: Practicum 3
MTH-410 Introduction to Music Therapy Research
MTH-411 Music in Psychotherapy
MTH-412 Music Therapy Practicum 4: Psychiatry
MTH-431 Music Therapy and Medicine
MTH-432 Music Therapy Practicum 5: Medicine
MTH-475 Music Therapy Senior Seminar
MTH-495 Music Therapy Internship
Film Scoring
If you are planning to declare your major in film scoring, you should not select the P/NC credit grading option for FS-221 Intensive Introduction to Film Scoring. A grade of B or better is required for entrance into the major.
Contemporary Writing and Production
If you are planning to declare your major in contemporary writing and production, you should not select the P/NC grading option for AR-111 Arranging 1for Entering Students, HR-112 Harmony 2, or MTEC-111 Introduction to Music Technology. Letter grades are required in these courses to satisfy the major entrance requirements.
Graduate Students at the Conservatory
Courses with a P grade will not satisfy requirements for the Conservatory’s graduate programs. Only grades of B- or higher may earn credit toward program completion, and graduate students are advised not to choose the P/NC grading option for courses in which a B- or higher was achieved. Grades below B- may be translated to the P/NC option, knowing they will not satisfy requirements.
Graduate Students at the College (Boston and Valencia Campuses)
You may elect the P/NC grading option for any graduate level courses except for those listed below. A grade of P satisfies the minimum grade required of each course counting towards a degree requirement.
ENDS-550 Contemporary Ensemble
FS-520 Advanced Scoring 2: Genre and Form
FS-530 Directed Study 1
FS-531 Directed Study 2
FS-617 Dramatic Electronic Composition
FS-621 Advanced Dramatic Orchestration 2
FS-632 Recording, Editing, and Mixing Techniques for Film Composers 2
MTI-616 MTI Seminar 2
MTI-543 Studio Video Music Production
MTI-521 Nonlinear Structures for Real-Time Media
PS-532 The Artist as a Startup
PS-622 Masters Advanced Performance Forum: Production
Conservatory students can log in to Self-Service to find their cumulative GPA in their unofficial transcript. College students can log in to my.berklee.edu to find their cumulative GPA in their degree audit.
Could choosing a passing grade instead of a letter grade affect my GPA?
If your course grade is higher than your cumulative GPA, it is advised that you do not request a P/NC grade. Doing so would remove the grade from factoring in to your GPA and could lower your overall GPA.
If your course grade is lower than your cumulative GPA, it is advised that you do request a P/NC grade. Doing so would remove the grade from factoring in to your GPA and could increase your overall GPA.
I'm on concentrate warning. Could a P/NC grade affect my ability to continue or rejoin my major?
If you are on concentrate warning or off major and need to improve your GPA in order to return to good concentrate standing, letter grades are required; changing your grades to P or NC will not improve your GPA.
Once I choose a P/NC grade, can I change my mind?
No. Once you submit the Pass/No Credit Grading Option Form from May 14 through May 21, any grade change requests you make are irreversible.
As an international student, will opting for an NC grade impact my F-1 status?
How long do I have to change my letter grades to P/NC?
You will have from May 14 until May 21 to change your letter grades to P/NC for any or all of your spring 2020 courses by completing the Pass/No Credit Grading Option Form.
Will opting in to P/NC affect scholarship eligibility?
No. Choosing the P/NC option will not affect your eligibility for Berklee scholarships. Rules governing scholarships from external agencies may be different, and you should contact the agency for confirmation.
Could choosing a P/NC grade affect my satisfactory academic progress (SAP) standing?
Students who are not currently on academic warning, probation, or reinstatement will not have their SAP standing negatively affected by electing P/NC.
Students who are currently on academic warning, or who are on a contract, should refer to their Berklee email for specific instructions or requirements regarding the election of P/NC.
More information about the SAP policy is available here.
Pass/No Credit and Your GPA
When considering whether to change a letter grade to P/NC, keep in mind the following:
If your course grade is higher than your cumulative GPA, it is advised that you do not request a P/NC grade. Doing so would remove the grade from factoring into your GPA and could lower your overall GPA.
If your course grade is lower than your cumulative GPA, it is advised that you do request a P/NC grade. Doing so would remove the grade from factoring into your GPA and could increase your overall GPA.
Before you can compare your course grade to your cumulative GPA, you will need to convert your course grade to grade points. The steps below will show you how.
1. Find your cumulative GPA.
For College Students To find your cumulative GPA, log in to my.berklee.edu and select “My Degree Audit” under the Academic Profile section. Scroll down to “Program Summary,” and find “Overall GPA” in the Current Earned column.
For Conservatory Students To find your cumulative GPA, log in to Self-Service. Click on the “Grades” tab at the top and then “Unofficial Transcript.” Your cumulative GPA will be listed here.
Now that you know your cumulative GPA and how to determine the number of grade points earned in a course, you are ready to decide which courses to select for the P/NC grading option.
Example 1: Your course grade is A- (3.70), and your cumulative GPA is 2.70. Since 3.70 is greater than 2.70, your course grade could positively affect your GPA, so there is no need to choose a grade of P.
Example 2: Your course grade is C- (1.70), and your cumulative GPA is 3.00. Since 1.70 is less than 3.00, your course grade could negatively affect your GPA, so choosing a grade of P is advised.
Example 3: Your course grade is F (0.00), and your cumulative GPA is 2.00. Since 0.00 is less than 2.00, your course grade could negatively affect your GPA, so choosing an NC grade is advised.
