Academic Policies
GRADING SYSTEM
About the grading system
Non-credit/Audit
Undergraduate
Graduate
Grade Not Reported (GNR)
Incomplete Grade
Honor Code
TRANSCRIPTS
How to request a transcript
ATTENDANCE
Attendance Policy
ENROLLMENT OPTIONS
Non-Credit Classes
Credit Classes
Auditing Credit Classes
CREDIT CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS
General Guidelines for Certificate Programs
GRADING SYSTEM
Faculty members are responsible for establishing the grading policy in their courses and stating the policy in the course syllabus. At the end of each semester, grade reports are mailed to Continuing Education students enrolled for credit.
Non-credit/Audit
Students taking non-credit courses or auditing credit courses are not issued grades.
Undergraduate
Grades for undergraduate course work at the Corcoran are:
| Letter Grade |
Quality Points |
Grade Descriptions |
| A |
4.00 |
outstanding achievement |
| A- |
3.70 |
very high quality work |
| B+ |
3.30 |
significantly above average achievement |
| B |
3.00 |
well above average achievement |
| B- |
2.70 |
slightly above average achievement |
| C+ |
2.30 |
above average achievement |
| C |
2.00 |
average achievement |
| C- |
1.70 |
slightly below average work |
| D+ |
1.30 |
well below average work |
| D |
1.00 |
significantly below average work |
| D- |
0.70 |
poor work |
| F |
0.00 |
failure, no credit |
| W |
N/A |
withdrawal |
| GNR |
N/A |
grade not reported |
| I |
N/A |
Incomplete |
Graduate
Grades for graduate course work at the Corcoran are:
| Letter Grade |
Quality Points |
Grade Descriptions |
| A |
4.00 |
exceptional/outstanding |
| A- |
3.70 |
excellent/beyond expectations |
| B+ |
3.30 |
passing/with demonstrated strengths |
| B |
3.00 |
passing/average |
| B- |
2.70 |
low pass/mastery uncertain |
| C+ |
2.30 |
unsatisfactory |
| C |
2.00 |
unsatisfactory |
| F |
0.00 |
failure/dismissal if recurrent |
| W |
N/A |
withdrawal |
| GNR |
N/A |
grade not reported |
| I |
N/A |
incomplete |
Grade Not Reported (GNR)
A notation of GNR on a transcript indicates that the instructor has failed to submit a grade. By the end of the following semester, if attempts to secure a grade from the instructor are unsuccessful, the GNR is replaced with an F. GNR grades are not calculated into student’s GPA until replaced by a letter grade.
Incomplete Grade
An incomplete grade is a temporary deferral of a final grade pending the make-up of a small amount of coursework. Incomplete grades may be requested only under extraordinary circumstances when coursework completion is unavoidably and justifiably delayed. Students can only request an Incomplete when 80 percent of their coursework has already been satisfied. Faculty can refuse requests for incomplete grades if the reasons provided are deemed insufficient. Instructors must submit forms requesting incomplete grades to the Office of the Registrar when final grades are submitted. Incomplete grades are not calculated into students’ GPAs until replaced by a letter grade.
Students will have 30 days following the last day of class to complete the missing work. Faculty members may shorten or extend the deadline on a case-by-case basis as long as the change is indicated on their request for incomplete grade forms. Incomplete deadlines may be extended up to the last day of classes of the semester following the one in which the course was taught. An incomplete grade automatically becomes an F if the Office of the Registrar does not receive a signed change of grade form by the instructor within the pre-approved deadline.
Grade Appeals
A request to change a grade must be initiated no later than four weeks after the grade is received. Students who wish to contest a grade should contact the instructor directly. Whenever possible, conflicts over grades should be resolved between the student and the instructor.
If the problem is not resolved to the student's satisfaction, the student should bring the matter in writing to the attention of the instructor, department chair and ceadvisor@corcoran.org. If the matter remains unresolved, a final appeal may be made in writing to the Academic Appeals Committee (AAC), whose decision is final. Appeals to the AAC should be mailed to the Dean of Students in the Office of Student Affairs at 500 Seventeenth Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006.
TRANSCRIPTS
Transcript Request Forms are available in the Office of the Registrar and online at ce.corcoran.edu/policies/forms. Requests must be made in writing and submitted to the Office of the Registrar by fax, mail or in person during business hours. E-mail and voicemail requests will not be accepted. Each official transcript incurs a fee of $5. Generally, requests received by Wednesday are processed by 12 Noon on Friday of the same week. Records prior to 1995 require expanded research and may take longer to process.
Transcripts are only available for classes that have been taken for credit. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 requires written permission from the student to release any non-disclosure information. Transcripts are not released for students who have outstanding financial obligations to the College.
ATTENDANCE
Students enrolled in the College are expected to attend all of their classes regularly, on time and for the full session of the class. Absences, tardiness or early departures are considered by instructors when determining final grades. Non-attendance is not equivalent to withdrawal. The number of absences allowed in each course varies according to the course content, teaching method and number of meetings. In general, more than two absences are not acceptable. Additional absences can result in an automatic grade of failure. Each instructor is permitted to set individual class attendance requirements, which must be indicated in the course syllabus. If no such variations are indicated, students may rightly expect that the policy stated above applies to the course.
Students will not be dropped automatically from the classes for which they are registered but have not attended. In no case is tuition refunded or reduced due to absence from classes. See our refund policy for more details.
ENROLLMENT OPTIONS
The Corcoran Continuing Education Program offers flexible and diverse art and design options to meet our students’ different needs. Individual courses and workshops are available for students interested in deepening their involvement in the arts in a specific discipline. Individual courses usually meet once per week and are taken either for audit or credit. Workshops and short courses are available across disciplines in adult programs for non-credit only. For more information, please see specific course descriptions.
Non-Credit Classes
Students interested in personal enrichment, but not academic recognition, may register for our non-credit short courses, professional development workshops, and masters workshops. Students taking non-credit classes do not receive grades or course credits and therefore cannot receive transcripts. Non-credit students are expected to attend classes and complete class assignments, but are not required to take examinations. If attendance verification is required, students should request a note from their instructor before the end of class.
Credit Classes
Students over the age of 18—with a high school diploma or its equivalent—who are interested in earning undergraduate or graduate credit for academic recognition may register for credit-bearing courses listed online at ce.corcoran.edu/courses/credit. This option is for students who intend to transfer credits to another institution, who are enrolled in a certificate program at the Corcoran, or who need credits for other purposes. In addition, students who receive tuition reimbursement from their employers are often required to present a transcript.
As an accredited institution, Corcoran credits are generally accepted by degree programs at other institutions depending on the transfer requirements of those programs. Credit fees are indicated for each course which is eligible for credit. Students are expected to meet all course requirements. Students taking a class for credit will receive a letter grade and may request an official transcript.
Any changes in credit or audit status must be submitted in writing to the Office of the Registrar before the third class meeting. Phone requests or changes discussed with faculty members are not accepted. All changes are effective when received and processed in the Office of the Registrar. Add/Drop Forms are available on the Continuing Education forms page.
Auditing Credit Classes
Students interested in personal enrichment, but not academic recognition, may register to audit most for-credit Continuing Education courses. Students taking a class on an audit basis do not receive a grade or course credit and therefore cannot receive transcripts. The audit tuition is indicated for each eligible course. Audit students are expected to attend classes and complete class assignments, but are not required to take examinations. If attendance verification is required, it is recommended that students register for the class for credit. Any changes in credit or audit status must be submitted in writing to the Office of the Registrar before the third class meeting. Phone requests or changes discussed with faculty members are not accepted. All changes are effective when received and processed in the Office of the Registrar. Add/Drop Forms are available on the Continuing Education forms page.
CREDIT CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS
Students, who are at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or G.E.D. may work toward certificates in Botanical Art and Illustration, Ceramics and Sculpture, Drawing and Painting, Jewelry, Printmaking, Digital Design, Advanced Digital Design, Graphic Design, Advanced Graphic Design, Web Design, and Advanced Web Design. More information about certificate programs can be found online at ce.corcoran.edu/certificates.
The Corcoran’s Certificate program is designed for individuals seeking to enhance their professional development or to pursue a focused, sequential approach to knowledge in a specific discipline. A certificate acknowledges the recipient’s successful completion of a designated course of study.
General Guidelines for Certificate Programs
The courses required for each certificate are listed on-line at ce.corcoran.edu/certificates. All courses must be taken for credit and must be completed within a three-year period. Certificate students are expected to attend classes, complete in-class assignments and take examinations. Certificate students must receive a letter grade of C or better in each course. Courses that are taken non-credit or audited are not applicable to the certificate program.
Credits from other institutions and credits from previous semesters at the Corcoran College of Art + Design will not transfer into the certificate program. If the student has taken the equivalent of some required courses at the Corcoran, approval to substitute more challenging courses may be requested from the Director of Continuing Education by e-mail at ceadvisor@corcoran.org. Courses may be applied to one certificate only. Students must indicate their certificate status on their registration form each semester that they enroll.
A certificate is issued with the fulfillment of the following conditions:
- The certificate requirements are completed with a grade of C or better in each course within a three-year period.
- Proof of completion of high school or equivalent has been received in the Office of the Registrar. Official transcripts from an accredited college or university will be accepted as proof of completion of high school.
- The student has submitted a certificate request form to the Office of the Registrar for the Certificate. Certificates are processed in January, May and August. The Certificate Request form can be found online at ce.corcoran.edu/policies/forms.