Grades

Expected Time Per Course Credit

Nexford University follows the U.S. Department of Education’s definition of the academic credit hour calculation; 1 semester credit hour is equivalent to 45 hours of time over the course of the semester. This means that a learner can expect to spend 45 total hours of time on 1 credit, and 135 total hours over the course of the term for a typical 3 credit course. Learners are encouraged to progress through each course at a reasonable pace while adhering to the assignment deadlines, course end dates, and time-spent expectations. Each course lasts for 51 days, and deadlines are set as follows:

Proctored Assessments

Proctored Assessment Protocol

Nexford University requires the completion of proctored assignments at the beginning, middle, and end of each degree program offered. The purpose of the proctored assessment is to verify that the person who is taking the assessment is the same person who enrolled into the program. To promote academic integrity, the University has partnered with a third-party proctoring service provider to monitor the learners’ completion of the proctored assessments in a secure environment integrated within the learning management system, Canvas. If the University is unable to verify learners' identity through the proctored assessment process or learners do not complete the proctored assessment, they will be issued a failing grade for the course. Additionally, learners could be subject to disciplinary measures up to and including dismissal from the University. 

In the Associate of Applied Science in Business program:

• BUS2125 The World of Business (beginning of the program)

• BUS2200 Principles of Management (middle of the program)

• CUL2200 Intercultural Communication (end of the program)

In the Bachelor of Business program:

• BUS2125 The World of Business (beginning of the program)

• BUS2200 Principles of Management (middle of the program)

• CUL2200 Intercultural Communication (middle of the program)

• BUS4250 Strategy and Organizational Planning (capstone course, end of the program)

In the Master of Business Administration program:

• BUS6070 Leadership and Organizational Development (beginning of the program)

• BUS6110 Organizational Strategy (middle of the program)

• BUS6140 Business Administration Capstone (capstone course, end of the program)

In the Master of Science in Digital Transformation program:

• MHY6700 Internet of Things (beginning of program)

• MHY6750 Cybersecurity Leadership (middle of the program)

• ECM6800 Digital Transformation Capstone (capstone course, end of the program)

In the Master of Science in Data Analytics program:

• BAN6010 Business Analytics (beginning of program)

• BUS6410 The Law & Ethics of Information Technology (middle of the program)

• BAN6800 Business Analytics Capstone (capstone course, end of the program)

In the Master of Science in Entrepreneurship program:

• PRD6100 Executing a Vision: Product Design & Development for Entrepreneurs (beginning of program)

• FIN6300 Funding for Startup Founders (middle of the program)

• ENT6800 Entrepreneurship Capstone (capstone course, end of the program)

Final Course Grade Appeal Process

The purpose of the grade appeal process is to recognize faculty authority in the grading process while protecting learners from possibly erroneous, prejudiced, arbitrary, or capricious academic evaluation. All attempts to resolve final course grade disputes must originate between the learner and the faculty. If a learner believes that a final course grade does not accurately reflect their coursework, they must first contact the faculty for possible resolution. If the learner and the faculty are unable to resolve the learner’s concern, the learner may pursue a formal final course grade appeal process. This includes:

1. Pursuing a formal final course grade appeal after all attempts to resolve the learner’s concern with faculty have been unsuccessful.

2. Filing a formal final course grade by submitting the Final Course Appeal form, within 5 days of the course end date, and all relevant documentation to the University Review Committee (URC) after all avenues with working with faculty have been exhausted.

3. The URC will review the learner’s request and supporting documentation and will respond to the learner within 5 business days.

4. If the learner is not satisfied with the URC’s outcome, the learner may follow the Grievance Policy outlined in the catalog within 3 days of received the response from the URC.

Late Work Submission

Learners have the opportunity to submit past-due assessments beyond the module assignment due date*, except for module 1 as learners are expected to participate in the course by the 10th day to avoid being withdrawn from the course (as indicated in Course Participation and Inactivity policy). All other module assignments, including the final project, submitted past the due date will receive an automatic 5% deduction for every day it is late up to 5 days; the submission will be closed after 5 days from the module assignment due date with no exception.

Due dates are specified on the course syllabus and assignments must be submitted by 11:59 PM, Eastern Time by the due date. Anything beyond the due date is subject to the Late Work Submission policy.

The late work submission policy does not apply to the Master of Science in Entrepreneurship (MSE) seminar courses; due to the shorter duration of the seminar courses, no late work will be accepted.  

Grading Scale: Grade Point Average (GPA)

Nexford University requires learners in graduate-level programs to earn a minimum of a B in each course and learners in undergraduate-level programs to earn a C.  Nexford University does not award D grades.  Grade Point Averages (GPAs) are based on a four-point scale.

Undergraduate Grading Scale

Graduate Grading Scale

Course Extension

Nexford University recognizes that learners may encounter circumstances that make it difficult to complete the course work within the specified timeframes; however, not all situations warrant an assignment or course extension. Learners are expected to: adhere to the assignment deadlines, recognize that late deductions may apply to assignments submitted past the due date, complete the course within the scheduled time frame, and understand that not all requests for extensions are approved. For example, reasons such as work, travel, and balancing time do not qualify for an extension. Additionally, all requests for extensions due to extenuating circumstances must be supported by proper documentation.

1. Assignment extension

   1. Assignment extensions are not approved for module 1 as learners are expected to adhere to the Course Participation and Inactivity Policy which requires learners to participate in the course by day 10.

   2. Learners must submit their Assignment Extension Request Form no later than 24 hours within the assignment due date.

   3. Valid documentation must be provided to support the request, such as a medical certificate or doctor’s note for hospitalization, proof of death in the immediate family, or documentation of other extreme circumstances. Requests based on work commitments, travel, or time management challenges will not qualify for an extension.

2. Course extension. Nexford courses are designed to be completed within approximately eight weeks (51 days). A course extension provides learners with up to an additional two weeks to finish the course, yielding a total course completion time of 10 weeks (70 days). If learners believe they will not be able to meet the deadline for completing the course due to extenuating circumstances, they may request an extension by submitting a Course Extension Request Form.

   To be eligible for a course extension, learners must:

   1. Have completed the first three modules of the course

   2. Be passing the course

   3. Submit their request during the module 5 ‘window’ (days 32-38) and no later than the last day of the course. Requests submitted after the course end date will not be accepted

   4. Provide proper documentation of an extenuating circumstance, such as a medical certificate of hospitalization or doctor’s note, proof of death in the immediate family, or other extreme circumstances supported by documentation. Reasons such as work, travel, or balancing time do not qualify for an extension.

Repeating a Course

Learners in all Nexford programs must repeat any course they have not successfully completed. If a learner fails to successfully complete a course twice or is withdrawn from a course twice, they will be placed on a SAP plan to ensure they successfully complete the course. If the learner fails to pass the course on the third attempt, they will be dismissed from the University. All course attempts will be listed on the learner's record, with only the highest score included in their CGPA. However, all attempts are included in the pace calculation for SAP.

Note: Assignments submitted for the repeated courses are expected to reflect new approaches and insights into that topic. Learners may not merely copy and paste substantial sections from one assignment to be submitted again. Any use of prior work is at the discretion of the instructor, and prior approval is required before submitting prior work.