Academic Standing

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Satisfactory Academic Progress

WPI uses the following guidelines to define satisfactory progress toward a degree.

To maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress, a full-time student must:

  1. Earn at least 4/3 units (12 credits) of academic work for the fall semester (A and B terms); and
  2. Earn at least 4/3 units of academic work for the spring semester (C and D terms).

For students who are not full-time, see part-time or reduced course load minimum unit requirements for satisfactory progress depending on your status.

For the purpose of evaluation of Academic Progress, academic work is defined as all credit bearing courses, projects, and seminars excluding Air Force Aerospace Studies (AS), Military Science (ML), and Wellness and Physical Education (WPE) courses.

Academic work graded A, B, C, or SP counts as earned credit. Work graded I, NR, or NAC does not count as earned credit.

Academic Review

Academic Progress is evaluated at the end of each semester and any student who does not maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress will move down one level of academic standing (see exception to this path below). The levels are defined as:

  1. Good Standing (Satisfactory Academic Progress)
  2. Academic Concern
  3. Academic Intervention
  4. Academic Suspension

New students (including new transfer students) who earn less than 1/3 unit (3 credits) of academic work (see note above) during their first semester (A and B terms, or C and D terms) at WPI will be placed on Academic Suspension. Thereafter, any student who earns less than 1/3 unit (3 credits) of academic work in a semester will move down two levels in academic standing (i.e. a student who was on good standing after the previous review would be placed on Academic Intervention; a student who was on Academic Concern after the previous review would be placed on Academic Suspension).

After the review is completed, any student whose standing is below Good Standing will receive a notification from the Office of the Registrar. The notification will be sent to the student’s WPI email address and to their mailing address on file.

Academic Concern

If a student is on academic concern, the student is urged to meet with their Academic Support Advisor in Academic Advising and their faculty advisor to identify the nature of the academic difficulty and to formulate a course of action for overcoming the difficulty. Students on Academic Concern may apply to the Global Projects Program, but WPI reserves the right to withdraw acceptance to students who are subsequently placed on Academic Intervention.

Academic Intervention

During the next review of academic progress, should the student fail, once again, to maintain satisfactory academic progress, the student will be placed on Academic Intervention for two terms. Academic Intervention will prevent the student from receiving financial aid, will result in loss of eligibility for team sports, will prevent the student from obtaining undergraduate employment in the Co-op Program and will prevent participation in the Global Projects Program. Note: financial aid is only reviewed annually after spring semesters for the upcoming year, so students who go on Academic Intervention after a fall semester review will not lose aid for the subsequent spring semester.

Students on Academic Intervention are required to meet with their Academic Support Advisor in Academic Advising. A registration hold will be placed on their account that will be lifted only upon meeting with the advisor. They will also be required to participate in the Academic Success Program coordinated by the Office of Academic Advising.

Academic Suspension

Should a student on Academic Intervention fail to make satisfactory academic progress during the next review period or reach suspension status due to earning less than 1/3 unit of academic work, the student will be suspended from WPI. This status will prevent the student from enrolling as a full-time student or a part-time student for at least the next two terms. 

Petition to Appeal Academic Suspension Status

Students may petition through the Registrar’s Office to the Committee on Academic Operations (CAO) for reconsideration of the status of Academic Suspension.

Students who petition for reconsideration of status must accomplish the following:

  1. Obtain a petition form from the Registrar’s Office webpage.
  2. Submit the form and a letter explaining why the committee should consider appealing the status to the Registrar’s Office by the date specified in the notification of the academic standing status.
  3. The petition should explain why the student is now ready to be successful at WPI.

If an appeal is granted, the student will be placed on Academic Intervention (with possible conditions such as mandatory reduced course load for a semester) and allowed to continue studies at WPI without interruption.

Readmission from Suspension

Subsequent readmission from suspension is subject to approval (with possible conditions such as mandatory reduced course load for the first semester of return) of a petition through the Registrar to the Committee on Academic Operations (CAO). A student readmitted after suspension will be placed on an Academic intervention status. Petitions must demonstrate that the student is ready to be academically successful at WPI.

Petitions must be received by the deadlines below. Petition forms are available on the Registrar website.  

Deadlines:
  • August 1 for Term A
  • December 1 for Term C
  • May 1 for Term E

Improvement in Status

Students on Academic Concern or Academic Intervention have the opportunity to improve their status by progressing through the levels in reverse order. If a student on Academic Intervention satisfactorily meets the guidelines at the end of the next review period, they will be moved to the list of students on Academic Concern. A student on Academic Concern would be moved back to Good Standing status.

Summer Review Period

An exception to the guidelines stated above can occur when a student registers for Term E. At the conclusion of Term E, a review will be conducted which will include E-term, and the previous four terms. If the student has completed 10/3 units (30 credits) of academic work, the student’s academic progress status will improve. Students on an approved reduced course load for the previous fall and spring semesters that have completed 8/3 units (24 credits) including E-term will also improve. Thus, a student on Academic Concern status after the Term D review will start terms A and B in Good Standing. A student placed on Academic Intervention after the Term D review will be on Academic Concern status for terms A and B. Part-time students are not eligible for the summer review.

Reduced Course Load Students

Students who have a reduced course load accommodation approved through the Office of Accessibility Services (see Reduced Course Load Procedures) are limited to registering for 4/3 units per semester (2/3 for each 7-week term) plus one WPE course. Reduced course load students must complete at least 3/3 units (9 credits) of academic work per semester to maintain satisfactory academic progress.

Students on a reduced course load approved by the Office of Accessibility Services are subject to the same review schedule as full-time students. Note: this applies only to students on an approved reduced course load; students who are not on an approved reduced course load and choose not to register for a full load in any semester follow the standard requirements for satisfactory progress.

Part-time Students

Students pursuing the bachelor’s degree as part-time students will be subject to the same review schedule and standards as full-time students. All part-time students will be reviewed after the Fall and Spring semesters and must satisfactorily complete at least one-third of the academic work for which they have registered. For more information on part-time status, click here.

Grade Changes and Academic Status

Students who are placed on Academic Concern or Academic Intervention at the end of a given semester may receive a grade change (either incomplete to letter or letter to letter) that may improve the standing. The Registrar will re-review a student’s standing if the grade change comes in by the last day of the immediately following term. Please note that, depending on the timing of this re-review, the improved standing may not have an effect on financial aid implications. This option is not available to students on suspension. Suspended students must petition the Committee on Academic Operations for reconsideration or to return from suspension.