Evaluation and Grading

Class Ranks

UNC School of Law no longer provides class ranks for individual students with the exception of the top ten students in each class. Students and employers will receive information about the grade point average cutoffs for the top ten percent, top one-third, and top one-half of each class, however.

Dean's List

A student who earns a grade point average of 3.25 in any semester is eligible for the Dean's List provided he or she has no grades of Incomplete or Absent from Final Exam (AB).

Grading Policy

Frequently Asked Questions for Students

Grading Scale

The grading scale ranges from a high grade of A (4.0), A- (3.7), B+ (3.3), B (3.0), B- (2.7), C+ (2.3), C (2.0), C- (1.7), D+ (1.3), to a low passing grade of D (1.0). An A+ (4.3) may be awarded in exceptional situations (e.g., an A+ should not be awarded as a matter of course to the top student in each class, but only if the top student's performance is exceptional compared to the next student in the class). There is no D-; a failing grade is F (0.0). Faculty members will report letter grades (with pluses and minuses, as appropriate) to the registrar. Some designated courses are graded on a pass-fail basis.

First-Year Curve

First-year classes (other than first-year research and writing classes) are subject to a mandatory curve. The curve has two aspects: a distributional requirement and a mean requirement. The distributional requirement does not apply to first year small sections, although grading in small sections must still meet the mean requirement.

Distributional requirement

Percent Grade
35% (31-39%) A
A-
55% (51-59%) B+
B
B-
10% (6-14%) C+
C
  • A deviation of 4% is permitted in each letter grade category.
  • A grade of A+ is considered part of the 35% of grades to be awarded in the A to A- range.
  • Grades below C will be considered part of the 10% of grades to be awarded in the C+ to C range.

Mean requirement

The class grade mean is 3.25 (with a permissible range of 3.2 to 3.3).

  • A grade below a C is considered a 2.0 for purposes of determining the required mean.
  • An A+ is counted based on its actual value (4.3) for determining the required mean.

Upper-Class Mean

In each upper level offering, the mean GPA should fall within a relatively narrow target band. The mean GPAs should vary by no more than .1 from one class to another in order to ensure fair treatment of all students, except as provided below with respect to ratcheting. The required bands for advanced classes are as follows:

Type of Class Target Band
Courses (large or small) 3.2-3.3 mean GPA
RWEs and WEs 3.4-3.6 mean GPA

Faculty members are permitted to deviate from these suggested bands by ratcheting (upwards or downwards) if the overall mean GPA of enrolled students in the course (prior to enrolling for the course) is higher or lower than the mean GPA for all students in the UNC class as a whole. For example, if the average GPA of all members in the class of 2008 at UNC is 3.2, but the average GPA of 3L students who enroll in a Federal Jurisdiction class is 3.4, (that is, .20 above the 3.2 overall mean), the professor MAY (but is NOT required to) raise the class mean by .2 -- awarding grades in Federal Jurisdiction pursuant to a mean of 3.4 - 3.6, rather than 3.2-3.4. Similarly, if a Corporate Tax course draws a class with a mean GPA that is .3 lower than the class of 2008 mean, the mandatory mean may be ratcheted downwards by .3.

Retention and Graduation

An annual cumulative grade point average of 2.20 is required to continue in Law School at the end of the first year, and a cumulative GPA of 2.25 is required to continue after the second year and to graduate. This requirement will be phased in for the classes of 2008 and 2009.

Incompletes

Faculty members may award a grade of "Incomplete" (designated "IN" on a transcript) in instances in which they believe the award of such a grade is warranted. Incompletes should generally be cleared by the end of the semester following the semester in which a grade of Incomplete is awarded. Determinations that a longer period is to be made available to clear the Incomplete may be made justified by special circumstances, and in consultation with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Incompletes that are not cleared within one year are converted to 0.0, although in extraordinary circumstances the faculty member in consultation with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, may authorize a student to withdraw with a grade of IN. The designation "IN" followed by the grade ultimately awarded, will appear on student transcripts unless the instructor indicates that the original designation "IN" was made based on instructor error.

Pass/Fail Courses

Some courses are designated as Pass/Fail courses. Students may not change a graded course to a Pass/Fail course. The 65-hour requirement is not affected by whether a case is graded on a Pass/Fail course or not.

Grade Appeals

A student may appeal a grade of 1.7 or below to the Dean. Review is limited to determinations of: (1) a plain error in computation; (2) the use of clearly unacceptable standards of professional judgment in grading: or (3) personal bias or prejudice that manifestly influenced the grading process to the student's detriment. All grade appeals must be filed in writing within 60 days of the student's receipt of the grade. A copy of the grade appeals procedure may be requested from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.