Section 4: Academic Policies

Degree Requirements and Resources 

Catalog

The Academic Catalog answers many questions, including those about academic policies, financial information, major/degree requirements, academic eligibility, and Virginia Tech course offerings. You are responsible for knowing the information contained in the catalog which is linked above. A new catalog is published each year. Because your first term of enrollment at VT is Fall 2026 or Spring 2027, you will follow the 2026–27 catalog year throughout your time at VT. 

Pathways

As a Virginia Tech student, you will be required to fulfill Pathways General Education course requirements regardless of your major. All undergraduate students at the university are required to fulfill general education course requirements in areas including discourse, quantitative and computational thinking, natural and social sciences, humanities, etc.  

Generally, these requirements are completed in your first and second years. Some majors are flexible when selecting which general education courses can be used to fulfill degree requirements. Other majors require or recommend specific general education courses which meet program specific requirements. Check your DARS and the catalog to determine if specific classes are required for your major. Your advisor can assist you in selecting courses that apply toward your major or majors you are considering.

Electives

Electives are courses that students may choose from a range of options, rather than courses specifically prescribed by a degree program. Electives can be required for you to reach the minimum number of credit hours needed to graduate. There are several kinds of electives:

• Free elective: you are free to choose whatever new course you want (provided, of course, that you are eligible to take it). 
• Restricted/controlled elective: elective courses chosen from an approved list of courses; some majors require specific restricted electives and others do not.
• Technical elective: similar to a restricted elective in that it is chosen from a preapproved list from your department.

DARS

The Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS) is a computer-generated report for undergraduate and associate-level students. The audit identifies the graduation requirements that have been completed and those that still need to be fulfilled. For instructions on how to run a degree audit report please refer to the Registrar's Degree Audit Reporting System website.

125% rule for in-state tuition

To maintain in-state tuition eligibility, you must complete your degree before exceeding 125% of the minimum required credit hours for your program. This limit is based on attempted hours. If you exceed this threshold, you will be charged a tuition surcharge for each additional semester you remain enrolled. For more information, contact your advisor or visit the Registrar’s 125% Rule for In-State Tuition webpage.

Understanding Grades

Calculating Your GPA

For information on calculating your GPA, please refer to the Undergraduate Catalog. There are two electronic GPA calculators on Hokie Spa that you can use; however, it is also useful to understand how to calculate your GPA manually. Courses taken outside of Virginia Tech do not count toward your Virginia Tech GPA.

The grade points (or quality points) earned for a class are calculated by multiplying the credit hours by the grade point value for the grade earned (A=4.0, A-=3.7, B+=3.3, B=3.0, B-=2.7, C+=2.3, C=2.0, D+=1.3, D=1.0, D-=0.7, F=0.0). For example, earning an "A" in a 3-credit course totals 12 points for that course. The GPA is found by adding all the points earned and then dividing by the total number of attempted credit hours.

Important: Pass/fail classes failed count in your GPA, but pass/fail classes passed do not.

Example: Sample Grade Report and GPA Calculation

Primary Major: US - University Studies 

Academic Standing: Good Standing 

The GPA is calculated as follows (QP=quality points; CR=credits):

C+ (2.3QP) X (3CR) = 6.9

B- (2.7QP) X (1CR) = 2.7

B+ (3.3QP) X (3CR) = 9.9

C+ (2.3QP) X (3CR) = 6.9

C+ (2.3QP) X (3CR) = 6.9

A (4.0QP) X (3CR) = 12

Total: 16CR = 45.30 QP

GPA = 45.3 / 16 = 2.83

Midterm Grades

During your first term of enrollment, you will be able to view your midterm grades. The midterm grades will not be a part of your transcript, but they are a way of letting you know how you are progressing in your classes. You are strongly encouraged to meet with your advisor and instructors to discuss unsatisfactory grades.

Academic Eligibility

Continued enrollment at Virginia Tech is a privilege. The full undergraduate academic eligibility policy can be viewed in the Undergraduate Academic Catalog. Below are academic standing statuses based on your overall VT GPA: 

• Good Standing: Cumulative GPA is 2.0 or higher.
• Academic Warning: Students earning less than a 2.0 term GPA, but with a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher, will be placed on academic warning without notation on the academic transcript. Students on academic warning may be required to meet with the appropriate undergraduate assistant or associate dean of their college and to sign an academic contract. Failure to complete an action plan (academic contract) may result in prohibition from future enrollment(s).
• First Academic Probation: Cumulative GPA is below 2.0; student has one semester at Virginia Tech to rescind this probation by earning a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher OR earning at least a 2.5 GPA for each semester of enrollment until good standing is attained.
• First Academic Suspension: Student fails to rescind academic probation (Student has cumulative GPA below 2.0 at the end of the probationary semester OR the student does not earn at least a 2.5 GPA for each semester of enrollment until good standing is attained). Student may not return to Virginia Tech for one full academic semester (Fall or Spring).
• Second Academic Probation: Student returning from first academic suspension is automatically on second academic probation and must meet the eligibility requirements for continued enrollment (i.e., student must earn a semester GPA of at least 2.0, with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 after the next semester of enrollment OR must earn at least a GPA of 2.5 each semester of enrollment until cumulative 2.0 GPA is attained). If not, the student is immediately placed on second academic suspension.
• Second Academic Suspension: Student returning from first academic suspension has not met the eligibility requirements for continued enrollment (i.e., student must earn a semester GPA of at least a 2.0, with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 after the next semester of enrollment OR must earn at least a GPA of 2.5 each semester of enrollment until cumulative 2.0 GPA is attained). Student on second academic suspension may not return to Virginia Tech for one full academic year.
• Third Academic Suspension: Student returning from second academic suspension is automatically on third academic probation and must earn at least a semester GPA of 2.0 for continued enrollment at Virginia Tech. After that, the student must earn at least a semester GPA of 2.5 for each subsequent semester of enrollment until academic good standing is attained. If not, student is automatically placed on final suspension.
• Final Suspension: Student does not meet returning performance requirements during third academic probation (returning from second academic suspension) and is permanently dismissed from Virginia Tech.

Dean’s List

Students who earn a 3.4 GPA on 12 or more credit hours attempted (A-F) achieve a Dean's List designation for that semester. Pass/fail hours do not count toward Dean's List eligibility, and summer sessions are not included in Dean's List eligibility. Students who achieve Dean's List will be notified by their college.

Student Forms and policies

How to find your college forms

Each college maintains its own website for undergraduate forms. Click the link to your current college website to find forms relevant to you.

• Agriculture and Life Sciences
• Architecture, Arts and Design
• Business (Pamplin)
• Engineering
• Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
• Natural Resources and Environment
• Science
• University Studies
• Vet Med (Public Health)

W Grade

If you find yourself struggling in a class after the deadline to drop a course, you should discuss it with your advisor as soon as possible. Your advisor may suggest the W Grade Policy, especially if you are failing the course. The W grade policy allows currently enrolled students to stop taking a course, placing a status of Withdrawn (W) instead of a letter grade on their transcript. This policy can be used for no more than three (3) courses during your entire academic career at VT.

• Withdrawn courses will remain on the student's transcript with a grade of W.
• A request for a W grade must be submitted by the last day of classes for that term.
• This policy cannot be applied to courses in which you received penalties applied by the University Honor System. 
• Withdrawn courses will still count toward hours enrolled for purposes of financial aid and tuition assessment.
• Your decision to apply the W Grade Policy to a class is irrevocable and cannot be appealed.

Request to Change Time of a Final Exam

You must submit a Final Exam Change Request Form through your college no later than three weeks prior to the start of final examinations. Each college has their own request form. Students are eligible to request a change in the time of a final exam if they have three or more exams scheduled to begin within 24 hours or if times for two exams conflict. 

Please note: In order to constitute three exams within 24 hours, the third exam must be in progress before the end of the 24-hour period.

Withdraw/Resignation

You cannot drop all classes for a term using add/drop on Hokie Spa. To drop all classes, you must complete a Student Withdrawal Request form available on the Registrar's Enrollment website.

Leave of Absence

A student may experience a situation that impacts their ability to maintain continuous enrollment (e.g., health, family obligations/emergency, military service, financial hardship, academic reasons, or any other personal reason). Students considering taking a Leave of Absence should consult with their advisors and review the section on Leave of Absence on the Enrollment page. 

Taking Courses Elsewhere

If you plan to take a course at another institution and transfer those credit hours back to Virginia Tech, you should discuss this with your advisor prior to enrollment in the course to ensure it will transfer appropriately back to VT. 

Steps for taking courses elsewhere:

1. For more information about which courses you could take elsewhere, speak to your advisor and visit the Registrar’s Transfer Guide website, which will give you lists of courses that are suggested for transfer from various institution types.
2. Once you have identified the classes you plan to take, you may be required to fill out your college’s Authorization to Take Courses Elsewhere form to receive preapproval before taking an outside course. Every college has its own form.
3. For credit to transfer back to Virginia Tech, a grade of C or higher is required.
4. On completion of the course(s), whether at a Virginia community college, a four-year institution in Virginia, or any out-of-state institution, request that an official transcript be sent to the Virginia Tech Registrar so that credit can be awarded. Official transcripts can be mailed to 250 Student Services Building, 800 Washington St., Blacksburg, VA 24061. If available at the other institution, the online transcript service Parchment may also be used to deliver your official transcript to the VT Registrar.