Transcript Key

Privacy

In accordance with USC 438 (6) (4) (8), The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), official transcripts are provided upon the condition that the recipient will not permit any other party access to this record without consent of the student. Alteration of an official transcript may be a criminal offense.

Pursuant to Federal Law 93-380, as amended, official transcript information is transferred only on the condition that the recipient will not permit access to any other party without the written consent of the student.

General Information

The transcript key provides guidance on how to read the grades, symbols, and course numbers that appear on an official transcript issued by Tulane University. The official University transcript may vary based on the system of record at the time a student attended. Additional details about all academic programs at Tulane as well as important policies, resources, and information on courses at all levels of study can be found in the University Catalog.

Credit Hours and Calendar

As of January 1981, Tulane University’s undergraduate colleges have changed from the unit system of credit to the credit hour. On transcripts from fall 1970 through summer 1980, undergraduate credit was granted in terms of units (1 unit = 4 credit hours). The current credit hour (like the unit) represents the measurement of academic progress in terms of work undertaken and satisfactorily completed – not specifically related to an hour concept for class lecture or recitation.

All attempted work will appear on this record. However, different colleges within the university count such work differently in computing grade-point averages.

Tulane follows the early semester type calendar consisting generally of 16 weeks of class days (the sum of regular class days, review days, and final exam days). The School of Medicine operates on a year-long term. There are summer sessions in all schools of varying lengths; however, the School of Social Work offers a full semester of work in the summer.

Transcript Symbols and Notations

Honors courses are designated by an “H” immediately after the course number.

A concentration is a directed program of study within a major area. A concentration can display on the transcript in one of two ways:

1. If a concentration program was completed, the title of the concentration is indicated on the transcript after the slash (/) in the major translation
2. “CONCENTRATION:” with the concentration title appears beneath the associated major

During the spring 2020 semester, Tulane University was affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Instructional methods were modified and temporary changes to the grading policy were implemented, including adjustments to the options for pass/minimum pass/unsatisfactory grading for all undergraduate students and graduate students in the Schools of Architecture, Law, Liberal Arts, Professional Advancement, and Public Health. Passing grades earned under the temporary grading policy do not carry quality points toward the cumulative GPA, but otherwise fulfill all degree requirements.

Students who entered the University prior to fall 2021 may have the “Tulane Scholar” designation on their transcript. The program was discontinued in fall 2021 and so will not appear on student records after that time.

Newcomb-Tulane College students admitted in or after fall 2021, who have earned Dean’s List designation, will have this noted in the semester(s) in which they earned said honor. Dean’s List designations will not appear for students admitted prior to fall 2021.

Courses for which no credit is awarded appear with parentheses around their credit value, for example (1.00).

Beginning summer 2016, Tulane University entered into an agreement to serve as the School of Record for the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) Study Abroad programs. Work earned through these programs is transcribed on a CIEE School of Record Transcript separate from other Tulane work. CIEE courses offered at CIEE study centers begin with the letter ‘X’, while courses offered by CIEE in partnership with other institutions begin with ‘DE’.

Beginning fall 2015, credits earned via study abroad programs through Tulane University and numbered 5380 and/or 5390 are no longer calculated into the semester or cumulative GPA.

2006 Reorganization

Hurricane Katrina forced the closure of Tulane University for much of the fall 2005 term. During that term Tulane students enrolled as visitors at more than 600 institutions across the country. The work earned by students visiting elsewhere is posted on this transcript as consortium credit and is annotated as such. A limited number of courses were also completed at remote Tulane sites and that work will not carry the notation.

The academic restructuring approved by the Tulane board on December 8, 2005, effective Fall 2006, included the following changes:

• The creation of the Newcomb-Tulane Undergraduate College and the elimination of the coordinate college system, consisting of Newcomb College for undergraduate women and Tulane College for undergraduate men. All undergraduate students, regardless of major, matriculate through the Newcomb-Tulane Undergraduate College.
• Liberal Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering were reconfigured into two schools, the School of Liberal Arts and the School of Science and Engineering.
• The Graduate School was eliminated as a separate administrative entity. Graduate degree programs are administered by the appropriate school or college.
• University College was renamed the School of Continuing Studies (now the School of Professional Advancement), the part-time division of Tulane.

School and Colleges

Grading System

Grade Point Average

The grade point average is computed by dividing the number of quality points by the number of quality hours (GPA = QPTS/QHRS). Quality hours are accumulated in graded courses. Quality points are determined by multiplying the quality hours associated with a course by the grade points.

Undergraduate

Newcomb-Tulane College, School of Professional Advancement

^****Before fall 2021: Resolved Incomplete grades will continue to show - / I after the final grade to indicate the initial assignment of an Incomplete. Starting in fall 2021, the /I is no longer used to indicate the initial assignment of an incomplete.

Graduate & Professional

School of Architecture

^****Before fall 2021: Resolved Incomplete grades will continue to show - / I after the final grade to indicate the initial assignment of an Incomplete. Starting in fall 2021, the /I is no longer used to indicate the initial assignment of an incomplete.

School of Business

^****Before fall 2021: Resolved Incomplete grades will continue to show - / I after the final grade to indicate the initial assignment of an Incomplete. Starting in fall 2021, the /I is no longer used to indicate the initial assignment of an incomplete.

School of Law

^*In Law, prior to summer 1991, the quality points for these grades were 3.500 (B+), 2.500 (C+), 1.5 (C-) and 0.500 (D-).
^**Effective fall 2010.
^***Awarded prior to fall 2015 to foreign students in the School of Law.
^****Before fall 2021: Resolved Incomplete grades will continue to show - / I after the final grade to indicate the initial assignment of an Incomplete. Starting in fall 2021, the /I is no longer used to indicate the initial assignment of an incomplete.

School of Medicine

^****Before fall 2021: Resolved Incomplete grades will continue to show - / I after the final grade to indicate the initial assignment of an Incomplete. Starting in fall 2021, the /I is no longer used to indicate the initial assignment of an incomplete.

School of Liberal Arts, School of Professional Advancement, School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine, School of Science & Engineering, and School of Social Work

^****Before fall 2021: Resolved Incomplete grades will continue to show - / I after the final grade to indicate the initial assignment of an Incomplete. Starting in fall 2021, the /I is no longer used to indicate the initial assignment of an incomplete.

To Test for Authenticity

Vigorously rub or breathe on the security seal located in the corner of the page adjacent to the Registrar’s signature and the image will fade. This document is printed on Pixelle Defensa True® Security paper and contains multiple overt and covert security features. Defensa True has a true Fourdrinier watermark. When photocopied, a security statement will appear with the word VOID on the face of the document. If solvents & certain other chemicals are applied to this document, the paper will stain.

The transcript, subsequent to and including fall 1980, is official only when it is printed on green safety paper, with the university seal, and bears the signature of the Registrar. Prior to fall 1980, the transcript is not printed on green safety paper but is official when it includes the university seal and bears the signature of the Registrar.