Academic Warning and Academic Probation

Policies on academic warning and academic probation are specific to each academic program and are reviewed briefly below. The School of Nursing uses a 4.0 point grading scale.

ABSN Program Policy on Academic Warning/Academic Probation

An ABSN student who is not meeting program, course, and/or clinical objectives may be placed on a Learning Improvement Plan to help facilitate student success.

Prior to the completion of 30 credit hours, an ABSN student whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 will be placed on academic probation, will be notified in writing of the academic probation, and must meet with their faculty advisor to develop a personal plan for improvement, known as a Learning Improvement Plan. A student whose performance does not meet the objectives of the Learning Improvement Plan may be subject to course failure and/or administrative withdrawal from the School of Nursing.

A student whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.5 at any time will receive a letter of academic warning and will be required to meet with their faculty advisor. These measures are designed to encourage students to reflect critically on their academic performance from semester to semester and continue to improve and excel.

To help facilitate student success and to connect students to available resources, the ABSN Program Office, in consultation with course faculty, sends out midterm advisory letters to ABSN students. Any student who is on a Learning Improvement Plan and/or has a midterm course average below 70% will receive a letter indicating unsatisfactory performance. A student whose midterm course average is between 70.0% and 76% will receive a letter indicating marginal performance.

MSN & PGC Program Policy on Academic Warning/Academic Probation

Students are encouraged to reflect critically on their academic performance each semester and to maintain a satisfactory grade point average (GPA). Satisfactory academic standing is defined as both a semester GPA of 3.0 or higher, and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Students enrolled in the MSN Program or the post-graduate certificate (PGC) option whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.0 may receive a letter of academic warning or be placed on academic probation. A student whose cumulative GPA falls between 2.7 and 3.0 at any time will receive a letter of academic warning and is encouraged to meet with the academic advisor. A student whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.7 will be placed on academic probation and must meet with their academic advisor to develop a personal plan for improvement.

In fulfillment of their course of study, PGC students may enroll in a credit/non-credit course, resulting in a 0.0 semester and cumulative GPA. This is an exception to the conditions for academic warning and probation.

DNP Program Policy on Academic Warning/Academic Probation

Students are encouraged to reflect critically on their academic performance each semester and to maintain a satisfactory grade point average (GPA). A student whose cumulative GPA falls between 2.7 and 3.0 at any time will receive a letter of academic warning and will be encouraged to meet with her or his academic advisor. A student whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.7, or who has a “C” in a DNP-required course, will be placed on academic probation and must meet with her or his academic advisor to develop a personal plan for improvement.

Nurse Anesthesia students must maintain a cumulative GPA greater than 3.0. Any student whose cumulative GPA falls below a 3.0 at any time will receive a letter of academic warning and must meet with their academic advisor. 

PhD Program in Nursing Policy on Academic Warning/Academic Probation

The PhD Program in Nursing is a program of The Graduate School of Duke University. To be certified as making satisfactory progress towards the degree, graduate students must maintain at least a 3.0 (B) cumulative grade point average (GPA). Students falling below this average jeopardize not only their financial support, but their continuation in the graduate program, and Graduate School policy specifies that they are to be placed on academic probation. Additional information about Graduate School policy on academic probation and is available in the Bulletin of The Graduate School of Duke University.

Grades alone do not determine a student’s academic standing in the PhD Program in Nursing. Research progress and the potential to accomplish PhD level research successfully and to present research results cogently will also be taken into account in assessing the academic standing of a student. Beginning with their second year of study, all students in the PhD Program in Nursing are required to file an annual progress report to the PhD Program Director. The PhD Program Committee reviews the progress of all PhD students annually in March/April.