What Letter Grades Mean
Below is a general description of how various grades are interpreted in the MHS Program. Your teachers will provide more specific information.
| Grade | Grade Description |
| A | A paper or
report that is outstanding in content and is exceptionally
well written. By outstanding, we mean that it not only
lucidly presents the major concepts of the course, but also
spins off new ideas or reanalyzes them in a unique way. This
kind of writing gives evidence that the student has mastered
the concepts to the point where he/she can use them to
generate new ideas that the faculty may not even have
thought of before. The paper also shows mastery of the
writing process. Such a paper goes beyond the objectives of
the course. Not many papers are likely to receive an A. No A+ grades are given in the MHS Program. |
| A- | A paper
that is very good. It has all the concepts but lacks some of
the uniqueness and depth of understanding that characterizes
an "A" paper and thus falls short of excellence. |
| B+ | A paper
that meets all the objectives of the course and just a
little more. Writing mechanics are good; writing style is
adequate. |
| B | A paper in
which the student has done everything that is required. The
content reflects the major objectives of the course. It
follows the outline provided. It is written adequately and
contains only an occasional writing error. |
| B- | This paper
is deficient in content with missing or incomplete concepts
and interrelationships and has more than several persistent
writing errors. This grade is a signal to a student that
he/she cannot complete the MHS degree with this quality of
work. |
| C+ and lower | A paper
that is flawed in content and/or writing and fails to meet
the standards of graduate-level work. |