How to Calculate the GPA
How to Calculate the Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA)
Semester and cumulative grade point averages appear on each student semester grade report and on the permanent academic record (transcript). The information given below illustrates how the GPA was calculated and may be applied in the same way to calculate the GPA in the major or for other purposes. To figure the GPA, the numerical value of each grade (see tables below) is multiplied times the number of credits for each course in which a letter grade is received.
Courses taken under the ungraded option and satisfactorily completed physical education courses (S1, S2, etc.) are EXCLUDED. This gives the total number of QUALITY POINTS.
The Total Quality Points Divided by the Total GRADED CREDITS = GPA.
Numberical Values of Grades for MHC & Five College
| MHC and Five College | UMass | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 4.0 | A | 4.0 |
| A- | 3.67 | AB | 3.5 |
| B+ | 3.33 | B | 3.0 |
| B | 3.0 | BC | 2.5 |
| B- | 2.67 | C | 2.0 |
| C+ | 2.33 | CD | 1.5 |
| C | 2.0 | D | 1.0 |
| C- | 1.67 | F | 0.0 |
| D+ | 1.33 | ||
| D | 1.0 | ||
| D- | 0.7 | ||
| F | 0 | ||
Examples
Semester one:
| DEPT | CRSE | GRADE | CREDIT | CALCULATION | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIOL |
100 |
A- |
4 |
3.67 | x |
4 |
= |
14.68 |
| ENGL |
101 |
B |
4 |
3.0 | x |
4 |
= |
12.00 |
| FREN |
200 |
B+ |
4 |
3.33 | x |
4 |
= |
13.32 |
| PHOTO |
107 |
A |
1 |
4.0 | x |
1 |
= |
4.00 |
| PSYCH |
100 |
B- |
4 |
2.67 | x |
4 |
= |
10.68 |
|
17 |
17 |
54.68 |
||||||
|
Sem. GPA = 54.68 / 17 = 3.216 Rounded = 3.22 |
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Semester two:
| DEPT | CRSE | GRADE | CREDIT | CALCULATION | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARTST |
114 |
F |
4 |
0.0 | x |
4 |
= |
0.00 |
| ENGL |
102 |
A+ |
4 |
4.0 | x |
4 |
= |
16.00 |
| MATH |
100 |
CR |
4 |
Ungraded Option - no value | x |
0 |
= |
.00 |
| POLSC |
26 |
B+ |
4 |
3.33 | x |
4 |
= |
13.32 |
|
12 |
29.32 |
|||||||
|
Sem. GPA = 29.32 / 12 = 2.443 Rounded = 2.4 |
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For Cumulative Average
|
Semester 1 Quality Points = |
54.68 |
CREDITS |
= | 17 | |
|
Semester 2 Quality Points = |
29.32 |
CREDITS |
= | 12 | |
| 84.00 | divided by | 29 | = 2.896 CUM GPA | ||
| Rounded = 2.90 |
Note: For each semester, the total Quality Points must be added together to figure the cumulative GPA. You cannot add up each semester GPA and divide by the number of semesters to figure a cumulative average.