Academic Standing

It is the responsibility of students to stay informed about their academic standing at all times. The academic progress of degree-seeking and of non-degree seeking undergraduate students is monitored.

Good Academic Standing

The following are conditions of Good Academic Standing:

  1. The University cumulative GPA is 2.00 or greater.
  2. The GPA for the most recent semester is 2.00 or greater.
  3. The cumulative GPA in the major department is 2.00 or greater, based on at least 16 credits.

Dean's List

Degree-seeking undergraduate students who complete 12 or more grade point credits with a GPA of 3.50 or higher in any semester are placed on the Dean's List. Dean’s List status is recorded on the students’ transcripts and is also posted by the Dean of Students Office on an online Dean's List.

Academic Difficulty

Students having academic difficulty may be asked to withdraw from specific courses, be placed on academic probation, be academically suspended, or dismissed from the University.

Academic Probation

Students who are not making satisfactory progress toward a degree are placed on academic probation. Academic probation is a strong warning to students that their scholastic performance is less than that expected by the University. Notices of academic probation are sent to students at the same time grades are available at the end of the semester. Failure to improve after receiving a probation notice can result in academic suspension or dismissal from the University (see below).

A student seeking an undergraduate degree is placed on academic probation under any of the following three conditions:

  1. The University cumulative GPA is below 2.00.
  2. The GPA for the most recent semester is below 2.00.
  3. The cumulative departmental GPA is below 2.00, based on at least 16 credits.

A student on academic probation is not permitted to register for more than 16 credits per semester unless approval is granted by the Dean of Students Office.

A student is removed from probation when the following conditions have been met:

  1. The University cumulative GPA is 2.00 or greater.
  2. The GPA for the most recently completed semester is 2.00 or greater.
  3. The cumulative departmental GPA is 2.00 or greater, based on at least 16 credits.

Academic Suspension and Dismissal

A student is placed on academic suspension if the cumulative GPA is below 2.0 after a semester of academic probation or if the student is not restored to good academic standing after two semesters of probation regardless of the cumulative GPA. A student is also placed on academic suspension if the term GPA is 0.0 when a student attempts 12 or more credits. A suspended student will have the right to appeal. Students will be informed of their suspension and given information on the appeal process after grades are processed each term. More detailed information about the appeal process can be found on the Dean of Students website.

A student who receives a notice of academic suspension will not be permitted to enroll at the University for a specified period of time. Upon receiving a first notice of academic suspension, a student must sit out for at least one semester, plus a summer. That is, a student suspended at the end of a fall semester may not re-enroll until the following fall, and a student suspended at the end of a spring semester may not re-enroll until the following spring. A student who is suspended at the end of a summer term will be permitted to request reinstatement the following spring. Upon receiving a second notice of academic suspension, a student must sit out two semesters, plus a summer. Upon reinstatement after a second suspension, failure to achieve good academic standing or show substantial academic progress within one semester will result in academic dismissal. Students may appeal an academic dismissal. However, if no appeal is submitted or the appeal is denied, there is no opportunity for reinstatement after academic dismissal. 

Appeals of Academic Suspension/Dismissal

An appeal of academic suspension or dismissal will be considered if documentation can be provided to show unusual or extenuating circumstances surrounding a student's academic performance. The student must also be confident in his or her ability to show significant academic progress. A student wishing to make an appeal must do so in writing to the dean of students by accessing the appeal form through the Academic Standing link in MyMichiganTech.

Academic Renewal

Students who withdraw from the university following one or more terms of poor academic performance occasionally return to the university to continue their education. Their prior low GPA may not be indicative of their potential and may pose a significant challenge to achieving university standards of acceptable academic performance. Prior low grades may also serve as a deterrent to re-enrollment to resume study. Academic Renewal is designed to give returning students a second chance by providing an opportunity to remove a certain portion of prior course work from grade point computation.

Degree seeking undergraduate students reenrolling (i.e., being readmitted or reinstated) at Michigan Tech after an absence of five (5) years may elect Academic Renewal through the Registrar's Office for up to two (2) calendar years of prior work. Courses in the terms for which Academic Renewal is elected will neither be considered in grade point computation nor counted for academic credit toward graduation.

Academic Renewal Qualifications

  • A student enrolling at Michigan Tech after an absence of five (5) years or more may elect Academic Renewal. This renewal will affect only those courses taken prior to the five (5) year absence and may be elected only once Academic Standing will be initialized to ‘Good Standing’ for students electing Academic Renewal.
  • Academic Renewal is open only to undergraduate students admitted into a degree program. Academic Renewal is forfeited if a degree program is not completed.
  • Academic Renewal must be invoked prior to graduation and is not available to students who have previously completed requirements for a Michigan Tech Bachelor’s or Associate’s degree.
  • If more than one term is elected for Academic Renewal, the terms must be consecutive and have been completed within a maximum of two (2) calendar years for Bachelor’s degrees or one (1) calendar year for Associate’s degrees.
  • A student receiving a Bachelor’s or Associate’s degree from Michigan Tech must meet the University residency for graduation requirement in the interval between the most recent course work elected for renewal and the completion of courses at Michigan Tech.
  • To qualify for Academic Renewal, a student must have an overall GPA below 2.0 for the renewal period.
  • Renewal will apply to all courses taken during the period for which it is elected regardless of the grade earned. No course credit is granted for any courses in Academic Renewal terms. Academic Renewal courses are not subject to the existing Repeat Policy rules.
  • All courses and grades in Academic Renewal terms will remain on the student’s transcript with a notation that “Academic Renewal has been granted”. All grades will be annotated with an ‘R’ indicating Renewal, e.g. RD or RF. Grades thus annotated will be excluded from University grade point average computation.
  • Academic renewal is a policy of Michigan Technological University. As such, students should be aware it may not be recognized by outside institutions or agencies (e.g. U.S. Department of Education, other universities and colleges).
  • Once elected, Academic Renewal is irrevocable. Students must consult with their academic advisor prior to election of Academic Renewal. Signed application forms will be processed and retained by the Registrar’s Office.

Students may obtain a petition form through the Registrar’s Office and must consult with their academic advisor prior to election of Academic Renewal. Students who left the university voluntarily may re-enroll by contacting the Registrar’s Office. Those who did not leave voluntarily must seek re-enrollment through the Dean of Students Office. Requests are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.