Minimum Progress Standing

Minimum Progress Requirement

Per UC Davis regulations, all undergraduate students are required to maintain a Degree Progress Average (DPA) of at least 12 units passed per quarter over all full-time quarters of enrollment. This DPA is calculated at the end of each regular full-time quarter (Fall, Winter, Spring).

Students that maintain the 12 unit average are considered to be in Good Standing for Minimum Progress (MP). However, students who fall below the average will see their academic standing change to Not in Good Standing for Minimum Progress (MP) on their academic record. 

Regulations on Minimum Progress Requirement

Minimum Progress (MP) Standings

When students fall below the 12 unit average they will have one of the following academic standings based on the number of consecutive terms they have not met the requirement:

  • Academic Notice (PB) First term with a Degree progress average below 12 units
  • Academic Notice Continued (PC) Second consecutive term with a Degree progress average below 12 units
  • Academic Notice Continued (PD) Third consecutive term with a Degree progress average below 12 units
  • Subject to Disqualification (DQ) Fourth consecutive term with a Degree progress average below 12 units

 

Notifications 

Students who do not meet minimum progress will receive a message via the UC Davis message center notifying them of their status each term. These notifications will include important information and steps that students should take to address their standing. If you receive a notification please read it immediately and follow any included instructions. 

Students who become Subject to Disqualification (DQ) for Minimum Progress will be required to meet with an academic advisor in Undergraduate Education and Advising (UEA) to discuss their standing. Failure to schedule this required appointment will result in disqualification.

Read more about the Subject to Disqualification process for the College of Letters and Science

Calculating Degree Progress Average (DPA)

Degree Progress Average (DPA) refers to the total number of Minimum Progress eligible units (U) completed divided by the number of full-time quarters (Q) completed. To calculate your DPA you can use the following equation:

Units (U) ÷ Quarters (Q) = DPA

For example: If you just finished your first year at UC Davis and completed 45 units total during Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters (3) then your DPA would be 15 (45 ÷ 3 = 15)

What Counts Toward Minimum Progress?

To accurately calculate your DPA, you will need to know what type of units count toward the calculation as well as which quarters are included in the total. Click below to see what units and quarters are included or excluded from your DPA calculation:

Units

  • Included Units
    • Courses completed with a "D-" (or higher) grade or "P" if taken on as Passed/Not-Passed
    • Workload units
    • Repeated courses in which a passing grade is earned and are within the 16 units of repeat credit allowed
    • Summer units complete after matriculation to UC Davis (i.e. after the first quarter). This includes any transferable units completed at a Community College, other UC or 4-year university, as well as UC Davis Summer Sessions
  • Excluded Units
    • Courses completed with a "F" grade or "NP" if taken on as Passed/Not-Passed
    • Incomplete "I" (until completed, assuming passed grade issued)
    • "Y" units (Units pending OSSJA action)
    • "NG" units (Units not assigned a grade by the instructor)
    • Repeated courses taken beyond the 16 units allowed
    • All previous college level units completed prior to matriculation to UC Davis (i.e. after the first quarter)--including UC Davis Summer Sessions, UC Open Campus, as well as all exam credit such as Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate (IB)

Quarters

  • Included Quarters

    • Regular academic terms -- Fall, Winter and Spring Quarters--in which a student is considered full-time. 

      Note: Students are considered full-time by default unless they have been officially approved for Part-Time status by the Registrar. 

  • Excluded Quarters
    • Quarters in which students are approved for part-time status (see below)
    • Quarters in which students have an approved Minimum Progress Waiver (see below)
    • Summer (see below)

Summer Units vs. Summer Terms

As noted above, units completed in Summer terms (both at UC Davis or at another accredited school) after matriculation to UCD, will be included in the DPA calculation for units (U). However, since Summer terms are not counted as a quarter (Q), units completed in summer will be applied to the next full-time quarter of enrollment immediately following the summer session. The example below demonstrates how a typical academic year + summer would be calculated: 

  • Example: Degree Progress Average with Summer
  • Fall (Qtr. 1)

    12 units for the quarter
    12 units total
    DPA = 12

    Winter (Qtr. 2)

    14 units for the quarter
    26 units total
    DPA = 13

    Spring (Qtr. 3)

    16 units for the quarter
    42 units total
    DPA = 14

    Summer*

    8 units completed

    *No DPA calculated

    Fall (Qtr. 4)

    12 units completed for the quarter
    62 units total
    DPA = 15.5
     

     

Think of summer as an opportunity for "bonus" units since they can help you increase your average, or help you catch up if you are below the minimum.

Part Time Status

Students who apply for and are officially approved* for part-time status through the Office of the University Registrar are exempted from the minimum progress calculation for the period of time that they maintain their part-time status. The example below demonstrates how a part-time quarter would be excluded: 

  • Example: Degree Progress Average with a Part-Time quarter
  • Fall (Qtr. 1)

    12 units for the quarter
    12 units total
    DPA = 12

    Winter (part-time)*

    8 units for the quarter

    *No change to DPA

    Spring (Qtr. 2)

    14 units for the quarter
    26 units total
    DPA = 13

    Note: A student who is not in Good Standing for Minimum Progress will remain remain not good standing until the deficiency is rectified by the completion of a subsequent full-time quarter in good standing.

If you are considering part-time enrollment, visit the Registrar's website for information no how to qualify for part-time status. Note: student-athletes, international students, and/or students receiving financial aid should also contact their respective programs to determine if they are eligible for part-time status.

Minimum Progress Waiver

In certain cases, students with a qualifying disability may be eligible for a minimum progress waiver. Students may apply for such a waiver through the Student Disability Center. Approval of the waiver omits the specified term(s) from the calculation of quantitative standing; there is no notation on the internal transcripts. are exempted from the minimum progress calculation for the period of time that they maintain their part-time status. The example below demonstrates how a part-time quarter would be excluded: 

  • Example: Degree Progress Average with a Minimum Progress Waiver
  • Fall (Qtr. 1)

    12 units for the quarter
    12 units total
    DPA = 12

    Winter (MP Waiver)*

    11 units for the quarter

    *No DPA calculated

    Spring (Qtr. 2)

    14 units for the quarter
    26 units total
    DPA = 13

    Note: A student who is not in Good Standing for Minimum Progress will remain remain not good standing until the deficiency is rectified by the completion of a subsequent full-time quarter in good standing.

Important Note: Due to some quarters being excluded from the average, the number of units counted toward degree progress may be different than the total units completed toward graduation. 

Calculating Minimum Progress Deficit (MPD)

As mentioned above, you must maintain an average of 12 units to be in Good Standing for Minimum Progress. The chart below outlines the minimum number of units that must be completed, depending on the number of full-time quarters at UC Davis. 

  • Minimum Progress Chart

  • # of Full-Time Quarters at UC Davis

    Minimum # of units required for Good Standing

    1

    12

    2

    24

    3

    36

    4

    48

    5

    60

    6

    72

    7

    84

    8

    96

    9

    108

    10

    120

    11

    132

    12

    144

    13

    156

    14

    168

    15

    180

If you do not meet the minimum average, you will have a Minimum Progress Deficit (MPD). This means you must take additional units in a future quarter (or quarters) to increase your average. To calculate your MPD you can use the following equation:

Minimum expected units (M) - Actual units (A) = Minimum Progress Deficit (MPD)


For example: If you completed 34 units over three full-time quarters at UC Davis, you would have a 2 unit Minimum Progress deficit (36 - 34 = 2).  

Returning to Good Standing for Minimum Progress

To return to Good Standing, you must increase your DPA to at least 12 units by the end of your next calculated quarter (Fall, Winter, or Spring). Here are a few ways you can increase your DPA:

  • Take extra units in a future quarter (or quarters): Taking 14-16 units per quarter can help increase your overall average if you have fallen behind. Note: We do not recommend students take more than 16 units in a single quarter. 
  • Enroll in Summer Session: Since summer units count toward progress, but summer quarters do not, this is a great opportunity to increase your average if you have a larger MPD. 
  • Repeat failed or not passed courses: Repeating courses (within the 16-unit repeat limit) can both increase your average and help improve your GPA. 

Resolving a Minimum Progress Deficit

Let's look at a few common scenarios to see how an minimum progress deficit can be resolved using some of the options listed above. 

  • Example 1: A One Quarter MPD
  • Scenario: During your first quarter (Fall) you enrolled full-time, but only passed 8 units, leaving you with a 4 unit MPD (12-8=4). This also means you are on Academic Notice (PB) for the first term. To return to good standing you could use one of the following options:

    Option 1: Complete 16 units during your second quarter (Winter)
    This option would have you end your second quarter with a DPA of 12 (24 units ÷ 2 quarters) and return to Good Standing at the end of the quarter.

    Option 2: Complete 14 units during your second (Winter) and third (Spring) quarters
    This option would spread out your additional 4 units over two quarters instead of one and would have you increase your DPA to 12 units after your third quarter (36 units ÷ 3 quarters). Note: This option means you would be on Academic Notice (PC) for a second term during the Winter quarter before returning to Good Standing after your third quarter. 
  • Example 2: First Year MPD (Summer Recommended)

  • Scenario: During your first year you enrolled full-time for 3 quarters (Fall, Winter, Spring) with the following result:

    Fall (Qtr. 1)

    14 units for the quarter
    14 units total
    DPA = 14 Good Standing

    Winter (Qtr. 2)

    8 units for the quarter
    22 units total
    DPA = 11 Academic Notice (PB)
    MPD = 2 units

    Spring (Qtr. 3)

    8 units for the quarter
    30 units total
    DPA = 10 Academic Notice (PC)
    MPD = 6 units

    In this example, you only passed 30 units after 3 quarters, leaving you with a 6 unit MPD (36-30=6).  To return to good standing you could use one of the following options:

    Option 1: Complete 6 units Summer Session (Recommended)
    This option would be strongly recommend since the deficit is too large to complete in a single quarter. We would recommend you enroll in 6 or more units during the Summer Session to raise your DPA to 12 units or more.* This may also be a good opportunity to repeat a course you previously did not pass if needed for specific requirements and/or to raise your GPA. 

    *Note: You will not officially return to Good Standing for Minimum Progress until the end of the next regular term (Fall) since your degree progress average is not calculated during summer. You must maintain your average through the next term to return to Good Standing. 

    Option 2: Complete 15 units during your fourth (Fall) and fifth (Winter) quarters
    This option would spread out your additional 6 units over two quarters instead of one and would have you increase your DPA to 12 units after your fifth quarter (60 units ÷ 5 quarters). Note: This option means you would be on Academic Notice (PD) for a third term during the Fall quarter before returning to Good Standing after your fifth quarter. While technically possible, this option is not strongly recommended as it would require an increase of units per quarter which may prove challenging depending on your schedule and other non-academic related factors. 

    Important: Do not attempt to resolve the entire deficit in a single quarter as it would require completing 18 units. This is well beyond the recommended course load for students. 

  • Example 3: First Year MPD (Summer Required)

  • Scenario: During your first year you enrolled full-time for 3 quarters (Fall, Winter, Spring) with the following result:

    Fall (Qtr. 1)

    8 units for the quarter
    8 units total
    DPA = 8 Academic Notice (PB)
    MPD = 4 units

    Winter (Qtr. 2)

    12 units for the quarter
    20 units total
    DPA = 10 Academic Notice (PC)
    MPD = 4 units

    Spring (Qtr. 3)

    8 units for the quarter
    28 units total
    DPA = 9.3 Academic Notice (PD)
    MPD = 8 units

    In this example, you only passed 28 units after 3 quarters, leaving you with an 8 unit MPD (36-28=8).  Additionally, Spring was your third consecutive term below the required degree progress average which means you would be Subject to Disqualification (DQ) after your next regular term if the deficit is not resolved. In this scenario, Summer Session would be required to resolve the deficit and avoid a potential disqualification. You should enroll in 8 or more units during the Summer Session to raise your DPA to 12 units or more.*

    *Note: You will not officially return to Good Standing for Minimum Progress until the end of the next regular term (Fall) since your degree progress average is not calculated during summer. You must maintain your average through the next term to return to Good Standing. 

    Important: Do not attempt to resolve the entire deficit in a single quarter as it would require completing 20 units. This is well beyond the recommended course load for students. 

While the examples above are meant to help you to better understand minimum progress deficits, we strongly recommend that you check in with an advisor in the Undergraduate Education and Advising Office if you have questions or concerns about resolving your deficit.

Additionally, it is important to remember that while Minimum Progress standing is calculated separately from your Academic (GPA) standing, both are often connected as failing courses can impact both your GPA and degree progress negatively.