Grading System

Grading system used by Dokkyo University

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* An X grade is issued if the instructor considers there to be no basis for assigning a grade (e.g., a student failed to take a test or to submit any reports or homework).

Grade Point Average Scale

Dokkyo University assigns a Grade Point Average (GPA) to each of its students by calculating the average of their final grades for each of their classes according to a specific set of rules as an indicator of overall academic performance. Under the Dokkyo grade point system, students are awarded one of six possible letter grades (A, B, C, D, F, or X) for each unit. Each letter grade is then converted into a grade point (GP) of between four and zero points.

Cumulative GPA

The cumulative GPA is calculated by using a student's grade points from all semesters, from their enrollment through to their last semester. The cumulative GPA is printed on official transcripts.
It is calculated using the following formula.

(No. of A+ credits×4) + (No. of A credits×3) + (No. of B credits×2) + (No. of C credits×1) + (No. of F/X credits×0)

Total registered credits (excluding courses awarded Pass and some teaching training courses)

Semester GPA

The semester GPA is calculated by using the grades that a student acquired only in the present semester. The semester GPA is not included on official transcripts. It is only displayed on our online portal.
It is calculated using the following formula.

(No. of A+ credits×4) + (No. of A credits×3) + (No. of B credits×2) + (No. of C credits×1) + (No. of F/X credits×0)

Registered credits for given semester (excluding courses awarded Pass and some teaching training courses)

Please note that in some cases, the GPA is calculated using a special formula set by an institution such as JASSO.

Transcripts

Dokkyo University issues transcripts at the end of each semester, but you can check your grades on our online portal throughout the academic year. Your official transcripts will be sent to your home university to transfer your credits at the end of your exchange period.

Credit Transfers

You may be concerned about how many course credits you will be able to transfer to your home university. The credit systems used by universities vary greatly from one country to the next.

According to the credit system defined by the Japanese government, one credit represents a total of 45 hours of learning, with 15 hours spent in the classroom and 30 hours spent outside the classroom on preparation and review. At Dokkyo, although students taking regular lecture courses are awarded two credits per semester, students taking language courses are usually awarded one credit per semester for 30 hours spent in the classroom and 15 hours spent studying outside the classroom.

The UCTS^*1 defined by UMAP^*2 may help you understand how credits can be converted. A voluntary association of government and non-government representatives of the higher education sector in the Asia-Pacific region, UMAP recommends that credits be transferred among institutions in Asia and the Pacific on a one-to-one basis. This system recommends that credits be transferred to European universities on the basis that 1 UCTS credit = 1.5 or 1.6 ECTS^*3 credits.

The following table illustrates the recommended method of converting one UCTS credit for various national and regional credit systems.

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*1 UCTS: UMAP Credit Transfer Scheme
*2 UMAP: University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific
*3 ECTS: European Credit Transfer System
*4 CATS: Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme