Stanford
Academic Advising

Academic Progress

The following information offers clarification of certain university academic policies related to Academic Progress. Detailed information about Academic Progress can be found at Stanford Bulletin: Academic Progress.

Minimum Academic Progress Requirements

To remain in good academic standing, students must satisfy the following minimum requirements:

  • Earn at least 9 units of credit in a single quarter
  • Earn at least 36 units over the most recent three enrolled quarters
  • Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above

Academic Probation

Students who do not satisfy the minimum requirements above may be placed on Academic Probation. Students are removed from Academic Probation by doing the following for three consecutive quarters:

  • Earning a minimum of 12 units of new course work, and
  • Maintaining a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above.
  • For further information, see Stanford Bulletin: Probation

Provisional Registration

Students who do not earn 12 units of new course work per quarter or maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above while on Academic Probation may be placed on Provisional Registration. Students are removed from Provisional Registration by doing the following for three consecutive quarters:

NOTE: A student may be placed directly on Provisional Registration or suspended (see below) without first being placed on Probation if the student has had a prior Probation status.

Academic Suspension

Students who do not earn 12 units of new course work per quarter or maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above while on Provisional Registration may be placed on Academic Suspension.  In some cases, students may be suspended directly from Academic Probation.

  • Typically the first suspension is for one year; subsequent suspensions may be for up to three years.
  • For further information, see Stanford Bulletin: Suspension

Additional Considerations

All students—but especially international students, financial aid recipients, varsity athletes, and those with an Academic Progress status—should take care to ensure their Study List has an appropriate number of units for meeting any necessary federal, organizational, or University requirements.

Please note that students with a documented disability who have received an approved Reduced Course Load accommodation from the Office of Accessible Education (OAE) should contact that office for more information on requirements for academic progress.

Any student who wishes to discuss an issue or a decision relating to academic progress should contact their Academic Advisor to discuss their situation. 

For more information