Grades and progression in Gonzaga graduate nursing
Gonzaga's graduate catalog expects a B or better, yet the practicum prerequisites in its course listings are coded at a minimum C. Falling below a 3.00 program GPA means one semester on probation and a risk of dismissal, DNP practicums require a B, and an Incomplete turns into an F after a year. Your progression plan, inside a five-year limit, ties the pieces together.
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Tell us your Gonzaga program and where you live. A placement advisor replies with the preceptor and site options that fit your Gonzaga course.
B expected, C coded
The graduate catalog states the expectation outright: "Achievement of a grade of B or better is expected in graduate studies." The course listings, though, set the floor for practicum prerequisites at C. Take NURS 663P: its entry asks for NURS 651P, NURS 661P, NURS 600 and NURS 601, with a C as the lowest acceptable grade in each.
Both statements are Gonzaga's, and they set different bars. The catalog also points graduate students to the Graduate Nursing Student Handbook. Gonzaga keeps that handbook off its public site, and it may carry a stricter nursing rule. Treat a B as the target in every course, and ask your faculty advisor what a C would mean for your plan before you are ever in that position.
Paired courses: one grade moves two
Gonzaga's NP specialty courses run as corequisite pairs: each theory course is taken in the same semester as its practicum, so the two grades travel together.
| Track | Theory course | Practicum in the same term |
|---|---|---|
| FNP | NURS 651P | NURS 661P |
| FNP | NURS 652P | NURS 662P |
| FNP | NURS 653P | NURS 663P |
| FNP | NURS 654P | NURS 664P |
| PMHNP | NURS 652M | NURS 661M |
| PMHNP | NURS 653M | NURS 662M |
| PMHNP | NURS 654M | NURS 663M |
Because each later pair lists earlier courses as prerequisites, trouble in one semester reaches forward. A grade under the coded minimum in a theory course can hold up the next practicum, and with it the preceptor you had lined up. If a grade is at risk, tell your preceptor early so a start date can move rather than vanish.
The 3.00 GPA and probation
Graduate students must hold a program GPA of at least 3.00. Below that line, the catalog places the student "on probation for one semester" and notes that the student may lose veteran benefits and may be dropped from the program. Early in a 47-credit program, when few credits are on the transcript, a single C moves the average further than it would later.
Credits graded F, AU, W, V, I or RD do not count toward the degree. Full-time graduate status begins at six credits a semester, worth knowing if you slow your plan and anything you rely on depends on enrollment status.
Clinical performance and repeated work
Some requirements are passed in the clinic rather than on paper. For NURS 600, Gonzaga's FNP page says "Satisfactory progress in the clinical setting is required to pass the course." At immersions, a student who must repeat an OSCE is remediated and regraded by course faculty.
Hours earned outside Gonzaga's rules carry the heaviest consequence. The faculty packet says time logged with a preceptor who was never approved, before CPNW compliance, or at a site lacking a live affiliation agreement can lead to dismissal or to the hours not counting, which may mean taking the course again and a delay in the progression plan. Under the graduate repeat policy the last grade counts, though departments may set tighter rules on repeating or withdrawing. The accrual rules page covers those gates.
Incompletes and other grade codes
| Code | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| I (Incomplete) | Assigned for a legitimate reason; may remain for one year, and becomes an F if no grade arrives within a calendar year |
| W | Withdrawal, with no grade penalty |
| V | Unofficial withdrawal; counts as an F |
| NS | Not satisfactory under S/NS grading; counts as an F |
| P/F | B or higher becomes a P; B- or below becomes an F |
If you and course faculty settle on an Incomplete, keep the one-year clock in view and set the finishing hours with your preceptor straight away. The instructor can enter a provisional grade in ZagWeb in the meantime. When a larger hour gap remains, the extension courses are the other route.
DNP practicums need a B
The Post-Master's DNP applies the B standard directly to progression. Entry to NURS 701 depends on B grades in both NURS 708 and NURS 760; entry to NURS 702 depends on B grades in NURS 701 and its companion seminar, NURS 761. Since each practicum runs beside a project seminar, a weak seminar grade can stop the next practicum even while the practice hours are going well. For Post-Master's DNP students, the five-year limit runs from acceptance; current Post-Baccalaureate DNP students count five years from their first 700-level course.
Progression plans and the five-year limit
Every graduate nursing student works from a personalized progression plan, and the plan holds your place in each course it lists. Changes that take you off plan must be cleared first with staff and your faculty advisor. The MSN has no cohort model, so slowing down is allowed, provided you finish within five years of acceptance or first graduate enrollment.
Gonzaga publishes no graduate leave-of-absence policy; for online MSN students, slowing the plan inside the five-year window is the practical path. The first clinical course page shows where precepted work begins on the standard plan.
Keeping your plan on track
Much of the progression trouble in the clinical years starts with a placement: a preceptor found late, a site request approved after the term opens, or a preceptor who leaves in week six. We find preceptors early, in your own state and matched to the course on your plan, and prepare the request so faculty can approve it well before the semester.
When your plan changes, we change with it. If a course moves a term, your placement advisor re-times the search, and if a preceptor leaves partway through, the replacement search starts the same day to keep the practicum moving. Read delayed graduation if a date has already slipped, or tell us about your plan with the form below.
Questions Gonzaga students ask
What grade do I need in a Gonzaga NP practicum?
The catalog sets B or better as the expectation for graduate work, while the individual course listings accept a C in practicum prerequisites. The Graduate Nursing Student Handbook and your syllabus set the rule your course applies, so check both and aim for a B in every course.
What happens if my Gonzaga graduate GPA drops below 3.00?
The graduate catalog places you on probation for one semester, and you may be dropped from the program. Probation can also affect veteran benefits. Meet your faculty advisor promptly to map which courses and grades would bring the GPA back above the line.
How long can an Incomplete stay on a Gonzaga transcript?
Up to one year. A provisional grade can be entered in ZagWeb, and if no final grade is recorded within a calendar year, the Incomplete becomes an F. Agree a finishing plan with course faculty and your preceptor as soon as the Incomplete is assigned.
Can I slow down my Gonzaga MSN?
Yes. With no cohort model, Gonzaga allows a slower progression plan provided the degree is finished inside five years. Any change that takes you off plan needs clearance from staff and your faculty advisor first, because the plan is what holds your seat in each course.
Do Gonzaga DNP students need a B to move forward?
Yes, through the practicum sequence. B grades in NURS 708 and NURS 760 open the way to NURS 701, and B grades in NURS 701 and NURS 761 open NURS 702. The general graduate rules, including the 3.00 GPA floor, apply as well.
Related pages
Last checked 2026-09-25
We check these pages against Gonzaga's catalog, FAQs, preceptor packets and Department of Nursing pages. Your course, the Graduate Nursing Student Handbook and Gonzaga's Clinical Placement Team have the final word.
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