What Does IP Grading Mean?

An "In Progress" grade is assigned when the course, thesis, clinical training or field experience is expected to continue into the following term. For example, if you’re interning, conducting research or working on a big senior project, you’ll likely receive an IP grade each term until your work is completed. Once the professor reviews your performance and evaluates your final results, the IP will be changed to the grade you earned. An IP has no effect on a GPA until the final grade is entered. Consult your school’s bulletin or registrar’s office to determine how much time students are permitted to finish an IP project or class. For example, the University of Miami undergraduate bulletin says students must complete an IP by the end of the following semester; failure to do so within one year of leaving school results in the IP converting to an IF on the transcript.

Students commonly confuse an In Progress with an Incomplete at schools that use both. IP is specifically intended for courses with learning outcomes not met in one term. By contrast, an Incomplete grade is generally an option extended to students who are passing a course but encounter unforeseen difficulties, such as needing an emergency appendectomy right before a final examination. In such a situation, the student would take the exam after being released from the hospital instead of waiting until the next term to finish the course and receive a grade.