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Graduate admissions: How to declare your Grade Average
In the Academic background section, you are required to enter your grade average for each university degree (Bachelor and Master's if applicable) in the dedicated box.
If your degree is still in progress, please enter the average of the grades that are on your transcript at the time of validation of your application file.
No conversion is required (except for letter grading systems, see below). You must write your average using the grading scale of your university (rounded to two decimal places). If you have not received any grades, please read Case 4 below. In the maximum average box, please enter the highest possible grade of the scale (for applicants studying in a country where the grading scale is decreasing, see the calculation guidelines for case 3).
Case 1- Your grade average is written on your transcript
If your grade average is provided on your official transcripts by your university, please:
- Enter this average as is (no calculation is required) in the dedicated boxes, whether or not your university has used coefficients;
- Attach the corresponding transcripts where asked to attach « Undergraduate grade average proof ».
- If two different averages (expressed in different scales) are written on your official transcripts, you may choose which one to enter.
- For applicants studying in Italy and who have two averages calculated on a scale of 30 on their transcripts (artimetica and Ponderata), you may enter the greater one.
Case 2 - You can provide a certificate
If your average is not provided on your official transcripts, please:
- Ask your university to provide an official document showing your average;
- Enter this average as is (no calculation will be required) in the dedicated boxes, whether or not your university has used coefficients;
- Attach this document where asked to attach « Undergraduate grade average proof».
Sciences Po Undergraduate College students: In the "Academic background" section of your application to a dual degree, you will be asked to provide proof of your grade average at the Undergraduate College. Please request it through premiercycle.troisiemeannee@sciencespo.fr. The answer you will receive can be used as a certificate of your average. It is the average out of 20 that will be taken into account (not the GPA out of 4).
Case 3 - You have no official document certifying your average
If your university does not provide such document, please:
- Calculate your average yourself by including all the grades shown on your transcript to this date. Make sure you do not round the average AND you do not weigh the grades (do not use coefficients, and disregard ECTS credits);
- Enter this average as is in the dedicated boxes, whether or not your university has used coefficients;
- Where asked « Undergraduate grade average proof», attach a document certifying that all the information declared is true to the best of your knowledge (see the template in the appendix section). Please also write down the details of your calculation.
Please note: Sciences Po reserves the right to recalculate averages. Your application could be declared invalid in the event of a false declaration.
Calculation guidelines for case 3
- If you have studied in several institutions, you are required to indicate your academic results separately for each institution. For example: average grade Prépa Years 1 et 2 = 11/20 ; average grade University Year 3 = 14/20.
- For exchange programmes, please enter the average obtained at your host university and attach the corresponding transcript. When calculating your grade average, include exchange grades only if your home university has already converted them and entered them on your main transcript.
- If you enrolled in a new institution for the current academic year and you haven't received any grades yet, please enter “00” in both dedicated boxes.
- If your university grades are expressed in letters (example: A, B, C, D), you are required to convert your grades into numbers. If your university provides a conversion table for your grade A, B, C or D, please use it, if not, please use the table below. If you only have Pass and Fail on your transcript, please enter “00” in both dedicated boxes.
Conversion table (for Norwegian or Swedish systems, please check the specific conversion table)
| Grades expressed in Letters | A+ | A | A- | B+ | B | B- | C+ | C | C- | D+ | D | E/F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grades expressed in Numbers | 4,3 | 4,0 | 3,7 | 3,3 | 3,0 | 2,7 | 2,3 | 2,0 | 1,7 | 1,3 | 1,0 | 0 |
*Please disregard the + and - in this table if your grading system does not have any.
- For applicants studying in a country where the grading scale is decreasing like in Austria, Germany, the Philippines or Slovakia, please indicate the lowest grade instead of the highest grade in the "maximum average" box. For instance, for applicants from Germany or Austria, enter 5 in the "maximum average" box.
- For applicants currently studying in a UK or Irish university, please include all your marks (including those of your first year) in your calculation. For applicants who have already graduated from a UK or Irish university and have been awarded First Class Honours: In the box where you are required to enter your grade average, please enter the threshold at which First Class begins at your university (e.g. 70/100) and attach to your application an official document stating this threshold.
- For applicants studying in Italy, please account the "Thirty cum laude" as 30, and not 31, on your calculation.
- For applicants studying in a Swedish or Norwegian system, please follow the instructions below :
- If you have a graded scale from A to E for pass, please use the following conversion table. If you also have on this same transcripts some VG/G, do not take them into account in your calculation
- If you ONLY have VG/G on your transcript, please enter “00” in both dedicated boxes.
Conversion Table (for Norwegian and Swedish systems): grades expressed in letters (A to E)
| Grades expressed in Letters | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conversion into numbers | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Certificate template
CASE 4 - You are unable to provide academic transcripts
Your undergraduate results are essential in determining your academic level.
You have several options:
- Wait until you have received your grades for the current semester before applying, while keeping in mind that in any case your application must be submitted before the deadline of the selected programme (remember to check the calendar).
- Provide official qualitative assessments in addition to those required for the selected programme. You will need to provide additional certificates from your teachers. They should provide sufficient detail to allow us to assess your academic level.
In any case, please attach an official document from your university explaining the reasons for the lack of grades, so that our assessors can understand your situation.
