Grades, Written Notices and dismissal in Rivier University's graduate nursing programs
Rivier University's graduate nursing programs require at least a B in every course and a 3.0 GPA. One BC or C puts you on probation with a repeat; a second grade below B, any F, or a practicum grade below 84% ends your place in the program or track. The university catalog and the Nursing Student Handbook word these rules differently, and the catalog tells nursing students to follow the Nursing section.
Keep your practicum on track
Tell us your course and what is at risk.
The B line and the 84% mark
In the MSN tracks and post-master's certificates, no course grade may fall below B, and your cumulative GPA must stay at 3.0 or higher for the whole program. The Handbook writes the bar as 84% (B) and uses a BC grade just under it.
The university's own grade scale in the 2025-26 catalog lists B as 83 to 86 and has no BC grade at all. The two scales disagree by a point at the bottom of the B range, so an average of 83 could read as a B on one scale and fall short of 84% on the other. Check your syllabus for the scale your course uses, and ask course faculty directly if an average sits near the line.
Written Notices: Rivier's early warning
A Written Notice is a warning, not a grade. It exists to give you time to recover before the final average is set, and the Handbook lays out a clear sequence.
- Your average slips below BWhen your average in a nursing course falls below B during the semester, the instructor sends you a Written Notice that includes an improvement plan.
- It arrives by Rivier emailThe notice goes to your Rivier email account, which the Handbook expects you to check regularly.
- You work the planThe improvement plan sets out what has to change. Keep your instructor updated as your scores move.
- Three notices mean a meetingAfter three Written Notices in one academic year, you must meet the Program Director within 14 days.
One BC or C: probation and a repeat
A single BC or C puts you on academic probation for one semester. A theory course graded BC or C must be repeated to 84% (B) or better, and if the grade has pulled your GPA under 3.0, it must be back to 3.0 by the end of the probation semester. A second grade below B, at any point, means dismissal whatever your GPA.
FNP theory courses have their own repeat route. Below B in NURS 510 or NURS 512 means repeating the course before you progress, by one of two paths:
- Repeat it while keeping up 80 clinical hours to stay proficient; those hours do not count toward later clinical hours.
- Repeat it without clinical hours, then pass a competency retest, a skills check-off, just before re-entry.
If you choose the first path, those 80 hours need a clinical site, so a repeat semester is also a placement question.
Practicum grades, check-offs and attendance
Practicums carry the hardest rule. A final grade below 84% (B) in a practicum course means dismissal from that graduate track, and you are referred to the Readmission Policy, covered on our leave, withdrawal and readmission page. Any single F, in any course, means dismissal from the program.
FNP students also face simulation check-offs in each of the three FNP practicums, and failing a third attempt in NURS 511 or NURS 513 ends the FNP track; the simulation check-offs guide covers them.
All required clinical hours must be finished before a final practicum grade can be given. Drifting out of a course also has a grade attached: NF before the withdrawal deadline, F after it. When you cannot attend a shift, tell your preceptor at once and faculty as soon as you can.
Where the catalog and the Handbook disagree
Rivier's 2025-26 catalog sets university-wide rules, and the 2026-2027 Nursing Student Handbook sets stricter ones for nursing. The catalog tells nursing students to follow the Nursing section, but the gaps are worth seeing side by side.
| Topic | 2025-26 catalog | 2026-2027 Handbook |
|---|---|---|
| B range | B is 83 to 86; no BC grade | 84% (B); a BC grade exists |
| Grades of C | Courses graded C or better cannot be repeated for credit | A BC or C in a theory course must be repeated to 84% |
| Dismissal | Two failing grades may lead to dismissal | One F, or a second grade below B, means dismissal |
| Failed courses | A failed course may be repeated once; practicums normally cannot be repeated after a failing grade | A practicum grade below 84% means dismissal from the track, with a referral to readmission |
| Probation | Cumulative GPA below 3.0, with one semester to recover | Any BC or C; one semester, with the GPA back to 3.0 by its end |
| DNP second grade below B | Dismissal (catalog DNP section) | Not stated in the DNP section |
Where the two differ, ask your Program Director which rule applies to your situation and keep the answer in writing.
DNP progression
DNP students meet the same B floor and 3.0 GPA. One BC or C brings a semester of probation and a repeat of the didactic course to 84% or better. A single F, or a practicum graded under 84%, ends the DNP program for you.
Two DNP rules differ from the MSN. The withdrawal limit is tighter: two withdrawals from one course can end a DNP, against three for the MSN. And the Handbook's DNP section does not say a second grade below B ends the program, while the catalog's DNP section says it does. Treat the stricter reading as the working rule until the Director of Doctoral Nursing Education tells you otherwise. The DNP practicums page explains the courses these rules apply to.
Incompletes and grade appeals
An Incomplete must be requested before the final exam, for a major reason beyond your control. Extensions may not run past three months and need the dean's approval, and an Incomplete left unresolved becomes an F. One version of the catalog's policy gives the end of the fourth week of the next term as the deadline, while the academic calendar prints exact dates.
The Handbook's grade grievance has three steps: a written request to the instructor, then an appeal to the MS Nursing Faculty Committee within 10 calendar days, with your consent for the committee to review your coursework, and finally the Division Dean. The catalog's grade review runs from the instructor, in writing within 15 calendar days of the grade posting, to the program director and then the dean, whose decision is binding. Ask the Program Director which route and clock apply before the first deadline passes.
Why the right preceptor protects your standing
Every required clinical hour must be in before a practicum grade is given, and faculty review preceptor feedback, so a placement that falls apart mid-semester puts more than your schedule at risk. The best protection is a preceptor whose setting fits the course and whose calendar can carry the full semester, with a backup identified before you need one.
That is how we place Rivier students. We match each preceptor against your track's Handbook rules, check weekly availability across the whole semester before we put a name forward, and stay on call until your hours are done. If a preceptor leaves, we start the replacement search immediately to protect your hours; see preceptor dropped out. Start with the form below.
Questions Rivier students ask
Can I repeat a failed practicum at Rivier?
Not as a simple repeat. The Handbook dismisses a student from the graduate track after a practicum grade below 84% and refers them to the Readmission Policy, and the catalog says practicums normally cannot be repeated after a failing grade. A written application to the Graduate Nursing Admissions Committee is the route back.
What GPA do I need to stay in Rivier's MSN?
A cumulative 3.0 for the whole program. If a BC or C drops you below it, you have the one probation semester to get back to 3.0. The catalog's general graduate rule is similar: below 3.0 means probation, with one semester to recover.
Is a BC a passing grade in Rivier's graduate nursing programs?
It sits below the program's B minimum. A BC or C in a graduate nursing course means a semester on probation and, for a theory course, a repeat to 84%. A second grade below B at any time means dismissal, so treat a BC as a serious warning.
Do FNP proficiency hours during a repeat count toward my practicum hours?
No. If you repeat NURS 510 or NURS 512 while continuing 80 clinical hours for proficiency, the Handbook excludes those hours from any later clinical total. They keep your skills current; the hours in NURS 511, NURS 513 and NURS 515 are still earned in full.
Does a Written Notice mean I am failing the course?
No. A Written Notice means your running average in a nursing course has slipped under B, and it comes with an improvement plan meant to get you back above the line before the final grade. Probation follows a final BC or C, not a notice, but three notices in one academic year do trigger a meeting with the Program Director.
Related pages
Last checked 2026-09-26
We check these pages against Rivier's own Nursing Student Handbook, program sheets, catalog, academic calendar and State Guide. Your program of study, your course faculty, your Program Director and the Clinical Practicum Coordinator have the final word.
Rivier asks you to identify a qualified preceptor. We make that the easy part.
Tell us your Rivier track, where you live and which semester your next practicum starts. We find preceptors who meet your track's rules, check early whether the site can contract with Rivier, and prepare everything the Preceptor Request Form asks for, well ahead of August 1 and December 1.
- Preceptors matched to the track: an MD, DO or FNP in outpatient family practice for
NURS 511, a psychiatrist or PMH-certified NP forNURS 521, a hospitalist or intensivist forNURS 638P - Preceptor license, credentials and CV ready for the Preceptor Request Form, with the site's contact details for the contract
- In your own area, in New Hampshire or any state Rivier's State Guide accepts
Start your placement plan
Track, city and semester is all we need to begin.