Grades, GPA and progression rules for WilmU nursing students
Wilmington University's graduate nursing programs turn on a 3.0 cumulative GPA: you need it to graduate, and the MSN-FNP and MSN Leadership expect you to hold it the whole way through. DNP courses add a stricter bar, a B or better in each one with a single retake. Drop below 3.0 and the Academic Review Committee takes a look after each block.
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The 3.0 line and where it applies
Every graduate program at WilmU requires a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 to graduate. Two nursing programs set the bar higher in practice: the MSN-FNP and the MSN in Nursing Leadership both require you to keep a 3.0 while you are enrolled, not only to reach it by the end.
Grades also sit at the door of the NP certificates. The PMHNP Graduate Certificate asks for GRN 7101, GRN 7102, GRN 7103 and GRN 7104 completed with a B or higher before you enroll, and both post-master's certificates look for a B or higher in their roles, pathophysiology, pharmacology and health assessment prerequisites. Admission to the MSN-FNP and the FNP Graduate Certificate starts from a 3.0 on earlier degrees.
For the practicums themselves, the graduate catalog prints no separate minimum grade for NP clinical courses; the 3.0 rule is the one in writing. If a single practicum grade worries you, raise it with the NP Program Chair, one of the questions for your program chair worth asking early.
Grade marks on a WilmU graduate transcript
WilmU's graduate grading table includes a few marks that matter more to clinical students than to anyone else.
| Mark | What WilmU's graduate rules say |
|---|---|
| C- | Lowest passing grade in general graduate grading |
| F | Below 74 |
| FA | Failure due to absence; also the result of missing a withdrawal deadline |
| IP | Course in progress, a grade specific to practicums, internships and senior seminars |
| I | Incomplete, given only with the instructor's prior approval |
| W | Withdrawal before the deadline, with no GPA effect |
A C- counts as passing in general, yet it helps neither a DNP student, whose courses need a B, nor an MSN-FNP student holding a 3.0 overall. IP exists for practicum-type courses, so ask your course faculty when it applies to yours. I grades, withdrawals and the FA mark each get fuller treatment in incompletes, withdrawal and time limits.
The DNP's B rule and repeat limits
DNP courses carry a stricter standard than the university's general rules. In a DNP course, anything under a B falls short. You get one retake of a course that lands below B, and the program caps repeats at two courses in total. The B rule reaches the practice courses as well, since GRN 8121 to GRN 8124 and GRN 9001 to GRN 9003 are DNP courses.
| Rule | University-wide (graduate) | DNP courses |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum passing grade | C- | B |
| Attempts at one course | Up to 3 repeats, 4 attempts in all | One retake |
| Courses you may repeat | No cap stated | Two at most |
| Grade used in the GPA | Highest grade counts | Not stated separately |
Under the university-wide rule, the Program Chair contacts you before a third attempt. The two rules differ, and WilmU's pages do not say how they fit together, so ask the DNP Program Chair which limit governs your case before you plan a retake.
Probation, continued probation and suspension
A cumulative GPA below 3.0 puts a WilmU graduate student on academic probation. The Academic Review Committee meets after each block, which works out to every 8 weeks, and the outcome steps up each time your record comes back to it.
- First occurrence: probationWhile on probation you may take no more than 9 credits a semester.
- Second occurrence: continued probationYou need Program Chair approval before you enroll again.
- Third or later: continued probation or suspensionA suspension takes effect with the next block.
- After suspension: wait, then appealYou sit out one full semester, then may write to the college dean asking for reinstatement on probation.
The credit cap and the approval step both touch a clinical plan. If probation moves a practicum by a term, tell your preceptor right away: a clinician who said yes to spring may not be open in summer. Block dates are on our academic calendar page, and we can rebuild a search around the new term so the next start stays on schedule.
Appealing a grade at WilmU
WilmU hears grade appeals on two grounds only: a computation error, or a grade that departs from the instructor's written standards. You have 60 days from the date the grade posts in the MyWilmU Portal to begin.
- Start with the instructorRaise the issue inside the 60-day window.
- Write to the Program ChairIf the instructor conversation leaves it unresolved, the appeal moves to the chair in writing.
- Academic Dean, then the Office of Academic AffairsThat office decides whether the Academic Review Committee holds a hearing and tells you within 10 business days if no hearing will be held. The final decision is binding.
For a practicum, keep in mind who grades. Under the Delaware Board of Nursing's rules for APRN programs, preceptors supervise, teach and evaluate, yet faculty keep responsibility for evaluation. A dispute over a practicum grade belongs with your course faculty and chair, not with the clinic.
Protecting a practicum grade from the start
Much practicum trouble begins before the first clinical day: a preceptor whose focus does not match the course, a site that cancels a few weeks in, or hours that pile up near the end. Each can pull a grade down or stretch a course past its term.
Our searches are built to head those off. For a WilmU FNP practicum we look for clinicians who see patients across the lifespan; for a PMHNP practicum, psychiatric mental health clinicians; for the DNP, doctorally prepared preceptors. Each candidate holds a license that fits the Delaware Board's comparable-focus rule, and the file reaches your faculty complete. If a preceptor steps away mid-course, we line up a replacement fast so your hours keep moving; see preceptor dropped out and behind on clinical hours.
Questions WilmU students ask
What GPA do I need to stay in WilmU's MSN-FNP?
A 3.0. The graduate catalog requires a cumulative 3.0 to graduate from any WilmU graduate program, and the MSN-FNP entry adds that students keep a 3.0 throughout. Falling below it brings academic probation, reviewed by the Academic Review Committee after each block. The MSN in Nursing Leadership carries the same keep-a-3.0 rule.
What happens if I get a C in a WilmU DNP course?
DNP courses need a B or better, so a C does not satisfy the course. The DNP rules let you retake a course graded below B once, and you may repeat no more than two courses across the program. Talk with the DNP Program Chair about timing, particularly for a project course that requires continuous enrollment.
Is there a minimum grade for WilmU NP practicum courses?
The catalog entries for GRN 7121 to GRN 7124 and the PMHNP practicums give hours and prerequisites but no minimum grade; the 3.0 cumulative GPA is the published rule. Your syllabus and the program handbook may add detail, so ask the Assistant Chair for your track if you need a firm answer.
How long does a WilmU academic suspension last?
A suspension starts when the next block does. Once a full semester has passed, you may appeal in writing to the college dean for reinstatement on probation. Suspension is one possible outcome of a third or later occurrence; the Academic Review Committee may instead continue your probation.
Can I take a full course load while on probation at WilmU?
No. While on academic probation, a graduate student is limited to 9 credits per semester, and continued probation needs Program Chair approval before you enroll. Full time for MSN and DNP students means 18 credits in a year, so probation can shift when a practicum falls. Plan the sequence with your chair.
Related pages
Last checked 2026-09-27
We check these pages against Wilmington University's own program and curriculum pages, the 2026-27 graduate catalog, the College of Nursing and Health Sciences policies and the State Licensures by Program page. Your NP Program Chair, your course faculty and the College have the final word.
A WilmU practicum coming up? Your preceptor search starts here.
Tell us your WilmU program, where you live and when your next practicum starts. Whether WilmU's faculty help with your placement or you are starting the search yourself, we find preceptors who fit the course, check the health system's own intake steps, and organize the preceptor's license and credentials well before the first day.
- Preceptors matched to the course: family practice across the lifespan for
GRN 7121toGRN 7124, psychiatric mental health forGRN 7221toGRN 7224, doctorally prepared for the DNP - Clinicians who meet Delaware's rule for APRN program preceptors: an active APRN, PA, pharmacist or physician license in a comparable focus
- Close to home, in a state where you hold an RN license, with each system's onboarding mapped out early
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