Grades, Incompletes and time limits for Lewis nursing students
Lewis has no In Progress grade, so a practicum that runs past the semester can only end in an Incomplete, and that Incomplete must be finished by March 1 for fall, July 1 for spring or October 15 for summer or it turns into an IF with zero credit. Around it sit a 3.0 cumulative GPA standard, a C floor for graduation credit and a 5-year limit for the MSN and DNP.
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Lewis's graduate grades, and the one that is missing
The 2026-27 graduate catalog grades courses from A to F with plus and minus grades, and adds I ("Incomplete"), IF ("Incomplete to Failing"), P, W, TR, AU and N. There is no IP, or In Progress, grade anywhere in the list.
That gap matters most in clinical courses, where hours depend on a preceptor's schedule as much as on you. At Lewis, a practicum such as NURS 61800 or NURS 63500 that is not finished by the last day of the semester has one route: an Incomplete, with a fixed deadline. The catalog also warns that a program can set policies stricter than the university's, and the graduate nursing handbook that would hold them is not public, so ask your track coordinator whether nursing adds anything for clinical courses.
Unfinished practicum hours do not roll quietly into the next term. Without an In Progress grade, a short practicum becomes an Incomplete with a hard date, and a missed date becomes an IF with zero credit.
How an Incomplete works
- Check that you qualifyYou must be passing the course when you ask, or able to pass it once the remaining work is done, and have finished most of the requirements. The catalog ties an Incomplete to documented compelling circumstances.
- Ask within the windowThe request comes after the course's withdrawal date and on or before its end date, using Lewis's Incomplete Grade Form with your instructor.
- Finish by the term deadlineMarch 1 for fall courses, July 1 for spring and October 15 for summer.
- Renew once if you mustOne extension is allowed. Without finishing or an official renewal, the grade changes automatically from I to IF with zero credit.
- Watch the graduation termAn Incomplete in the term you plan to graduate may require you to defer your graduation date.
Incomplete deadlines against the 2026-27 calendar
Set against Lewis's calendar, every Incomplete deadline falls inside the next term, when your next course or practicum is already running. The table puts the dates side by side; the years are applied by us from Lewis's March 1, July 1 and October 15 rule.
| Term | Last day of the term | Incomplete due | What is running by then |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2026 | Dec 12, 2026 | Mar 1, 2027 | Spring 2027, from Jan 19 |
| Spring 2027 | May 15, 2027 | Jul 1, 2027 | Summer 2027, from May 17 |
| Summer 2027 | Aug 21, 2027 | Oct 15, 2027 | The fall 2027 semester |
Picture a fall NURS 61100 student who ends December with 40 hours still owed. Those hours have to be finished by March 1, at a site and with a preceptor Lewis has approved, while the spring practicum with a new preceptor is also under way. That is two preceptors, two schedules and a hard date at once, which is why a preceptor who can stay available into the new year is worth confirming before fall even starts. The behind on hours page covers how to catch up.
GPA standing and the C floor
Good standing in a Lewis graduate program means a cumulative graduate GPA of at least 3.0. The catalog also says no grade below a C (2.0) counts toward graduation requirements, and the university's academic guidelines allow no more than two grades of C or lower in total. Probation decisions come from the Associate Provost for Graduate Studies.
Students admitted provisionally, with a GPA between 2.75 and 2.99, carry an extra condition: A or B grades in the first four courses. For MSN students those first courses are normally core courses such as NURS 51700 and NURS 55900, which the catalog places at the start, well before any practicum.
Program handbooks can set a stricter bar than the university, and Lewis's graduate nursing handbook is not public. For clinical course grading, your course syllabus and track coordinator have the final word.
The 5-year limit
Nursing's clock is shorter than the university's. Lewis's general rule allows 7 years from the start of coursework, but students admitted to the Nurse Practitioner, Nursing Education, Healthcare Systems Leadership and School Nurse programs must finish within 5 consecutive years from their first graduate course after admission. The DNP has the same 5 years; the MSN/MBA has 7.
A leave of absence does not stop that clock. Leave is granted one semester at a time, up to two academic years in total, through a Leave of Absence form sent to the Program Director, and the catalog says leave "does not alter the expected time limit".
For an NP student the practicums are where time slips. An FNP student needs a preceptor for four practicums, NURS 61100, NURS 61800, NURS 64100 and NURS 64300, and a term lost to a missing preceptor comes straight out of the five years (start planning at acceptance).
Withdrawals and grade appeals
A W is available through 75 percent of a course: twelve full weeks of a 16-week course and six full weeks of an 8-week course. Ceasing to attend is not a withdrawal and earns an F, and graduate students talk to their advisor or program director first. Missing the first two weeks of a 16-week course without the instructor's approval also leads to withdrawal. The academic calendar lists each term's dates.
To appeal a grade, contact the instructor before the third week of the next fall or spring semester; Lewis says the process should take no longer than four weeks. Academic honesty cases also start at the instructor level.
If you withdraw from a practicum, tell the Clinical Placement Office as well as your advisor. Your approved contract names a semester, a site and a preceptor, and a cancelled contract goes inactive in the portal, so a later attempt at the course starts with a fresh look at the site and dates.
Keeping your practicums out of Incomplete territory
Most practicum Incompletes start before the semester does: a preceptor confirmed late, a contract still in review in week one, or a preceptor who leaves in week ten. By our arithmetic, 180 clock hours over a 16-week semester is about 11 hours a week, and every week lost at the start raises that load.
Lewis students choose us because we remove those risks early. We confirm a preceptor who fits the exact course and can give the weekly hours, prepare every detail your contract request needs, keep agency onboarding moving, and line up a replacement quickly if a preceptor steps away. The goal is simple: every hour finished inside its semester, with no Incomplete deadline hanging over the next one. Tell us your next practicum on the placement request form.
Questions Lewis students ask
Can I extend an Incomplete at Lewis?
Yes, once. The catalog allows one extension of an Incomplete, and it has to be an official renewal: without it, the grade changes from I to IF on the deadline, with zero credit. Talk to your instructor well before March 1, July 1 or October 15, and for a practicum, confirm your preceptor can host you for the extra time.
Does a leave of absence pause the 5-year limit for Lewis's MSN?
No. The catalog says a leave of absence does not alter the expected time limit, so the five consecutive years keep running while you are away. A leave also comes one semester at a time, up to two academic years, which could use up a large share of the limit. Plan any leave with your Program Director and your practicum sequence in mind.
How many C grades can I get in a Lewis graduate program?
Lewis's graduate guidelines allow no more than two grades of C or lower, and no grade below C counts toward graduation requirements. You also need a cumulative graduate GPA of at least 3.0 to stay in good standing. Nursing may apply stricter rules in its handbook, so ask your track coordinator how C grades are treated in clinical courses.
What happens if I miss the Incomplete deadline at Lewis?
The grade changes automatically from I to IF, Incomplete to Failing, with zero credit for the course. Because no grade below C counts toward graduation, a required practicum with an IF still stands between you and your degree, so ask your track coordinator how Lewis handles the course from there. Better still, ask for the one allowed renewal before the deadline passes.
Will an Incomplete delay my Lewis graduation?
It can. The catalog says an Incomplete in the term you plan to graduate may require you to defer your graduation date, which moves your conferral date and, in turn, your certification exam and license application. Finishing the last practicum inside its semester is the surest way to keep your graduation term.
Related pages
Last checked 2026-09-25
We check these pages against Lewis's own catalog, program pages and FAQ, its contract portal and Illinois law. Your course, your track coordinator and the Clinical Placement Office have the final word.
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