How are MSSE grades calculated?

To earn your MSSE degree, you must complete the following requirements: 

Coursework & Exams:

1. Complete all courses in the MSSE curriculum within the required time frame.
2. Complete all the graded SMARTCASE lessons. (SMARTCASES can be taken as many times as you want. Only the first score will be counted towards your final grade.)
3. Complete the exams associated with each concentration and your chosen Specialization.

Projects & Presentations:

1. Complete the written projects and proctored oral examinations.
2. Complete a Capstone Project and Presentation. In order to graduate, you must submit and pass a Capstone project and presentation (with a score of 3 or higher).

Administrative:

1. Submit the required documents that confirm your identity, eligibility and past academic performance as referenced in your application. 

Your final grade is weighted in the following way:

• Projects & Presentations: 30%
• SMARTCASEs: 10%
• Exams: 60%

A final overall score of 80% is the minimum to graduate. The distinction of Honors is awarded to the top 10% of each cohort upon graduation. Students who graduate behind schedule are not eligible to receive this distinction. Apart from the Honors distinction, as Quantic operates on a pass/fail basis, there are no class or personal ranks to provide. Please note that all grades are percentage-based, and not issued as letter grades or GPA.

More about the Projects & Presentations Grade - 30%

Over the course of this program, you will complete four projects and three proctored oral examinations. Each project and presentation we assign will be accompanied by a prompt and grading rubric. Grading will be based on the thoroughness and accuracy of your response. The assignment and due dates for each project are listed in your cohort's schedule. Learn more about how projects are graded here.

More about SMARTCASE scores - 10%

As you progress through lessons in Quantic, feel free to explore different answer options (both correct and incorrect) that trigger helpful feedback. You are not expected to get all "correct answers" while you are learning—mistakes are an important part of learning, after all—so, you aren't graded on regular lessons; however, you are graded on SMARTCASE lessons. Only your first SMARTCASE score will count towards your final grade, but you can retake SMARTCASEs as many times as you like for additional review ahead of exams. Learn more about how SMARTCASEs are graded here.

SMARTCASEs that are a part of the Business Foundations playlist available prior to your start date are not included in your final score.

More about the Exams - 60%

You will take eight Concentration Exams over the course of your program. These exams are made available after each concentration has ended, according to your schedule. The exams are all open book, and each consists of several lessons. They're similar in format to SMARTCASEs, meaning there are no open response questions. For more about the concentration exams, click here.

Specializations

Quantic Specializations allow MSSE students to get a deeper understanding of a topic they’re interested in. In order to graduate, each student needs to complete one specialization, although students can take as many as they'd like. If a student completes more than one specialization exam, only the top exam score will be counted toward that student's final grade. All completed specializations, along with the exam score, will be included on the student's Quantic transcript. For more about Specializations, click here.