Graduate GPA and MSc Questions

[Lucky Luke]

1) How are grades obtained for courses at graduate level meshed with the grades obtained in undergraduate years? Do they just add the grad GPA as another year on top of the undergrad years to come up with an overall cGPA? Or is grad GPA considered separately on its own (I am assuming not)?

 

2) From the U of A website:

 

"When confirmation of successful completion of a Masters degree by thesis or PhD by thesis is received in our office prior to the June 15 deadline, additional points may be allocated to your application as follows:

 

Masters 1 point

Ph.D. 3 points"

 

Does this mean that if you were applying to medical school while in your final year of MSc, would you get the 1 extra point during the selection process? If not, in what way would the extra point help you if the deadline for you to defend your thesis and complete MSc is June 15 (and the decisions for medical school are already made in May)?

 

Any comments would be greatly appreciated..

[Lucky Luke]

Does anybody have any comments on the above post..?

[cgy_guy23]

For the GPA as far as I know they pretty much mostly look at your undergrad GPA since it is the only fair source of comparison (as only a few students will have Masters courses/grades whereas every applicant is required to have taken an X amount of undergrad courses). However, having really good GPA in your masters courses can't hurt, and may help making you a more ideal candidate than another masters student applicant with similar undergrad GPA but lower Masters performance.

 

For the points added to your application I think it could mean one of 2 things:

 

1) If you have already gotten your Masters or PhD you get slight advantage over undergrad graduates. Or perhaps if you give proof that you are finishing and your supervisor sends a letter saying that your performance is good and that you will pretty much for sure pass your defense they count that in good faith and can revoke any decision if you end up not passing it.

 

 

2) The other possibility is that they require that you actually pass your defense and attain the actual master or PhD degree. I know a lot of people who defend in December for their Masters, so the extra point can still be added prior to interview decisions being sent out. Even if you get an interview prior to finishing your defense the extra points may still benefit you by being added post-interview if you are on a waitlist (you may get bounced up) or get you on the acceptance list if you are neck to neck with another student. (I am not sure about extra points being added post interview however).

 

Emailing the admissions would probably get you the answer you seek.

[LostLamb]

I think if you have a certain number of graduate courses/credits within a single year, then grad course grades are incorporated as part of the cGPA.

 

With regards to post graduate degrees, you only obtain the extra point(s) when you have successfully defended and submitted your final thesis. If you cannot get a transcript stating this in time for your application then a letter from the department of graduate studies would suffice.

[Lucky Luke]

Thank you to both replies

 

Yeah I read that if you have minimum of 18 credits of courses within a single year at grad level, they will incorporate it into your cumulative GPA.

 

Also, I've heard (as cgy_guy23 has stated) that if your professor backs you up on your possible thesis finish date (even if you haven't finished masters yet), they will still give you 1 point for the time being. I guess it's really their call (as with everythign else).

[LostLamb]

Also, I've heard (as cgy_guy23 has stated) that if your professor backs you up on your possible thesis finish date (even if you haven't finished masters yet), they will still give you 1 point for the time being. I guess it's really their call (as with everythign else).

 

I have not heard this happening nor was it an option offered to me. Just call the administrators, they more than welcome questions and will give you the best clarification. FWIW, I applied and was interviewed in this cycle and had to send in my letter in December stating that my degree work was complete, so I would say that my info is fairly current.

[bloh]

It doesn't make sense for them to give you the points if you haven't completed. I could maybe see it if you have an official defense date set up but a "possible finish date" is highly unlikely.