AMCAS course classification

[leggo]

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Hey everyone, I've been getting conflicting answers on this one and any help would be really appreciated.

I've taken some undergraduate classes while in my graduate program. Some of these counted for credit towards the degree and some did not. I'm pretty sure the courses that did not count for credit for my graduate program are considered Post-bacc. What about the courses that did count for the masters? I thought they were going to be counted as graduate but a AMCAS email said undergrad work pursued after a Bachelor's degree would be Post--bacc. Anyone know what the course would be counted as?

Thank you!!

 

[ablavar]

How are the courses designated on your transcript? Is it clear which classes were taken for your graduate degree and which were not?

I am in a slightly similar situation as you this cycle. I completed a BS/MS program and conferred both degrees at the same time. However, I only have one transcript, and courses are not designated as undergraduate or graduate. My pre-med advisor said it was completely at my discretion to classify courses to the degrees.

So, courses that I counted towards my MS but had mostly undergraduate students I counted toward my BS (PB in your case), and courses that I counted towards my MS but had mostly graduate students I counted toward my MS (MA/MS in your case).

 

[leggo]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure you can tell the difference on a transcript. I was pretty sure how the system worked, but after emailing AMCAS, they told me that if you are enrolled in a graduate program, undergraduate courses taken after a Bachelor's are labeled as Post-bacc. It would be super helpful if I could count them as Post-bacc. Does anyone else have any experience with this?

 

[sector9]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure you can tell the difference on a transcript. I was pretty sure how the system worked, but after emailing AMCAS, they told me that if you are enrolled in a graduate program, undergraduate courses taken after a Bachelor's are labeled as Post-bacc. It would be super helpful if I could count them as Post-bacc. Does anyone else have any experience with this?

It sounds like AMCAS has already answered your question via email.

How was this question not answered by AMCAS? What is your follow up question?

 

[aSagacious]

I'd say that anything 100-400 level should probably be listed as post-bacc and everything 500+ should be listed as graduate coursework.

 

[leggo]

Ahaha, sorry guys, I should have been a bit more specific. I think the AMCAS 2012 Instruction Manual said somewhere in the coursework section that undergrad courses which count towards the graduate program are listed as Graduate. But later on, the manual says that thing about courses after Bachelor' degree and that they are listed as PB. Lastly, the email said the same thing, but I just wanted to be sure and see if anyone ever did that. It would be ridiculously awesome if I could count it as post-bacc, since that would help so much lol. Thanks for the help sector and saggy!

 

[sector9]

Ahaha, sorry guys, I should have been a bit more specific. I think the AMCAS 2012 Instruction Manual said somewhere in the coursework section that undergrad courses which count towards the graduate program are listed as Graduate. But later on, the manual says that thing about courses after Bachelor' degree and that they are listed as PB. Lastly, the email said the same thing, but I just wanted to be sure and see if anyone ever did that. It would be ridiculously awesome if I could count it as post-bacc, since that would help so much lol. Thanks for the help sector and saggy!

I see. Well I think page 38 answers your question

If you have attempted undergraduate level course work while formally enrolled in a graduate program:
If a Bachelor’s degree was previously earned, the undergraduate-level course work should be listed under the PB status and not under the GR status. If a Bachelor’s degree has not been previously earned, the undergraduate-level course work should be assigned the appropriate undergraduate status (FR, SO, JR, SR).

So it sounds like the distinction is undergraduate versus graduate level courses, not courses required for your graduate degree versus courses not required for your graduate degree.

Basically, it sounds like you can count any undergraduate level courses as postbacc, no matter if these classes were required for your graduate degree or not.

The back of my official transcript from my school listed which course numbers counted as undergraduate and which numbers were graduate classes. They were general ranges of numbers like saggy suggested. The same information about course numbers might also be found in your school's course catalog

 

[aSagacious]

P.38 of the AMCAS Instruction Manual:

Assign Post Baccalaureate (PB) status to any undergraduate level course work you
enrolled in:
- After receipt of your initial BA/BS degree.
- While enrolled in a graduate program, if course work is not applied to a graduate degree.
- Assign Graduate (GR) status to any professional or graduate-level course work that is not applied to an undergraduate degree.
- Do not assign Graduate (GR) status to any professional or graduate-level course work applied to an undergraduate degree. Assign the appropriate undergraduate status (FR, SO, JR, SR) for courses of this type

This makes me think, as Ablavar suggested, that you have some wiggle room to decide which undergrad courses 'apply to your graduate degree'. Obviously you won't have the same leeway with 500+ courses.

Edit: Sector9 beat me to it 🙂

 

[sector9]

P.38 of the AMCAS Instruction Manual:


This makes me think, as Ablavar suggested, that you have some wiggle room to decide which undergrad courses 'apply to your graduate degree'. Obviously you won't have the same leeway with 500+ courses.

Edit: Sector9 beat me to it 🙂

Hehe but we quoted different parts of page 38! I understand the confusion a little more now.

Basically, I would use whichever scheme helps your undergraduate GPA the most.

 

[leggo]

Nice! Yeah, my transcript has undergrad at 100-400 and grad at 500+. Thanks again!

 

[aSagacious]

Basically, I would use whichever scheme helps your undergraduate GPA the most.

+1. If AMCAS disagrees with your categorization, let them fix it. 😉

 

[leggo]

haha yeah, thats why it was a little unclear to me. But, if they let me boost my GPA like that, than I'll def do it if possible.

 

[leggo]

Okay, so after several emails, AMCAS said that I should just list it PB and they will change it if they need to. I'm fine with that, the only problem is I want to take a few more courses to raise my GPA and I need to know whether I should calculate the undegrad classes that counted toward my grad degree toward my overall and sci. I'm just bumping to see if anyone has ever had this experience and what they did. Darn pg 38 for being so contradictory! Thanks again!