How does AACOMAS view these courses?

[blkgrnblkylw]

My senior year, I took several 600 level courses that were offered to both undergrad students and grad students (Master's students, my school didn't offer PhD's). These 600 level courses made up a decent chunk of my senior year. They are listed normally in my undergrad transcript, except they say 600 instead of 400 or 300 etc. Will DO schools/ AACOMAS just calculate these as normal undergrad courses, or as graduate courses? The AACOMAS application manual seems to imply that graduate courses are those that were "taken while enrolled in a graduate degree program", on page 17. So, I'm assuming my courses would be incorporated into my undergrad GPA?

Also, I have not taken a single course that has an English or Composition prefix, and I know most schools require 6 credits. I have taken 9 credits of humanities, that were writing intensive, 6 credits of philosophy courses that were writing intensive, and a course titled Principles of Communication which had a communication prefix and a course titled Scientific Communication (both also quite writing intensive). Will I still need to take the 6 credits with an English prefix, or should these courses count (I'm thinking particularly the humanities courses would hopefully count). Also, to verify if they will "count", do I just have to verify with AACOMAS, or do I have to verify with each individual school?

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[WastedTime]

if u took any classes during ur undergrad years they will count as undergrad courses... the english part i don't know... its probably different for each school whether or not they make an exception or substitute

 

[AlteredScale]

My senior year, I took several 600 level courses that were offered to both undergrad students and grad students (Master's students, my school didn't offer PhD's). These 600 level courses made up a decent chunk of my senior year. They are listed normally in my undergrad transcript, except they say 600 instead of 400 or 300 etc. Will DO schools/ AACOMAS just calculate these as normal undergrad courses, or as graduate courses? The AACOMAS application manual seems to imply that graduate courses are those that were "taken while enrolled in a graduate degree program", on page 17. So, I'm assuming my courses would be incorporated into my undergrad GPA?

Also, I have not taken a single course that has an English or Composition prefix, and I know most schools require 6 credits. I have taken 9 credits of humanities, that were writing intensive, 6 credits of philosophy courses that were writing intensive, and a course titled Principles of Communication which had a communication prefix and a course titled Scientific Communication (both also quite writing intensive). Will I still need to take the 6 credits with an English prefix, or should these courses count (I'm thinking particularly the humanities courses would hopefully count). Also, to verify if they will "count", do I just have to verify with AACOMAS, or do I have to verify with each individual school?

AACOMAS determines all classes that you take before graduation as a part of the undergrad GPA. Since you were in your senior year of UG while taking tese courses then it will be calculated as such.

Why haven't you taken any English courses? I thought they were a requirement for any degree at the first two years.

I would contact AACOMAS for that second question. Also contact a a medical school that DOES require a English/Composition pre-req and see if your courses would count for it.

 

[IslandStyle808]

This is a difficult one, because was the course designed around teaching graduate students or both? You will need to contact the AACOMAS for this one. If this was a required course or counts toward your required credits in undergrad, then this may help in getting it counted toward the ugGPA. However, if this course does not count toward your degree, then there is a low chance it will count towards your ugGPA.

 

[blkgrnblkylw]

AACOMAS determines all classes that you take before graduation as a part of the undergrad GPA. Since you were in your senior year of UG while taking tese courses then it will be calculated as such.

Why haven't you taken any English courses? I thought they were a requirement for any degree at the first two years.

I would contact AACOMAS for that second question. Also contact a a medical school that DOES require a English/Composition pre-req and see if your courses would count for it.

Yeah I thought English courses were a requirement too at most schools, apparently not at mine. The 9 credits of humanities however was a school requirement, as was the communication class. If you didn't do so hot on the SAT reading/writing section then you were required to take a composition course, but otherwise no English/comp courses were required.

I was under the impression that nearly all, if not all, MD/DO schools require 6 credits of English/comp or something the school deems expectable, is that not the case?

Also, if I do have to take the English courses, I can take them after applying without being penalized? As long as I take them prior to matriculation?

This is a difficult one, because was the course designed around teaching graduate students or both? You will need to contact the AACOMAS for this one. If this was a required course or counts toward your required credits in undergrad, then this may help in getting it counted toward the ugGPA. However, if this course does not count toward your degree, then there is a low chance it will count towards your ugGPA.

I think AMCAS and AACOMAS might differ here. As the other posters stated, I think AACOMAS counts anything taken prior to graduation as UG. I think AMCAS might be different, and only count 400 level classes or below, but I'm not sure.

To answer your question, the courses were counted towards getting my degree and they were designed for both grad students and ug students. Ug students had the option to take these courses in place of the 400 level counterparts, if they wanted "more of a challenge". I know many grad courses are considered easy because schools want their grad students to do research a lot and more grad schools require a B average or above. However, these courses were not like that, but I suppose AACOMAS has no way of knowing that.

 

[IslandStyle808]

Yeah I thought English courses were a requirement too at most schools, apparently not at mine. The 9 credits of humanities however was a school requirement, as was the communication class. If you didn't do so hot on the SAT reading/writing section then you were required to take a composition course, but otherwise no English/comp courses were required.

I was under the impression that nearly all, if not all, MD/DO schools require 6 credits of English/comp or something the school deems expectable, is that not the case?

Also, if I do have to take the English courses, I can take them after applying without being penalized? As long as I take them prior to matriculation?

I think AMCAS and AACOMAS might differ here. As the other posters stated, I think AACOMAS counts anything taken prior to graduation as UG. I think AMCAS might be different, and only count 400 level classes or below, but I'm not sure.

To answer your question, the courses were counted towards getting my degree and they were designed for both grad students and ug students. Ug students had the option to take these courses in place of the 400 level counterparts, if they wanted "more of a challenge". I know many grad courses are considered easy because schools want their grad students to do research a lot and more grad schools require a B average or above. However, these courses were not like that, but I suppose AACOMAS has no way of knowing that.

I am not sure about how the AACOMAS functions in this situation. If this were the AMCAS, then all grad courses would count towards undergrad GPA. I could not find the info about how the AACOMAS does this, but you are most likely right. Since it is a course that will count towards your degree, then I would assume it would count.

As for the english, I think this is a school dependent thing. The reason why you hear that 6 credits are required for english is because it is required by the majority of schools. It is used as a blanket statement so the student doesn't have to think much about each and every schools requirements.

 

[Gordon Gekko]

AACOMAS will treat your 600 grad classes as undergrad since you weren't enrolled in a separate graduate degree program, just as you surmised. I had a 3cr Honors English course which counted as 2 semesters of non-Honors English and a 3cr Humanities course whose course description sounded more like an English class. I emailed AACOMAS both descriptions from my undergrad catalog and they accepted the Humanities as my other 3cr of English. So if your Hum/Phil course descriptions don't sound English-y, you're probably going to have to bite the bullet and take some cheap online English courses. Hopefully AACOMAS will give you a break.

 

[blkgrnblkylw]

AACOMAS will treat your 600 grad classes as undergrad since you weren't enrolled in a separate graduate degree program, just as you surmised. I had a 3cr Honors English course which counted as 2 semesters of non-Honors English and a 3cr Humanities course whose course description sounded more like an English class. I emailed AACOMAS both descriptions from my undergrad catalog and they accepted the Humanities as my other 3cr of English. So if your Hum/Phil course descriptions don't sound English-y, you're probably going to have to bite the bullet and take some cheap online English courses. Hopefully AACOMAS will give you a break.

Ok thank you very much. So, just to be certain, if AACOMAS accepts my courses as being acceptable English courses, then I do not need to double-check with each individual school I apply to? Meaning, if AACOMAS accepts the courses as English courses, then the schools will also accept it that way? Or did you still have to ask each school if they would consider the humanities course as a fulfillment for the English pre-req?



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[Gordon Gekko]

Ok thank you very much. So, just to be certain, if AACOMAS accepts my courses as being acceptable English courses, then I do not need to double-check with each individual school I apply to? Meaning, if AACOMAS accepts the courses as English courses, then the schools will also accept it that way? Or did you still have to ask each school if they would consider the humanities course as a fulfillment for the English pre-req?



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Yes, the point of DO schools using a central application service like AACOMAS is that AACOMAS does all the verification so the schools don't have to spend time or hire anyone to do it. On my completed application that was sent to all the schools I applied to, there is a page which lists all my prerequisites split up by subject, Bio, Inorg Chem, Org Chem, Physics, English, Other Science, Behavioral Sci, Math, Other Non-sci. Depending on the school, it is indicated Required and # of required credits. Auburn wanted Genetics, so there was an extra entry. Liberty wanted Math, etc. My English listed the 1 Honors English and the Humanities class for a total of 6 cr required/0 cr deficient. No need to contact individual schools.

 

[blkgrnblkylw]

Yes, the point of DO schools using a central application service like AACOMAS is that AACOMAS does all the verification so the schools don't have to spend time or hire anyone to do it. On my completed application that was sent to all the schools I applied to, there is a page which lists all my prerequisites split up by subject, Bio, Inorg Chem, Org Chem, Physics, English, Other Science, Behavioral Sci, Math, Other Non-sci. Depending on the school, it is indicated Required and # of required credits. Auburn wanted Genetics, so there was an extra entry. Liberty wanted Math, etc. My English listed the 1 Honors English and the Humanities class for a total of 6 cr required/0 cr deficient. No need to contact individual schools.

Awesome, thank you very much. I will contact AACOMAS