whats more important, undergrad GPA or Master's GPA?

[mrwilson1]

I got my undergrad in 2013 and my cGPA was 3.58-- majored in physiology and health.
I just finished my MPH in Tropical Medicine at Tulane (very science heavy, I did the track that med students are in) and my cGPA was 3.97

Will schools pay more attention to my undergrad or grad GPA?

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[Goro]

Your undergraduate score. MD schools do not count Masters grades.

DO schools will

 

[Doctoscope]

Undergrad GPAs are weighed far more heavily than grad GPAs.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Most application services post undergraduate GPA statistics only so you can deduce which is more valued from that fact

 

[mrwilson1]

Most application services post undergraduate GPA statistics only so you can deduce which is more valued from that fact

Your undergraduate score. MD schools do not count Masters grades.

DO schools will

Even though my BA is from 2013 and my Master's required lots of science classes?? Thats crap news but thank you.

 

[Goro]

Even though my BA is from 2013 and my Master's required lots of science classes??

Yup.

You will still have a decent shot at some MD schools, but better at DO

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Yup.

You will still have a decent shot at some MD schools, but better at DO

I agree... pay attention to schools that really reward reinvention.

 

[LunaOri]

3.58 isn’t terrible. Your masters GPA won’t change that number, but it is evidence that you are capable of doing well. What was your MCAT score?

 

[O.F. Hanson]

Your undergraduate score. MD schools do not count Masters grades.

DO schools will

I’m curious, why don’t they count Masters grades (for those who have them)? Are they considered at all?

I suppose because most of the applicant pool was previously an undergrad and it makes for a good comparative measure, but I am unsure?

 

[Rapsidy]

I’m curious, why don’t they count Masters grades (for those who have them)? Are they considered at all?

I suppose because most of the applicant pool was previously an undergrad and it makes for a good comparative measure, but I am unsure?

You are supposed to do well in a masters program, it’s a specialty area of your choosing. That and masters programs typically grade inflate pretty severely and it makes the grades pretty much impossible to standardize so they aren’t considered.

I got a 4.0 in my MSW and I said the very first prereq class I worked a hell of a lot harder getting As in those classes than I did in any of my masters classes.

 

[Goro]

I’m curious, why don’t they count Masters grades (for those who have them)? Are they considered at all?

I suppose because most of the applicant pool was previously an undergrad and it makes for a good comparative measure, but I am unsure?

Based on the titles of real Masters courses I've seen across different types of masters, how are we supposed to interpret the rigor of say Women's Health in the Third world, DNA Techniques, Seminars in Neuroscience, or Public Health Disparities in the United States?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I’m curious, why don’t they count Masters grades (for those who have them)? Are they considered at all?

I suppose because most of the applicant pool was previously an undergrad and it makes for a good comparative measure, but I am unsure?

Yes.

Most people do well in a masters program, and I typically expect 3.5+ GPAs.

 

[O.F. Hanson]

You are supposed to do well in a masters program, it’s a specialty area of your choosing. That and masters programs typically grade inflate pretty severely and it makes the grades pretty much impossible to standardize so they aren’t considered.

I got a 4.0 in my MSW and I said the very first prereq class I worked a hell of a lot harder getting As in those classes than I did in any of my masters classes.

Based on the titles of real Masters courses I've seen across different types of masters, how are we supposed to interpret the rigor of say Women's Health in the third world, DNA techniques, seminars in neuroscience, Public Health disparities in the United states?

Yes.

Most people do well in a masters program, and I typically expect 3.5+ GPAs.

Thank-you all for your wonderful insights!

- confused undergrad

 

[mrwilson1]

Yes.

Most people do well in a masters program, and I typically expect 3.5+ GPAs.

What about if you have the MPH degree that is offered as the dual to the MD/MPH? I got my MPH from Tulane and half of my classes were with med students. I feel like that carries more weight? Or am I wrong.

 

[gyngyn]

What about if you have the MPH degree that is offered as the dual to the MD/MPH? I got my MPH from Tulane and half of my classes were with med students. I feel like that carries more weight? Or am I wrong.

The degree shows your interest in public health, but does nothing to add to (or remediate a lack of) academic prowess.
Nevertheless, in the course of acquiring the degree, you will have learned something to talk about in any interviews you get!

 

[coffeebythelake]

a lot of Masters programs give high scores and different grading systems, a 4.0 isn't exactly a big deal

 

[LizzyM]

It is almost unheard of for anyone in any masters program to have a GPA of less than 3.0. It is exceptionally common to have a GPA of > 3.5. Obviously, this is very different than undergrad.

Even if medical students are enrolled with you, that doesn't mean that the material is more difficult than any other masters degree program in public health. It is in no way equivalent to taking a SMP where you are taking medical school classes with medical students.

 

[Moab_BASE]

What about the situation where half of the courses taken during a masters are upper division undergraduate courses?

 

[gyngyn]

What about the situation where half of the courses taken during a masters are upper division undergraduate courses?

If they are part of the Masters (with a corresponding course number), they will not be perceived as having under-grad rigor or grading.
If they have an undergraduate course number, they will be part of your undergrad gpa and trend.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

What about the situation where half of the courses taken during a masters are upper division undergraduate courses?

This is rather weird and tricky, but I am aware of a number of upper-division courses that double up as undergrad and graduate. The course numbers and syllabi will separate you as an undergraduate student versus a graduate student. This is to help with accounting for tuition charges appropriately for the department/school/university. As a result, your course number and syllabus will categorize you appropriately as an undergraduate or a graduate student enrolled in the course. The syllabus will also describe the differences in assignments and grading between the undergraduate and graduate cohorts.

To simplify: consider that half the course could be taking the class for a real letter grade (A-F) while others are auditing/pass-fail in the same class. Each group has a different level of investment and motivation to do well. (Please: I'm not saying that this is how the OP's classes worked.)

 

[Moab_BASE]

This is rather weird and tricky, but I am aware of a number of upper-division courses that double up as undergrad and graduate. The course numbers and syllabi will separate you as an undergraduate student versus a graduate student. This is to help with accounting for tuition charges appropriately for the department/school/university. As a result, your course number and syllabus will categorize you appropriately as an undergraduate or a graduate student enrolled in the course. The syllabus will also describe the differences in assignments and grading between the undergraduate and graduate cohorts.

To simplify: consider that half the course could be taking the class for a real letter grade (A-F) while others are auditing/pass-fail in the same class. Each group has a different level of investment and motivation to do well. (Please: I'm not saying that this is how the OP's classes worked.)

The context is that I was a non-engineer accepted into an engineering graduate program with the condition I take undergraduate engineering pre-req courses before starting graduate coursework. I had graduate student status the entire time but they were undergraduate courses (with associated undergraduate course number distinctions)

 

[Mr.Smile12]

The context is that I was a non-engineer accepted into an engineering graduate program with the condition I take undergraduate engineering pre-req courses before starting graduate coursework. I had graduate student status the entire time but they were undergraduate courses (with associated undergraduate course number distinctions)

Okay... that helps. Keep us apprised on how AMCAS rules that course as undergraduate or graduate. I suspect it will be undergraduate if the course number and syllabus label your participation as such, but let us know what they say.

 

[Moab_BASE]

Okay... that helps. Keep us apprised on how AMCAS rules that course as undergraduate or graduate. I suspect it will be undergraduate if the course number and syllabus label your participation as such, but let us know what they say.

So they were considered part of my graduate GPA by AMCAS. I was just curious if admissions would consider them into my undergrad or grad GPA... my suspicion is that it is school-dependent.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Interesting. I think it wouldn't hurt to let them know the context. They probably labeled it graduate because you already had a bachelor's degree and the rest of your graduate coursework came up closely afterwards. I can't speak for everyone, but I would advocate for considering your course as an undergraduate course if you had to take it as a condition of your entry to your program. My argument may not be successful, but it's worth a shot.

 

[gyngyn]

So they were considered part of my graduate GPA by AMCAS. I was just curious if admissions would consider them into my undergrad or grad GPA... my suspicion is that it is school-dependent.

If AMCAS included them in the graduate gpa, we will consider them graduate gpa.

 

[Moab_BASE]

If AMCAS included them in the graduate gpa, we will consider them graduate gpa.

Good, engineering is harder than biochem haha

Thanks to both of you for the info.

 

[paul30]

Every applicant has an undergraduate GPA, most have a core of similar required science classes (BCPM). Not every applicant has a masters degree, every masters degree concentration is different, and degrees a different school vary widely. And an MPH Is not considered in any way shape or form science no matter if it’s heavily epidemiology or other concentrations. It is an accomplishment and can be discussed.

Then does a maters in a hard science look any different (physiology, biomedical, etc) or do all master degrees get viewed the same when reviewing applications?

 

[barrelgrubber321]

It is almost unheard of for anyone in any masters program to have a GPA of less than 3.0. It is exceptionally common to have a GPA of > 3.5. Obviously, this is very different than undergrad.

Even if medical students are enrolled with you, that doesn't mean that the material is more difficult than any other masters degree program in public health. It is in no way equivalent to taking a SMP where you are taking medical school classes with medical students.

does this suggest that SMP's are most heavily considered of the master's degrees?

(even if they are, is it just a "quickest tortoise" type of scenario?)

edit: ^by that I mean, even if they are the most heavily considered master's degree, are they still not very heavily considered overall

 

[mrwilson1]

Every applicant has an undergraduate GPA, most have a core of similar required science classes (BCPM). Not every applicant has a masters degree, every masters degree concentration is different, and degrees a different school vary widely. And an MPH Is not considered in any way shape or form science no matter if it’s heavily epidemiology or other concentrations. It is an accomplishment and can be discussed.

This is what is frustrating because my MPH concentration was infectious disease, so I took medical school classes in helminthology, parasitology, protozoology, microbial diseases of the tropics, entomology etc.. I feel like it wasn't a traditional MPH degree and was very science and diagnostic heavy. But I understand what you are saying. Thank you for the response.

 

[Goro]

Any recommendations of which Schools these are?

Pm me