Ph.D. application-- graduating master's student-- which is considered, B.Sc. or M.Sc. GPA?

[Geo1618]

If I am an M.Sc candidate who's about to graduate this semester and I am applying to a Ph.D. program in Canada or U.S., what GPA will be considered in the selection process--my undergrad GPA or my M.Sc GPA? My grades for my MSc cover all coursework except for thesis (which anyway is only graded with pass or fail). 

I am worrying because I only have a 3.1 GPA in my undergraduate degree but a 3.5-3.6 for my M.Sc. 

Thanks in advance guys!

 

 

[biotechie]

Some programs want all grades, and others ask specifically for undergrad grades. I think you need to look at your applications some more to be sure. However, all programs I applied to in biomed looked at all of my grades, particularly classes in my type of program.

[FoggyAnhinga]

 

If I am an M.Sc candidate who's about to graduate this semester and I am applying to a Ph.D. program in Canada or U.S., what GPA will be considered in the selection process--my undergrad GPA or my M.Sc GPA? My grades for my MSc cover all coursework except for thesis (which anyway is only graded with pass or fail). 

I am worrying because I only have a 3.1 GPA in my undergraduate degree but a 3.5-3.6 for my M.Sc. 

Thanks in advance guys!

 

 

Usually for these applications you will have to enter your undergrad and grad GPA separately in their application forms. Some programs do explicitly state that they admit students with cumulative undergrad GPA over 3.4 or somewhat (if they're competitive), and if that is the case, it doesn't matter what your master's GPA is. Most programs from my experience require that for your undergraduate grades, you have to have at least 3.0 cumulative GPA & 3.0 cumulative GPA for the LAST 90 quarter credits or the LAST 60 semester credits (which is roughly last two years of your undergraduate education).

 

I think you're perfectly qualified for the most programs you are applying for, since a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 is what the majority of PhD programs are looking for (except for those which are exceptionally competitive - they sometimes say that most students they admit have cumulative GPA over 3.5).

[shadowclaw]

I feel like this depends on the school. I've seen programs that they want a specific undergrad gpa (such as 3.0 or greater). I've also seen programs that want a certain gpa in your last 60 credits. Sometimes they explicitly say last 60 of undergrad, and sometimes they don't. A third thing I've seen is requiring a certain undergrad gpa OR a masters degree.

However, those are minimum requirements and don't really let you know how an admissions committee is going to consider and evaluate your grades. Even if a school wants to see a 3.0 or better in your last 60 credits of coursework (grad and undergrad combined), they could still judge you more heavily on your undergrad gpa. I've seen this debated a few times.

Some people claim that a great masters gpa effectively erases a poor undergrad gpa. Others claim that a good masters gpa will have little impact and only the research experience gained from the program can be helpful. Reality is probably somewhere in between.

While your undergrad gpa may not be stellar, it's certainly not low enough to drop you below the minimum requirements. Your masters gpa also shows a good improvement, which I think is important. Ultimately, I think if you have solid research experience (which you should since you're doing a thesis) and apply to programs that are a good match for your research, you should be ok.