Course audit and graduate admission

[Flux2]

I'm currently in a masters program with a thesis and I'm applying to PhD programs this coming fall. I want to focus mostly on my research but then again I want to take some courses. I have two courses in mind but two of them requires a lot of work. Will it look bad on my transcript if I have two courses audited? I really want to take this course and I'm graduating next year. I'm looking into top schools like Stanford for bioengineering

[Bioenchilada]

They will probably look at your undergrad coursework and GPA more than your Master's. So, I don't think it really matters much.

Edited April 14, 2016 by Bioenchilada

[TakeruK]

You can/should consult with your Masters advisor(s) about this. But in general, graduate students auditing classes is not a problem at all. I can't see how an "audit" would hurt you. i.e. if you are comparing transcript A, which just has the required MS courses and transcript B, which has the required courses plus 2 additional audit courses, then I cannot see how transcript B would look worse than transcript A. Of course, having a course listed as "audit" would not really count much positively either (i.e. if you want to use this course to demonstrate knowledge of a material, then take it instead of auditing it).

Note: At the schools I've been to, there is rarely an option to "audit" a course. It's either take it for letter grades, take it as "pass/fail" or just attend the classes and not formally register (with the instructor's permission).