<p>Hello,</p>
<p>I'm just inquiring after the distribution of undergrads in grad-lvl courses at other universities. I know that at some institutions, there isn't much of a distinction between the two [like Caltech, which says that 100-lvl is for both]. But what of other institutions, such as MIT or Ivy? Or state?</p>
<p>Oh, and, what do grad schools think of grad-lvl courses?</p>
<p>...also...there is a moth outside the window, trying to get in...</p>
<p>Hello, Alex. In one graduate course I'm taking, the proportion is roughly 2:35 undergrads:total; in the other, roughly 8:12.</p>
<p>Depends on the school, a lot. Depends on the major (& class).</p>
<p>One class I took was listed as a graduate and a undergraduate course, so it was about 50-50. I have been the only undergrad in the other classes that I have taken.</p>
<p>I think grad schools look kindly on it. If nothing else, you are proving that you can handle graduate level material. It can't be anything but a plus.</p>
<p>Most upper-division courses at MIT are cross-listed as grad/undergrad courses, so it's really common to take grad classes as an undergrad at MIT, even those which aren't actually listed as undergrad classes. I took a non-cross-listed grad class as a sophomore with no problems.</p>
<p>I don't know what grad schools thought of it (or if they even realized), but I thought it was absolutely great -- learning how to read, analyze, and talk about the scientific literature is an absolutely invaluable skill for a scientist, and the sooner you gain those skills, the better.</p>
<p>Is it like high school students taking AP classes?</p>
<p>lil_killer, IMHO no. In my high school, AP classes were 1) a joke because they were really easy as were the AP exams and 2) mostly there for show. </p>
<p>The grad classes I took were because I wanted to learn the subject in depth and there was nothing equivalent offered for undergrads.</p>
<p>FYI, I go to a very-top Ivy and at least in bio, the grad classes often have up to 1/3 undergrad, depending on which class. Physics and math have slightly lower proportions, but still close.</p>
<p>Is there grade inflation at the graduate level though? At that point - it seems that average GPAs are higher and there are no more students to weed out [or no need to distinguish between better and worse students]. Is there even a purpose to have a GPA in graduate school, provided that you finish your dissertation?</p>
<p>In my experience, grad courses tend to grade easier than non-grad courses. There is quite a bit of grade inflation in graduate school, because your grades don't matter anymore for much of anything.</p>
<p>Yeah --- my experience has been that in subjects where the undergrad GPA is roughly 3.0 translate to average grad GPAs of 3.6 or so. Definitely a non-trivial jump.</p>
<p>Your grades might matter if you're applying for another master's or a PhD at another school.</p>
<p>Will grad gpa matter for a job after graduation?</p>
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Will grad gpa matter for a job after graduation?
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<p>Depends on the job and the degree that you get.</p>
<p>If you get a Phd, I think it's safe to say that GPA doesn't matter. What really matters is your research - your job-talk paper, your working papers, your publications, and that sort of thing. Also your advisor recommendations matter greatly. Grades do not. I have reviewed the CV's of numerous doctoral candidates who are on the market (hence, are shopping themselves out to prospective employers) and the vast vast majority did not list their grades on their CV's, including people I know who had stellar grades. </p>
<p>In fact, if you're getting a PhD, then listing your grad grades might actually be bad for you because it's a potential signal that your research is mediocre, and hence, a good gpa is the only thing that you really have. It's comparable to the situation where if a real estate listing describes a property as 'charming' or 'cozy' or 'great neighborhood', it basically means that the property is not in top shape and hence those particular euphemisms were the best that the realtor could say about it. </p>
<p>Now, if you're talking about a master's degree, especially a master's degree that is obtained solely by coursework, then GPA can sometimes matter. Since you didn't do any research, you have nothing to sell except your GPA. Some employers will care about that. Others won't.</p>