which GPA to get into a PhD program?

[jayXTP]

For admission to a PhD program, i.e. EE, does a university consider the undergraduate GPA or graduate (masters) GPA?

Usually a person's GPA in a Masters program is higher than the undergraduate, so I was just wondering.

 

[CaseTragedy]

dunno about EE--but for bio--undergrad.

edit: altho' a high grad gpa can balance a low undergrad one

 

[whaleskinrug]

if it is a comptetitive program, both

 

[LS20]

Originally posted by: jayXTP

Usually a person's GPA in a Masters program is higher than the undergraduate, so I was just wondering.

then obviously they keep that in mind

 

[whaleskinrug]

if you have a low ug gpa and then do not have an extemely high (3.85) ms gpa or above and extemely outstanding recs, statement and GREs then most strong ph.d. programs will not likely be interested, or will not offer you funsing/research assistance.

 

[Riprorin]

I don't know but a 3.76 got me accepted at several good schools for chemistry (U of R, Penn State, Ohio State).

 

[CanOWorms]

I've always heard that they would look at the MS gpa more than the BS gpa (in engineering). You could include a letter in your application explaining your low undergrad gpa (if it is low), upward swing in undergrad gpa, etc.

I guess it kind of makes sense too since a BS in EE is a little bit of several fields. An MS is a concentration in one field. And a PhD is a concentration of one factor of one field (I think?).