It is hard to give general advice on this, as it depends a lot on your individual situation, and which schools and which types of Master’s programs you want to get into. It partially depends on how much below 3.0 your GPA is - that isn’t a hard limit for many schools, but a low GPA can certainly affect probability of admission or funding. I know students who have gotten into Master’s programs with less than a 3.0, and who have subsequently done very well. They didn’t get into the most selective schools, but that can be OK - it can provide a way into the profession, and if you do well you can move up from there. It also depends on what kind of experience you have - demonstrating relevant skills in research etc. through work after college can boost your credibility as an applicant a lot, often more so than extra coursework. A full year working as a research assistant, particularly if you get to work semi-independently, for example, could give a potential mentor more confidence in your skills than either a graduate class or undergraduate research experiences. Finally, which were the classes that pulled down your average? If they are classes that are relevant for your field, you might want to retake them or take a graduate equivalent… if not, and you did really well in the classes related to your prospective Master’s project and poorly in some other set of classes, it may be less critical.
I’d advise you to email faculty in the programs you are interested in, and get their advice about what their admissions committees look for, and what are the strongest and weakest parts about your CV as it stands now. Emily Moran UC Merced On Apr 7, 2016, at 10:49 AM, Angela Trenkle <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: Dear Eco-loggers, I would like to go to graduate school to eventually get my Master's. I have a lot of experience in my field, however as an undergraduate I had some setbacks so my GPA is below the 3.0 requirement that most schools look for. I was planning on taking a graduate course or two to show professors that I can do the work, however I have heard mixed things about this approach. Does anyone have any advice on this? Would it be better to retake some undergraduate classes I didn't do very well in? What type of graduate courses should I take? Thank you! -Angela Trenkle
