What is the average grade in grad school?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the grading practices and average grades in graduate school, particularly in applied mathematics programs. Participants share their experiences and perceptions regarding the significance of grades, the variability across different programs, and the implications for academic performance and future opportunities.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes confusion about average grades in grad school, mentioning that most programs do not give credit for grades below a B and questioning if a B is equivalent to a C.
  • Another participant shares that grading practices vary significantly between professors and programs, with some giving A's to most students while others may issue failing grades.
  • A different participant emphasizes the importance of understanding specific program guidelines, mentioning that fulfilling research requirements may take precedence over grades.
  • One participant recalls that in their experience, an A represented the top half of the class, while a B was considered acceptable but not great.
  • Another participant recounts a conversation with a tenure-track professor who suggested that grades are less important in grad school as long as students learn the material and achieve at least a B.
  • Some participants express confusion over perceived contradictions in the discussion about the importance of grades, with one suggesting that the emphasis is on meeting minimum requirements rather than striving for higher grades.
  • Questions arise about the grading policies at Berkeley's math grad school, with participants expressing curiosity about how these may differ from undergraduate courses.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the significance of grades in graduate school, with multiple competing views on grading practices and their implications for academic success. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the average grade and its importance.

Contextual Notes

Variability in grading practices across different programs and professors is noted, along with the potential for differing interpretations of what constitutes acceptable performance in graduate studies.

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"Normal" Grad School Grades

I'm just finished my first semester of graduate school and I had a question about grades. I did ok this semester, not as good as I'd like but above 3.0. However, I'm a little confused about grades in grad school. As a an undergraduate I had around 3.8, but didn't worry about the grade as long as I learned the material well. I have the same mindset in grad school.

But I guess I'm kind of confused about what the average grade is. Most programs seem like they don't give credit for anything below a B, however in one class I scored at or above the median on all exams and still got a B+. I'm fine with that grade, but I've had friends tell me that anything below an A is bad. I can't believe this is true (from my limited experience). I was just curious what the average grade is in grad school (is a B really equal to a C?). I'm in an applied math program btw.
 
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Some professors give everyone an A unless you do very poorly, some give out F's (yes, actual F's). My GPA at my first grad school was a 3.2; after transferring, my GPA at the second grad school (same rank) was 3.9 when I graduated. Every school has their own way of doing things. From what I've seen, the basic classes you take when you arrive are 'A is great, B is good, C is a problem' and seminar or more specialized courses are 'most people get an A, B isn't great, C means you didn't show up'.
 


I think it's best to look at the guidelines for your particular grad program. For mine, there is a certain minimum GPA to be able to take the qualifying exams, and after that there may also be some requirements for continuing in the program. But once you are doing research, that's what really counts, and as long as you are fulfilling the requirements, as far as I can tell focusing on the research at the expense of grades is OK.
 


It certainly depends on the program. When I was a student, A was roughly the top half of the course, B was the bottom half, and C was failing.
 


I was talking to one of the candidates for the tenure-track professor position open at my school about his experience at grad school, and one thing he said was grades really don't matter in grad school. As long as you learn the material and get at least a B, nobody really cares if you got an A or a B.
 


Jack21222 said:
I was talking to one of the candidates for the tenure-track professor position open at my school about his experience at grad school, and one thing he said was grades really don't matter in grad school. As long as you learn the material and get at least a B, nobody really cares if you got an A or a B.

No one else but me finds a contradiction in this post? Really?
 


clope023 said:
No one else but me finds a contradiction in this post? Really?

It's not necessarily a contradiction. The implication could be, "Nobody cares whether you get an 'A' or a 'B' (so long as you have at least a 'B')."
 
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Anyone know about Berkeley math grad school's general policy? I'm going to be taking quite a few courses there so I'm pretty curious if the curves are more lenient than what they are in undergrad courses.
 


clope023 said:
No one else but me finds a contradiction in this post? Really?

There is no contradiction in my post. As long as you meet the absolute minimum grade (which is a B,) nobody cares what you get. B, B+, A-, A... doesn't really matter according to the gentleman I spoke to.
 
  • #10


Anonymous217 said:
Anyone know about Berkeley math grad school's general policy? I'm going to be taking quite a few courses there so I'm pretty curious if the curves are more lenient than what they are in undergrad courses.

You must be very proud of yourself to be taking classes at Berkeley. May I suggest asking someone actually involved in the department?
 
  • #11


hadsed said:
You must be very proud of yourself to be taking classes at Berkeley. May I suggest asking someone actually involved in the department?

Well, if I'm asking a faculty member, they'd most probably give a very broad and general answer. After all, saying "most people get As as long as they work hard" is something no person in a department would guarantee unless they actually teach the class. I'd imagine something more like, "you'd have to be more specific and ask the professor related to the course as each course depends". And yes, I'm quite proud. It's one of the main reasons why Berkeley was the school I picked over the others: to take math grad classes there.
 

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