low GPA want to apply to graduate school(online program?)

Graduate School
1

I am a student from a high ranking university, with 2.6 GPA. I am considering some online master program offered by Georgia Institute of Tech or coursera with UIUC, do I have a chance? I am thinking if online program will have a low GPA cutoff, but may be wishful thinking.

2

The GPA cutoff will be even lower if you get a job first and have that job sponsor your graduate school. As it stands now, it’s probably a longshot.

Also, Coursera doesn’t have admissions, so you can just take those courses whenever you want.

3

Graduate schools normally look at the last 2 years. If those grades are 3.0 or above, you have a good shot if you score decent on the GRE. You won’t get into a prestigious school, but you could get into a respectable one. In the end, it won’t matter. You’ll be the guy with the master’s degree!

4

Many/most Unis want to see a 3.0 for graduate studies. GaTech posts 3.0 is the minimum for one of its online programs. Applicants with a sub 3.0 will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, at least for that program.

5

Unless you have accomplished something else pretty remarkable, it is doubtful that any respectable grad program would admit you, online or not. With a 2.6 GPA you have not demonstrated enough academic ability and/or effort to expect that you could succeed in graduate coursework. As @bluebayou noted, a 3.0 is usually the minimum for consideration, and competitive programs like GaTech and UIUC will expect to see significantly higher even for online. “Cash-cow” programs where no funding is offered (usually because they expect employers to pay) will be more forgiving but even they will have a hard time letting someone in with a 2.6.

I am not sure why you want to pursue a graduate degree given your undergraduate performance, but you have three options that I can see working:

  1. Improve your GPA. I am not sure where you are in your studies, but if you have not yet graduated then you still have the chance to do so. If you have graduated, or will in the next semester or two, then taking additional senior or grad-level classes as a “special” or non-degree student can give a newer and alternate set of grades that can be used to justify your admission… provided those new grades are impressive.

  2. Find some impressive way to demonstrate that you have exceptional academic ability not reflected in your GPA. This could either be done by accomplishments not included in GPA (like exceptional research and publications) and/or finding a compelling explanation for your low GPA that is both not your fault (like a medical condition) and now under control. If you go the “explanation” route, understand that it needs to be genuine and documented - an explanation might work, but an excuse almost never will.

  3. Time. The relevance of your GPA fades with time, because it represents who you were at the time of the classes but you now might be substantially different. Graduate programs will still need a reason to admit you, so if you are applying 5 years after your undergrad then you might get in with a good career in industry but probably won’t if all you’ve done in that time is job hunt and flip burgers.

Those are the options that I can see, and none of them are particularly favorable. As the farmer in an old proverb says to a lost traveler “If I were you, I wouldn’t start from here!”