Undergraduate Grades as Indicators of Success in Master's Degree Programs in Education

Abstract

Using two criteria of success—the graduate grade point average and major professor's rating—and grouping the subjects accordingly, the study sought to determine if there were significant differences at the 0.05 level among the groups in regard to over‐all undergraduate GPA's, upper division undergraduate GPA's, and amount of change between freshman and senior GPA's. A stratified random sample of 173 master's degree graduates of Auburn University and the University of Tennessee were used as subjects. By use of the F test and Kramer's extension of Duncan's Multiple Range test it was found that: (a) in 9 of 14 cases there were significant differences among groups in regard to over‐all undergraduate GPA's; (b) in 9 of 14 instances there were significant differences in upper division undergraduate GPA's; (c) and in one instance the change in GPA was significantly different. It was concluded that over‐all undergraduate and upper division GPA's were good predictors of success; whereas, the change in GPA was of no value.