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Currently I have a BSc degree in Computer Science, and in the future I plan to get a Master degree in Computer Science. In my opinion, my BSc grades are good enough to help me be accepted at good universities in my country.

Also I'm considering doing a second BSc degree (in Electrical or Mechatronics Engineering), but I don't think I'll have enough time to study in order to get very good grades.

Could this ruin my academic record? Would it lower my chances of being accepted in a Master's course in the area of Computer Science?

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  • What are graduation grades? Do you mean the grades you received for your BSc? What is a graduation course?
    – user2768
    Commented Nov 4, 2015 at 21:03
  • Regardless of my above questions, I don't see how another course can "ruin [your] academic record." If your results are bad, then you can always omit them.
    – user2768
    Commented Nov 4, 2015 at 21:04
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    I suggest that you enrol on the Master's course, that qualification appears to be your goal. In parallel, you can study a second BSc part-time; perhaps you drop the second BSc, perhaps you eventually finish it. One question you should ask yourself: why do you want the second BSc?
    – user2768
    Commented Nov 4, 2015 at 21:23
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    There seems to be little point in taking the second BSc if you don't expect to study enough to get at least acceptable grades. Engineering courses tend to be cumulative - you will be lost in later courses if you have not fully absorbed earlier material.
    – Patricia Shanahan
    Commented Nov 4, 2015 at 23:14
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    @user2768 - RE: If your results are bad, then you can always omit them. Not necessarily so. Many graduate schools want to see ALL transcripts as part of the admissions process, and clearly state so. If the O.P. got a second degree from the same institution, it might be impossible to get a transcript with just the good grades and not the bad ones. If the second degree was from a different institution, that would be easier to omit, but it's still a risk – a violation that could result in a revoked admission.
    – J.R.
    Commented Nov 5, 2015 at 0:55

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Yes.

I think it is pretty obvious that if you provide the transcript for your second degree, a poor performance harms your chances. This provides relevant information about your academic ability and/or work ethic, which a graduate program would consider. It might even be weighed more heavily than your first degree, since it is more recent (and in a relevant subject to your planned masters').

So the question becomes can you just not tell graduate programs about your second degree? I don't think this is a viable option. A graduate program will expect you to submit information about all previous studies. Not submitting a transcript for a second batchelor's degree will most likely be breaking their rules. You would likely have to be deceptive in any application, interviews, and discussions with the potential graduate institution. I think this is just wrong, but even if you don't have any moral qualms about it, you are placing yourself in a very bad position. There is a chance you could get away with it, but you also might get caught, and that would have serious consequences.

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  • Thank you. I'll definitely take this into account in my decision. Probably I should postpone the second BSc to a moment after getting the Master's, if I decide to take the BSc at all.
    – Rafael
    Commented Nov 5, 2015 at 13:09

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