Computer Science Bachelor for a non-US resident

[davewill]

The thing to understand about GPA when applying to master's programs is that the GPA calculated by your current school is not used. Each program will take all of your transcripts and calculate a GPA according to their own rules. Sometimes they simply take all your credits and use that for your GPA. Sometimes they take the 60 most recent credits. Alt credit is generally not included in this calculation as it does not represent graded RA credit. Whether an minimum number of graded credits is required will be specific to the school.

Where you took an individual course is generally not important except for prerequisites. Prerequisites are individual courses that the program requires you to take before entering the program. For example, an MBA program may require you to have taken certain accounting courses, or a marketing course. It is not unusual to require these to be taken at an RA school.

Often if you don't have them, you can take them at the institution before starting the program proper, however that tends to be expensive, so it's better to have taken them at the undergraduate level. This is an area where you may want to determine these courses in advance and include them in the courses you take from RA sources while working on your degree. If necessary, you can take them from an RA school after your degree is awarded.

All of this depends on the policies of the individual grad program. If you are flexible about where you study, then alt credit is generally not a concern. We have seen people accepted who have earned almost all of their credit from alternative sources. If you have your sights set on a particular program, however, then it is wise to research the admissions criteria for that program and make sure your plans are aligned.