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Degree Planning

The degree planning tool helps you map out your academic path from enrollment to graduation.

Overview​

The planner provides:

  • Visual Timeline - See all four years at once
  • Requirement Integration - Know which requirements each course satisfies
  • Conflict Detection - Identify scheduling issues
  • Multiple Plans - Create and compare different scenarios

Creating a Plan​

Starting a New Plan​

  1. Navigate to Planning from the main menu
  2. Click New Plan
  3. Select your target degree (e.g., "Neuroscience BS")
  4. Choose a plan name (e.g., "Primary Plan" or "Honors Track")

Adding Courses​

  1. Click on a term in the planner
  2. Use the course search to find courses
  3. Click a course to add it to the term
  4. The system shows which requirements the course fulfills

The search supports multiple filters:

  • By Code - Search "PSYC 1" for Psychology courses
  • By Title - Search keywords like "cognition"
  • By Requirement - Find courses that satisfy specific requirements
  • By Instructor - Search by faculty name
  • By Time - Filter by meeting times

Understanding Requirements​

Requirement Groups​

Degrees are organized into requirement groups:

GroupDescriptionExample
CoreRequired foundational coursesPSYC 1, PSYC 11
MethodsResearch methodology coursesPSYC 10, PSYC 60
DistributionBreadth across subfieldsOne from each area
ElectivesFlexible upper-level coursesAny PSYC 50+
LabLaboratory experiencePSYC 65, PSYC 89

Requirement Rules​

Each rule specifies how courses satisfy requirements:

  • Specific Course - Must take exact course (PSYC 1)
  • Course List - Choose from a set of courses
  • Level Range - Any course in a range (PSYC 50-89)
  • Credit Minimum - Total credits needed

Viewing Requirement Status​

  1. Open the Progress tab in the planner
  2. Green checkmarks indicate satisfied requirements
  3. Yellow indicates in-progress courses
  4. Click any requirement to see applicable courses

Planning Features​

Term Planning​

For each term, you can:

  • Add up to 4 courses (recommended maximum)
  • See total credits for the term
  • Check for time conflicts
  • Mark courses as definite or tentative

What-If Analysis​

Explore different scenarios:

  1. Click What-If in the planner toolbar
  2. Select a different major or add a minor
  3. See how your current courses would apply
  4. Compare requirement fulfillment across options

Copy Plan​

Create variations of existing plans:

  1. Select an existing plan
  2. Click Copy Plan
  3. Give the copy a new name
  4. Modify without affecting the original

Validation​

Prerequisite Checking​

The system checks:

  • Course prerequisites are satisfied
  • Prerequisites are planned in earlier terms
  • Co-requisites are in the same term

Warnings appear for:

  • Missing prerequisites (red highlight)
  • Prerequisites in the same term (yellow warning)
  • Unverified prerequisites (gray note)

Graduation Verification​

The graduation checker validates:

  • All required courses are planned or completed
  • Minimum credit requirement is met
  • GPA requirements are on track
  • Special requirements (thesis, capstone) are satisfied

Tips for Effective Planning​

Start Early​

  • Map out all four years during your first year
  • Identify "bottleneck" courses with limited offerings
  • Plan for study abroad or leave terms

Be Flexible​

  • Create multiple plan versions
  • Mark uncertain courses as "tentative"
  • Review and update each term

Consult Advisors​

  • The planner is a tool, not official advice
  • Discuss plans with your faculty advisor
  • Check with the registrar for edge cases

Exporting Plans​

  1. Click Print in the planner toolbar
  2. Select terms to include
  3. Choose format (detailed or summary)
  4. Print or save as PDF

Share with Advisor​

  1. Click Share
  2. Enter your advisor's email
  3. They receive a read-only view link
  4. Link expires after 30 days

Troubleshooting​

  • Check if the course is offered in your selected term
  • Verify the course code spelling
  • Some courses may not be in the system yet

Requirement Not Showing as Satisfied​

  • Ensure the course is in a completed or enrolled state
  • Check if the course version matches the requirement
  • Contact support for manual override requests

Plan Not Saving​

  • Check your internet connection
  • Ensure you're logged in
  • Try refreshing the page
  • Changes save automatically every few seconds