Academic Planning

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Use these resources to develop your academic plan and stay on track to graduate.

  1. Figure out which requirements you have to fulfill.
    This page walks you through how to view your degree evaluation—a record of your program requirements and your progress towards completing them. Read this FAQ about the degree evaluation for more information.
  2. Find out if you have a foreign language requirement.
    The Languages, Literatures, and Cultures department website explains the language requirements for various majors and options to partially or fully bypass them or if you have fluency in another language besides English.
  3. Create your 4 year plan
    To create your semester by semester academic plan (often called a 4-year plan), we recommend you view all your requirements on your degree evaluation, list them all out somewhere, and start arranging them in this Google sheets template or any electronic document. The format isn't important. If you use our Google Sheet, make sure to make a copy for yourself before entering in your plan. Make sure the total number of credits adds up to 128. Don't worry about it being perfect - it is just a first draft. Create it somewhere that you can edit easily.  Note - if you are switching majors or haven't declared your major yet, you may need to use the what if analysis to view what requirements you'll need to complete  for the new major.
  4. Go over your 4 year plan with advisers
    Once you have created a draft 4-year plan, meet with advisers in your major and minors to gather their feedback and ideas. If you are unsure how to contact the right adviser or are considering a new program, contact the major department.  Some departments utilize peer advisers, drop-in advising, or group advising.  CASA can help you identify the appropriate person in your department(s) to speak to and how to reach them if you need help - however, please note, CASA coaches are NOT academic advisers.
  5. Make sure your plan will work with special programs and/or study abroad
    If you are considering going Pre-Med, go over your 4 Year Plan with the pre-health adviser.  If you think you may want to become a teacher, go over your 4 year plan with the Undergraduate Teacher Education Center.  If you are in the Honors College or another special program like BASE or SII, meet an adviser from that program as well.  If you are thinking of study abroad, set up a meeting with the Center for Global Education. 
  6. Make sure you are on track to graduate
    After you register for your second to last semester, we encourage you to apply to graduate. This gives the Graduation Center time to confirm what they have on file for you regarding your progress towards graduation. By applying then, you will have ample time to confer with your major adviser if there are any discrepancies or you have any questions.