Degree Works is a robust degree planning tool that enables students to connect their degree plans to their degree requirements and course registration. Students use Degree Works to evaluate their coursework against degree requirements, as well as facilitate academic planning for future semesters.
Reading Your Degree Evaluation
Each time you access Degree Works, a new degree evaluation is generated. Degree Works applies courses in a way that maximizes your completion of degree requirements on your degree evaluation.
Your degree evaluation lays out the requirements of your degree program with check boxes, giving you a clear indication of what is needed to complete your degree. When requirements are incomplete, “Still Needed” advice is provided so you know which courses will fulfill those requirements.
TIP: When you see “Still Needed” advice on your evaluation, you may click the course link to see the course description and tentative course schedules.
The degree evaluation is divided into the three components of your degree program: general education, major, and elective “blocks.” Students in the Honors program or with a declared minor will also have blocks for those requirements. Courses used in the general education block can be used in the major (or minor) as well. There is also an “Insufficient” block for courses that do not fulfill any requirements (typically these are withdrawn or failed courses).
You may view your evaluation in the full “Degree Audit” view, or use the “Courses Still Needed” view to see only your unfulfilled degree requirements. You may also print or save your audit as a PDF.
Have a question about your degree evaluation? Contact your academic advisor for assistance.
TIP: You may email your advisor directly from your Degree Works evaluation. In the header, click the advisor’s name to open a new email message addressed to that advisor.
Degree Planning Tools
Degree Works is more than a degree evaluation! Degree Works offers several planning tools so you can preview major and minor requirements, plug in a course to see how it will apply to your degree, and even build a four-year plan to complete your degree.
GPA Calculators
The Graduation Calculator allows you to determine how to achieve a desired GPA given your current GPA and the credits you have remaining to complete your degree.
The Term Calculator allows you to plug in your projected grades for your current courses and see how they impact your overall GPA.
The Advice Calculator allows you to enter a desired GPA and see how many credits it would take to achieve that GPA.
Note, the GPA Calculator tools do not account for repeated courses. Please consult your academic advisor for additional assistance when calculating your GPA to account for repeated courses.
Look Ahead
You may use the Look Ahead tool to quickly see how courses will apply toward your degree requirements. Add courses, then Process New to see where the courses will fall on the evaluation. Look Ahead courses will be displayed in blue with a placeholder grade of “PLAN.”
What-if Evaluations
The what-if tool allows you to explore prospective majors and minors prior to a formal declaration. All UMW majors and minors are available to preview through the What If tab. You may look at just one program, or choose several to display on one what-if evaluation.
TIP: the what-if tool also includes a Look Ahead feature, so you can quickly see how courses you might take would count in majors or minors you are considering.
Academic Plans
The Academic Planner is a tool you may use to build a semester-by-semester plan to complete your degree requirements within your desired timeframe. Build your plan using a template for your prospective major, where you can easily add future courses into your plan and see how they fulfill requirements.
Building your Plan
In Degree Works, navigate to the Plans tab, and select a Template from the template list, and open the template. Select the semester you want the plan to start, and you are ready to build your plan.
Use the Description to give your plan a personalized name, make your plan Active, and Save.
The templates include several pre-built terms with recommended courses for the intended major. Customize your plan from the course lists on the right side of the page. The “Still Needed” list shows courses that can fulfill your incomplete degree requirements. Alternatively the “Courses” list shows all courses in the UMW Catalog. Drag and drop courses from the list into your plan in the desired term.
TIP: View your plan in the “Audit” view to see your degree evaluation and your plan side-by-side.
Keep in mind as you build your plan that courses may not be offered in your desired term. Consult the Schedule of Courses to see which courses will be offered for a specific term. Course offerings are subject to change.