DegreeMAP for Students

DegreeMAP logo

DegreeMAP is a tool that students and advisors can use to (M)easure (A)cademic (P)rogress toward completion of a student's degree or certificate program. The tool will display the requirements for the student’s program of study and apply their coursework (also known as academic history) to those requirements. Some programs may also contain non-course requirements needed for graduation, such as required exams, papers, dissertation, colloquium and more. DegreeMAP can include in-progress and preregistered courses to show how currently-enrolled classes will apply to requirements. Please note that your registration standing is based on your total credits earned on your transcript, not your DegreeMAP progress.

DegreeMAP also allows students and advisors the option to run a "What If…" audit which apply their current academic history to a different set of requirements so that they can discuss how adding or dropping a major, minor, or concentration will impact their progress toward completion. DegreeMAP is available for all students who matriculated in 2007 or beyond with the exception of the MD program. If your requirements are not showing in DegreeMAP or if you have any questions about how your courses are applying, please contact your academic advisor.

 

Accessing DegreeMAP

Students can access DegreeMAP through GWeb.

DegreeMAP Benefits

DegreeMAP reduces confusion by providing the ability to monitor progress toward program completion, review outstanding requirements prior to registration, and in some cases can also reduce time-to-completion. The use of DegreeMAP brings a measure of consistency to the application of University and School/College rules.

Included within DegreeMAP is a powerful exception handling capability to allow for Schools and Colleges to grant specific exceptions for individual students on individual requirements. If your academic history is not being applied the way you expect, please contact your academic advisor. They can advise on the school-specific policies for making requests for exceptions to your program.

DegreeMAP provides the following benefits:

  • Provides a framework for meaningful conversations between students and advisors
  • Improves transparency about program requirements
  • Facilitates tracking of progress toward program completion
  • Serves as a planning tool for future registration 
  • Assists in making more strategic course registration choices
  • Documents advisor notes and exceptions permitted for individual students
  • Offers "What If..." functionality to see the potential impact of planned course registration on current curriculum or explore the potential effects of a change in major, minor, or concentration
  • Offers GPA calculators to project cumulative GPA

Using DegreeMAP to Track Progress Toward Degree

DegreeMAP is an advising tool intended to be used by students collaboratively with their advisor to keep track of outstanding requirements, to assist in selecting courses during registration, and to help students make the best use of their time here at GW.

Online Tutorials

Disclaimer: DegreeMAP is an advising tool and is not a contract. It is the responsibility of each student to be aware of and understand the requirements of the selected program in accordance with the bulletin. Students should contact their academic advisor for assistance in interpreting or verifying the accuracy of any information contained within this report. This audit report is not an academic transcript and it is not official notification of completion of degree or certificate requirements.

What-If Audits

DegreeMAP also allows students and advisors the option to run a "What If…" audit which apply their current academic history to a different set of requirements so that they can discuss how adding or dropping a major, minor, concentration, or class will impact their progress toward completion. 

How-to Use What-If Audit Features

"What-if…" audits allow a student to “try on” changes to their record to see how their progress will be impacted based on enrollment in new courses or curricula. The “Future Classes” functionality allows students to add planned courses for the semester to see how they would apply to their current curriculum before they register. The “What-If Analysis” allows students to explore the requirements for an alternate program of study without changing their currently declared program.. "What-If..." tools can be useful for students considering adding a class or adding or removing major, minor or concentration or considering enrolling in a second program (such as a certificate) because it can show a complete picture of how their progress will change when courses are reapplied in the new scenario.* Students are encouraged to use the What-If audit in consultation with their academic advisor.

* Transferring colleges or changing majors may require specific credit or GPA requirements. Please consult the college or major you wish to change to for more details.

The What-If tools are available on the Worksheets tab in DegreeMAP located under the student header to the right of the Academic view tab.

Future Classes

 To explore the "Future Classes" functionality click the "Use Current Curriculum” checkbox and enter planned courses.

Screenshot depicting future classes option in DegreeMAP

Screenshot depicting What-If process in DegreeMAP

To explore a curriculum change (adding or dropping a major, minor, concentration) leave the “Use Current Curriculum” checkbox unchecked. Select or deselect In-progress and/or preregistered classes, as preferred, and select your updated program information. Be sure to include the effective Academic year, Degree, Level, at least one Major and College that offers your primary major. If considering a second major, minor or concentration, click the drop down to the right of “Additional areas of study” to reveal a “+” button that will allow additional curricular information. 

Screenshot depicting Additional areas of study in DegreeMAP

Areas of Study

The next section is labeled "Areas of Study." Choose the Major, Minor, College, and/or Concentration that you are considering. In order to accurately represent the degree requirements for the selected program of study, the Major and the College sections should be selected.

It is strongly advised that you work with your academic advisor when choosing Major, Minor, College, and/or Concentration to review as it may be possible that the combination you have chosen is not a possible degree path.

Areas of Study

Courses entered here will display as "Planned" and will be applied to program requirements where appropriate.

Once you have selected the course elements of the desired program of study, click the Process button at the bottom of the screen to generate the What-If audit. This audit is not saved anywhere and will NOT change your current curriculum.

Courses that are "PLANNED" show on the What-If worksheet with the grade "PLAN" and the term "PLANNED."

Planned Courses

Courses that do not apply to the requirements chosen in the What-If go into Fallthrough Courses section. Classes that apply to the student’s current degree and not to the What-If requirements will go into Fallthrough Courses, but are still applying to the credit total and GPA.

Questions about DegreeMAP?

Students should contact their academic advisor with any questions they have regarding the information presented in DegreeMAP.