Advisor's Guide to DegreeMAP

DegreeMAP is a tool that provides one with the ability to monitor progress towards program completion, review outstanding requirements prior to registration, and it can be beneficial to reducing time-to-completion. The utilization of DegreeMAP brings a measure of consistency to the application of University, College, and School academic policies.

One benefit of DegreeMAP is that advisors and staff are able to view worksheets, features, and functionality exactly as students see them, so you can be sure you're on the same page. Advisors and staff are encouraged to review the DegreeMAP for Students website for an overview of DegreeMAP. In addition to the Student content, Advisors and staff will have additional levels of access, depending on their role at the institution. Advisor and staff-specific features are covered below.

Advisor access is granted upon request to [email protected]. Permissions will include view access to all students with DegreeMAP worksheets and associated tools, petitions submission privilages, and the ability to lock and activate student Plans for tracking. If additional functionality is required by your role, such as petition approval and/or Plans template management, then a supervisor must be cc'd or must submit the request on behalf of the employee.

Note: This Guide is intended as an overview of DegreeMAP standards and functionality. We recommend that you also consult your supervisor with any questions, as some business processes may vary from school to school. Please consider this Guide as a living document. We will continue to update with additional content in response to user inquiry, current issues, and new functionality. We recommend bookmarking this page and checking back periodically for new information.

Accessing DegreeMAP for Advisors

To access DegreeMAP, go to GWeb and follow the instructions for logging in.

Eligible staff will see an Advsor tile. Click the "Access DegreeMAP" link:

A new tab will open with the DegreeMAP application ready for you to search for a student:

A worksheets page featuring a search box for entering a student's ID, with an option below it for advanced search.

Navigating DegreeMAP

At the top of the DegreeMAP "Responsive Dashboard" is a header bar which helps users navigate through the application. In addition to Worksheets, Plans, and Links that are described in DegreeMAP for Students, eligible staff will have an Admin menu that includes access to Exception Management and Template Management. This access is assigned on a case by case basis at the request of a supervisor in accordance with your role at the University.

A top menu with options listed as Worksheets, Plans, Admin, and Links.

Student Data Card

Please see Navigating DegreeMAP on DegreeMAP for Students for additional information about the Student Data Card.

Searching for Students

Basic Search by GWID

Load a student worksheet by inputting a GWID into the Student ID box and Click "Search"

Advanced Search by Name

If you don’t have a GWID, click on "Advanced search" and input first (chosen) and last name or find a list of students based on curriculum information.

A 'Find Students' page with search boxes for student ID, first name and last name.

Note: If you're not sure of the GWID or spelling of the student's name, you can search based on a partial name. The first name search field searches on any part of the Chosen name and middle initial. For example, if a student's name is George Washington, then searching for George, Geo, Org, or Rge will all find this student. The last name field searches by the leading letters in the last name. Searching on Washington or Wash will find this student, but searching on Ing or Ton will not. When searching by the first or last name, do not enter any special characters. For example, if you search for a student whose name is O'Bama, Barack, enter OBama in the last name field to successfully find the student. If you enter O'Bama, the system will display an error.

Advanced Search by Curriculum and Additional Search Options

You can also find a group of students by Curriculum or by including Additional Search Options:

A Curriculum page featuring search options for degree, student level, class level, academic year, minor, college, and concentration.

Note: Degree, Level, Academic year, and Degree will allow for only one value to be selected, while the other curriculum data will allow for multiple values to be selected. Multiple selections in the same data item will be an AND. This means that if you choose majors of both Art History and Chemistry, the search results will return only students who have both majors – either on the same degree or different degrees. Selections from different data items are also an AND. For example, if you select Degree: BA and Major: Art History and Major: Chemistry, you are saying to select any student with the BA degree and both the Art History major and the Chemistry major, so BA degree students with dual majors of Art History and Chemistry (and possibly additional majors, minors, or concentrations).

A curriculum search may return former and current students so it’s often best to include an Academic Year in which the student declared the program or Class Level to narrow your search.

Additional Search Options

The additional search options currently available include:

An additional search option menu with search fields for applied graduation term, special interest programs, and scholars programs.

Applied for Graduation by Term: Includes students with ANY pending/active applications in Banner (ie. graduation/outcome status of LC, PG, CP or SO in SHADEGR), but not necessarily tied to selected curriculum. Awarded, Not Cleared, Withdrawn, and Rescinded applications are not included in this filter.
Special Interest Programs: Includes students designated as Women's Leadership Program, BA/MD, and University Honors Program in Banner (SGASADD).
Scholars Programs: Includes students designated in Scholars Programs in Banner (SGASADD)

Executing a Search

Once you've input your search criteria, click "Search" and a list of students will be returned with a checkbox to the left of each name:

A student search table displaying the GWID, name, degree, major, level and class level of each student that matches the set criteria.

Select the checkbox next to the student(s) you’d like to include in your picklist, and click "Select":

Two optional buttons, one labeled 'Cancel' and the other labeled 'Select'.

If you have selected multiple students, a "Select Student" dropdown option will appear in the Worksheets to the right of the Student ID search box:

A search menu with a search box to enter a student ID, a drop-down menu to select from a list of students, and an advanced search option listed underneath the student ID box.

Navigating a Worksheet

Please see the Navigating a Worksheet menu on DegreeMAP for Students for information about:

View Historic Audits: View prior versions of how courses were previously applied to curricular requirements.
Expand and Collapse Requirement Blocks
Informational Cards: In-progress and Preregistered Courses, Insufficient, Not Counted, Fallthrough General Electives, Exceptions (if applicable, they will show within the audit and summarized below), and Notes.
Processing an Academic Audit: processing a new audit to reevaluate how courses are applied to curricular requirements.

Student Data Card and Degree Progress

Navigate to Worksheets by Searching for a Student or clicking the Worksheets button at the top of the DegreeMAP screen.

Data Refresh

Data is refreshed from Banner overnight and periodically throughout the day, so it can be helpful to look for certain indicators on the Worksheet to confirm when changes have been made.

A summary section displaying the date and time the audit was last refreshed, with a refresh button icon featuring two arrows chasing each other in a circle.

In addition to the Data Refresh information that is available to students, advisors have the option to refresh data on demand using the Refresh button (pictured above as two arrows in a circle shape) when updating information in Banner that they wish to see immediately reflected in DegreeMAP (ex. curriculum change in SFAREGW/SGASTDN, student attributes in SGASADD, non-course requirements in SHANCRS, etc.).

Changing Worksheet Format

In additiont to the Worksheet Formats available to students, advisors have a Registrar Report which provides detailed view with curriculum coding rules that guide how the auditor applies course and non-course requirements.

A drop-down menu with 'Student View' selected as the current option.

A drop-down menu listing options such as Registrar Report, Student View, Graduation Checklist, and Unmet Requirements, with 'Student View' currently selected.

Additional Report Views

There are additional visualizations that allow advisors to gain further insight into DegreeMAP infrastructure. Eligible users will find these links just above the Degree block.

Student Data: Spreadsheet of student data that was extracted/imported from Banner.
Diagnostic Report: Technical details for how the DegreeMAP auditor decides to apply requirements. Available for advisors with petitions approval access only.

Interpreting Requirements

Please see the Navigating a Worksheet menu on DegreeMAP for Students for information about:

Block Structure and Types: Block Header, Remarks/Comments, Requirements.
Informational Cards: In-progress and Preregistered Courses, Insufficient, Not Counted, Fallthrough General Electives, Exceptions (if applicable, they will show within the audit and summarized below), and Notes.
Processing an Academic Audit: processing a new audit to reevaluate how courses are applied to curricular requirements.

Additional Tools and the More Menu

Additional Tools

Please see DegreeMAP for Students for information about Printing, Contacts Card, and the "More" menu features including the GPA Calculator, Class History, and Notes. In addition to these features, advisors will also see Petitions in the More menu:

Petitions

Petitions allow faculty and advisors to enter requests for exceptions to have a particular requirement or policy modified or waived for a particular student. A preview of all petitions that have been entered for the student displays initially. The list can be filtered by the petition status, either awaiting approval, approved, applied as exception, or rejected. The date the petition was created, the author of the petition and the petition status will display for each petition. Example:

Note: Please see the Petitions and Petition Approval sections of this website for detailed guidelines about Petitions.

Notes Tool

To view, add, modify or delete notes that have been applied to the student’s audit, click on the Notes tab. Notes are a way for Advisors to document conversations with students or to communicate a specific message. Notes are visible on the audit worksheet, to the student, and to other advisors. Non-academic personal information should not be included in a note entered in DegreeMAP.

Adding a Note

To Add a note to a student’s record click on the ellipses menu on the Worksheets page and select the “Notes” option:

Ellipses dropdown menu with the 'Notes' option selected.

This will then lead you to the “Notes” pop-up window. Here you can view the notes that have already been submitted for this student (if there are any), and you will have the option to “Add a new note”:

Notes block displaying a list of notes created for a student, with a button at the bottom labeled 'Add a new note'.

Once you click on the “Add a new note” button, you will be redirected to the “Add a new note” menu. From here you can click on the drop-down arrow on the “Predefined notes” section to select notes to use that have already been previously created. Or, you can add your own specific note down in the “Add description” box. Once you’re done creating your note, click on the “Save note” button:

a New Note block featuring a dropdown menu to select the type of note, a description box to enter information, and options to either cancel or save the note.

Once you click the “Save note” button, you will be directed back to the “Notes” page where the one you submitted will not populate on the overall notes list, in which the created on date will be populated as well as the name of the individual who initially created the note:

Notes block displaying details of each note, including the creation date, the person who created the note, and a summary of the note's content. A button at the bottom allows the user to 'Add a New Note.'

Here you will have another ellipses menu to the far right of the notes that currently exist. Here it will offer you the options to View note, Edit note or Delete note.

Note: Students do not have the ability to enter, modify, or delete notes.

Modifying Notes

To modify notes, click on the ellipses menu on the “Notes” window and select “Edit Note”. The text box displayed on this screen is the place to modify the note. Simply make changes to the displayed text of the note to be modified and click the “Save note” button at the bottom right of the window. Advisors can only modify notes that they themselves have created. The Registrar’s Office reserves the right to modify or delete any notes in the DegreeMAP system.

Edit Note block displaying the creation date, the person who created the note, and a description box to edit the note's content. At the bottom right, options to 'Cancel' or 'Save' the edited note.

Deleting Notes

To delete notes click on the “Delete Note” option from the ellipses menu for the note you are wanting to delete. This will take you to a window that will verify if you want to permanently delete this particular note. Click on the “Delete note” button to permanently delete it. Once deleted, notes cannot be recovered. Advisors can only delete notes that that they themselves have created. The Registrar’s Office reserves the right to modify or delete any notes in the DegreeMAP system.

Delete Note block with a prompt asking if you are sure you want to delete the note. Options at the bottom right to either 'Cancel' or 'Delete Note.'

Petitions

The "Petitions" workflow is used by staff to submit a request to apply an exception (ie. to policy or curriculum) to a student's worksheet. Eligible users (typically advisors, faculty, and some program staff) can submit petitions through the "More Menu" in the upper right hand corner of a student's worksheet. Petitions are first designated as "Awaiting School Approval" and must be approved by within the School or College. Staff who are eligible to approve petitions vary based on the business practices of the student's primary School or College. Upon approval by the School or College, the petition moves to the "Approved by School" queue and is ready to be applied as an exception by staff on the DegreeMAP team in the Office of the Registrar. At that time their status moves to the "Applied Petitions" list. Typically, exceptions are applied within 1-2 business days after approval by the School or College, but may take longer during peak periods such as during registration and graduation clearance cycles.

Petition Submission Guidelines

Before Submission

Please review the following list of considerations for why a petition may not be appropriate. Consult with your supervisor and/or reach out to the DegreeMAP team at [email protected] to provide additional guidance or to help troubleshoot any issues.

Think of petitions as "Petitions for Exceptions" to policy that are unique actions for a specific student. If there is an issue with a course that is not applying as expected in accordance with bulletin curriculum, sharing/double-counting rules, standard practice, college or university policy, please send an email including the GWID of one or more impacted student, a link to the published policy, and a description of the issue.
If you are not sure why a requirement is still pending even though you know it's fulfilled (ex. if you see a "See Advisor" notation), please do not submit a petition to "Force Complete" it.
Review prior petitions to avoid duplication. If prior petitions were not applied correctly, did not have the expected effect, or have become unhooked or uninforced, contact the DegreeMAP team to ask us to make a correction or reapply the petition. Be sure to include the GWID, copy and paste the original petition, and provide any additional clarification on the expected outcome if it appears that the petition was misinterpreted.
Review the audit worksheet to make sure that the course you want to use is appearing and not already applying to a requirement. Some courses may need a level change first in order to apply a petition. (For example, if a graduate level course was taken during an undergraduate program and it's eligible to double-count.)
Curriculum changes or changes in course level are not petitions. These are changes that should be submitted through standard declaration or registration processes.
Minimize the number of petitions you submit by considering whether the auditor will automatically apply the next logical course. For example, if moving an elective to a requirement, then a second petition is likely not needed to apply a new eligible elective.

Petitions should not be submitted for students who have graduated.

Submitting Petitions

It's helpful to have two browser windows open when submitting petitions so that you can view the student's worksheet in one window and submit the petition in the other.

Exceptions to Writing in the Disciplines (WID) policy (ie. moving courses into or out of the WID block) require review of the WID program. The student should contact the program directly and upon approval a WID advisor will submit a petition if appropriate. Their review is NOT required to apply or share a WID course to another block.
Include only one request per class/per action. If multiple actions need to occur, then submit multiple requests.
Petitions are not required for actions that are going to processed automatically by the auditor. For example, in order to place a different course on a fulfilled requirement, you do not need to submit one petition to remove the original course and a second petition to place a new course. Simply submit a petition to remove the original course and the next appropriate course will be applied. Alternately, you can submit a petition to apply another course to the requirement and the original course will be moved to the next eligible requirement.

Note: Ideally, petitions are used to apply courses that are in Fall Through because those courses could not be placed in accordance with standard curriculum. While you MAY submit petitions to move courses that are already applied to an eligible requirement based on preference for another eligible course, we do not recommend it. DegreeMAP is designed to maximize the use of all registered courses based on the status of courses at the time the worksheet is processed. When a course is applied by petition/exception it may get locked into place on that requirement and may not be re-evaluated for best fit as classes are added, dropped, or graded in the future. If there is a program-wide order of priority that is preferred, please feel free to email [email protected] and we can see if further optimization is feasible.

Modifying or Deleting Petitions

Petitions should not be modified or deleted if they have already been applied to a student’s audit and are under “Petitions applied as exceptions” in the Petitions tab. If an applied petition was submitted incorrectly, approved by mistake, needs to be reversed, approval has been revoked, or a previously approved action was not completed by the student, please email [email protected] to request a change. Deleting petitions will not remove the action itself from the worksheet, so the email request is required.

You may delete an unneeded petition if it has not yet been approved and applied as exception.

Formatting Guidelines

Following certain formatting standards helps petition approvers identify their designtated programs more promptly and helps the DegreeMAP team more accurately interpret the request that has been submitted. Petitions will not be rejected solely on the basis of formatting issues, however, if they do not follow the recommendations they have an increased risk of being significantly delayed or incorrectly applied.

Start petitions with college/school abbreviation and degree to help facilitate the approval process.
Describe the action to be taken, the course that should be used, and where exactly it should be applied.
Copy and paste the course information (subject, number, title, and term) EXACTLY as it appears on the audit.
Copy and paste the requirement label EXACTLY as it appears on the requirement label.
You may wish to start with the following template:
COLLEGE ABBREV/DEGREE ABBREV: ACTION SUBJECT NUMBER (include title and term if needed for clarity ex. special topics) for REQUIREMENT in BLOCK.

Types of Exceptions:

Apply Course: Used to move a course from one place on the worksheet to another, for example from fall through to a requirement, or from one requirement to another. It adds a course to the list of eligible courses to complete a requirement, however, the original list of courses is still eligible.
Samples:
GWSB/BS: Apply MKTG 4150 to Marketing: Strategic Planning in Field Concentration in Finance.
ESIA/MA: Apply IAFF 6118 "Rsch Methds in Glob Gender Iss" to Research Methods in Program Reqs in International Affrs block.
ESIA/MA: Apply IAFF 6118 "Rsch Methds in Glob Gender Iss" to Research Methods in Program Reqs in International Affrs block. Minimum grade requirement waived.
SPH/DPH: Apply any PUBH 6000-level elective to Environmental & Biological Foundations in MPH Core.
Substitute: Similar to apply course, but will replace the original eligible course(s). May be helpful if a course is no longer offered and you want to steer students to an alternate for a requirement that hasn't been completed yet. Not often used. Use same format as above, but use "Substitute" in place of "Apply."
Share: Used to apply a course to two or more requirements. Be sure to list each requirement where the course should be applied.
Sample:
SPH/BS: Share EXNS 1114 with Guided Electives in Exercise Science major block and Selectives in Nutrition minor block.
ESIA/BA: Share HIST 1101 with Humanities in University Gen Eds block, World History in ESIA General Reqs block, and Intro Courses in History major block.
Waive: Used to waive a requirement or qualifier on a requirement (such as a minimum grade, minimum subject spread, etc.). If you're intending to waive a course, but the credits are still needed to complete the program or degree, then we recomment that you submit an "apply" petition to apply a course to the requirement rather than "waive" the course.
Change Credits/Classes Required: Used to increase the number of courses or classes needed to complete a requirement or to move a course out of Not Counted.
Sample(s):
CCAS/BA: Increase allowable LSPA credits from 3 to 6 credits.
SPH/MPH: Waive PUBH 6003 and increase Electives from 9 to 12 credits.
CCAS/PhD: Allow 4 classes taken prior to admit term.
Remove Course: Used to move a course out of a requirement to push it to another eligble slot or prioritize another course for the requirement. Note: If the course is ineligble to meet the requirement and shouldn't have been applied in the first place, please contact the DegreeMAP team to ensure it's being correctly excluded from the requirement.
Sample:
ESIA/BA: Remove HIST 1310 from
Move to Not Counted: Used to remove a course from applying to the degree in accordance with unversity policy. Note: This should not be used as a means of academic forgiveness or solely for the purpose of improving a program GPA.
GWSB/BS: Move HIST 1310 (Fall 2024) to Not Counted. Transferred course, but will be repeating course at GW.
GWSB/BA: Move ACCY 2001 (Fall 2023) to Not Counted. Minimum grade requirement not met, student repeated class.
CCAS/BA: Move HIST 1311 to Not Counted to allow another AP course to apply.

Note: Exception to a university-wide policy or college-wide policy (such as waiver of minimum GPA or reduction in minimum total credit) requires a Dean's memo submitted through the University Registrar in support of the waiver. A petition isn't required as the memo will be forwarded to the DegreeMAP team upon approval. For issues where total credits are not met but all requirements are complete (for example, if courses were transferred in with less than 3 credits), consider whether there are other courses in fall through or that can be shared with other requirements that are appropriate to apply as an additional elective in order to meet the total credit requirement so that a reduction of credits isn't needed.

Tips to Ensure Successful Processing

In addition to the guidelines described above, consider the following tips to ensure succedssful processing:

If a course is a special topic you MUST include either the term in which the topic was completed or the exact title that appears on the worksheet. If this is information is not provided and the course is repeated then DegreeMAP will apply any section of the course, not necessarily the one that you intend.
If you want a course to be applied to multiple requirements, the petition must explicitly say so using the word "share" and you should list each requirement that you want the course to apply to. Please do not indicate that you want to share between a specific requirement "... in addition to where it is already applying." Courses are reevaluated by the auditor constantly, so if a course is moved based on new data then we will not know what the petition intended.
If you want to move a course from one requirement to another requirement, the petition must explicitly say so and explain where you are moving the course from.
Requests to move courses to Not Counted must be justifiable by policy, not preference (ex. in accordance with university or program repeat or minimum grade policy.) They may NOT be moved to Not Counted for the sole purpose of raising DegreeMAP GPA's. Courses which are Not Counted in DegreeMAP are still part of the student's official transcript and will in turn factor into relevant credit total and GPA calculations.

Petitions Process

Process Overview

The following steps are an overview for how a petition becomes an exception:

Faculty, Staff, Advisor submits petition through Student Worksheet

moves to Awaiting Approval queue

Next level approver takes action on the petition

may add comments to petition at this time
if Approved - moves to Approved by School queue
if Rejected - moves to Rejected list

DegreeMAP Team takes action on the petition

If no escalation or clarification is needed, we will apply as exception and will move to the Applied as Exception list
Some petitions may require escalation before applying (for example, if an exception to university level policy is being requested) and submitter will be contacted for additional guidance.
The DegreeMAP team does not gatekeep schools' policy exceptions but may move petition to rejected for administrative purposes, most often when the petition isn't needed because it's the wrong workflow for the action that is being requested or temporarily while clarification is sought.
In both cases the petition will be updated with a comment briefly describing the pending status.

Note: Typically, exceptions are applied within 1-2 business days after approval by the School or College, but may take longer during peak periods such as during registration and graduation clearance cycles. If a petition needs to be expedited, please email [email protected] and we may be able to accommodate the request.

View, Add, Modify, Delete

To view, add, modify or delete petitions that have been added to a student’s record, click on the three dot menu and select the “Petitions” option.

A list is provided under the ellipses with the options of 'GPA Calculator, Class History, Petitions and Notes'. The 'Petitions' option has been selected.

Petition block displaying the status, creation date, creator, and contents of each petition. An 'Add a New Petition' button is located at the bottom right.

Adding a Petition

To add a petition to a student’s record click on the “Petition” link in the ellipses menu. Once the new “Petitions” window appears, you will have the option to “Add a new petition”. Advisors may add a petition by typing in the text box. Information about which courses the exception should apply to and the reason for the petition should be input here.

Once the petition is entered click “Save Petition”

Add a New Petition block with a description box to enter the petition contents, and two buttons at the bottom right to either 'Cancel' or 'Save Petition.

Once the petition is added, the Petitions window will appear with a green banner letting you know that the petition has been successfully added, and it will be displayed on the Petitions window.

Modifying Petitions

Should a petition need to be modified prior to approval by the School/College, Advisors can click on the ellipses menu on the Petitions window and select “Edit Petition”.

Ellipsis dropdown menu with the 'Edit Petition' option selected.

To update the text of the petition, simply type in the text box. Then click the icon to the “Save petition” button to save your changes.

Edit Petition block displaying the creation date, creator, status, and description of the petition. At the bottom right, two buttons are available: 'Cancel' and 'Save Petition'.

Deleting Petitions

Deleting a petition is also done from the Petitions window. Click on the ellipses menu on the right of the petition that you want to delete, and then select “Delete petition”.

Ellipsis dropdown menu with the 'Delete Petition' option selected.

This will result in a pop-up window appearing, asking if you want to permanently delete this petition or not. Click on the “Delete petition” button to continue. Petitions cannot be recovered once deleted.

Delete Petition menu displaying a prompt asking if you are sure you want to delete the petition. Two buttons at the bottom right: 'Cancel' and 'Delete Petition.'

Petition Approval Guidelines

As approvers, you know your programs better than we do, so we rely on you to make sure all petitions submitted are correct and reflect appropriate exceptions. Reviewing petitions can also be a way to validate curriculum coding to ensure that course and non-course requirements are applying as expected in accordance with published bulletin curriculum and university policy. If the petition you're reviewing should actually be applied as standard across all students, please reject the petition and reach out to the DegreeMAP team at [email protected] and include a description of the issue, a sample GWID, and a link to the relevant bulletin page where the requirement is documented.

Approval Instructions

First, and foremost, review the Petition Submission Guidelines to make sure each petition conforms to the requested formatting before approving.

It's helpful to have two different browser windows open when approving petitions. Open one to the petitions management tab and another the DegreeMAP worksheet so you can look at the student’s audit to ensure the petition is necessary and correct.
Double check the course numbers and titles to make sure they are written in the petition exactly as they appear on the audit. If not, you can either edit the petition in the approvers comments section, or send an email to the advisor who submitted the petition to have them correct it.
Click the ellipses button to bring up the option to either add or delete a petition.
Scroll to the bottom and hit “Submit”

Non-Course Requirements

Non-Course values are entered by advisors in the SHANCRS screen in Banner and used to track a variety of curricular requirements that aren’t typically posted to the transcript but are required for completion of a program. These may include language requirements, advisor approval/review of specific courses/GPA, some types of course waivers, exams (that aren’t otherwise tracked as tests in Banner), activities related to completion of thesis/dissertation, etc. Note that these are different from student attributes in SGASADD as attributes are typically reflective of curricular status/designation of a student rather than a specific task, activity, or checkpoint. In other words, SGASADD is used to trigger the display of a specific set of requirements for a given curriculum, while SHANCRS is input to trigger the completion of a specific requirement.

Note: The exam-related non-course codes should only be used if scores are NOT entered in Banner elsewhere (such as SOATEST). If scores ARE entered into Banner, please contact [email protected] so that eligible passing scores can be updated in the coding.

How to identify Non-Course Requirements in DegreeMAP

Non-Course Requirements (such as exams, papers, dissertation approval and submission, advisor approvals, some course waivers, etc.) that have been configured in DegreeMAP will display in a worksheet with a status circle to the left (similar to courses) but with a descriptive advice for how to complete the requirement.

Non-course requirement sample on DegreeMAP Worksheet

Marking a Non-Course Requirement as Complete

Log in to Banner and search for the SHANCRS screen. Enter the Student’s GWID and Click Go.
Type the SHANCRS code directly into the “CAPP Non-Course Requirement” field, or pull up a search filter by clicking on the three ellipsis to the right of the field. Click Save.
DegreeMAP will automatically pull in new non-course requirements throughout the day, but if you’d like to see the update immediately, advisors can click the refresh button at the top of the worksheet and the requirement will complete.
Note: Do not add a status or status date unless explicitly stated in the worksheet.

Banner SHANCRS form showing CAPP Non-Course Rrequirement and Non-Course requirements code validation search field highlighted

Student Attributes in SGASADD

Student attributes are custom values used to track a student status or designation that isn’t otherwise captured elsewhere in Banner and are generally not transcripted. They can be used to display variations in a course of study in DegreeMAP and are often (not always) used for tracks, areas of focus, thesis/non-thesis options, etc. Student attributes are entered by advisors in the SGASADD screen in Banner. Note that these appear similar to non-course requirements in SHANCRS in terms of their effect on completion of DegreeMAP, but SHANCRS typically handles specific tasks, activities, or checkpoints.

How to update attributes in SGASADD

Open Banner and search for SGASADD. Enter the Student’s GWID and effective term of the attribute. Click Go.

If the Key block Term matches the Student Attribute "From Term" matches the from term, click in the empty "Attribute Code" field or click "Insert" to add additional attributes.

Banner form showing blank attribute code and

To search for an attribute click the three dots to the right of the field. Enter your search criteria and double click on the attribute and click "Save"

A "Warning Alert" will likely appear indicating that registration fees may be reassessed based on your submission. Click "OK".

Banner warning that changing attributes may impact registration fee assessment

The following message will appear if the save was successful:

If the Key block Term does NOT match the Student Attribute "From Term," click the "Maintenance" button.

Banner form showing key block term, attribute from term, and maintenance highlighted.

Click "Copy Student Attribute" to ensure that any existing attributes remain active and enter the new attributes as described above.

Dialog box showing options to end student attribute or copy student attribute with cancel button

NOTE: If the Student Attribute "To Term" is anything other than "999999", DegreeMAP will not recognize it as active and it will have no effect on the Worksheet. After updating your attribute, click "Start Over" and enter the "To Term" (which is 202403 in the example below) into the Key Block. Add the attribute to the new "From Term" as described above. You may need to repeat this process multiple times until you reach a "From Term" that has a corresponding "999999" in the "To Term" field depending on how much time has lapsed between the effective term of the requirement completion.

Banner form showing key block term, start over button, and to term highlighted

Plans

The Student Educational Planner (Plans) can be used to help map out how a student will make progress toward completion of their program by assigning requirements to specific terms over time. It's a helpful tool to plan for registration each semester side-by-side with the Plan Ahead feature available in GWeb.

How to Use Plans

Create or View a Plan

Please see DegreeMAP for Students for information about how to view or create an Plan for completion of requirements.

The default view is leads you to the “Plan List” page that will display any previously created plans as well as the option to create a new one.

Plans List page displaying a list of academic plans with details including description, active status, last modified date, creator, degree, level, and status. A trash can icon is shown next to each plan, offering the option to delete the plan.

Create Plan block with a prompt asking if you are sure you want to create a new plan. Two buttons at the bottom: 'Select Template' and 'Blank Plan' for choosing the plan creation method.

The “Create Plan” pop-up window will now appear. From here you will have to choose from two options. In addition to the functionality that Students have to create from a "Blank Plan" advisors can click "Select template" to choose from templates created by an eligible Template Manager if a program or school has opted to create them.

Create Plan block with a prompt asking if you are sure you want to create a plan. Two buttons at the bottom: 'Select Template' and 'Blank Plan'.

If you choose the “Select template” option, a list will populate of different plan templates that currently already exist for particular schools or advising set ups. You will first need to the starting term in the “Select starting term” box in this window before you can select a plan template to use. You can scroll through the list by using the arrow keys at the bottom of this window. If you are looking for a specific plan for which you have keyword to, you can enter this in the “Search templates” box, and it will pull a list of plans that match your search criteria.

Create Plan from Template block displaying a list of available templates, each with details including description, college, level, academic year, term scheme, and the date it was last modified.

Once you have a specific plan to use, double click on the hyperlink of the template that you want to use, and it will then automatically apply it to the Plans portion of the student worksheet.

For this example, we chose the 2017-2018 FNPc plan template to use for this student:

Plan template displaying degree information, level, active status, tracking status, and overall plan status. Two buttons at the top right: 'Plan List' and 'New Plan'.

List of plans displaying options to audit, delete, save as a copy, and create a block. Each plan includes the exact date it was created.

The plan template will now auto-populate with courses that the student should be registered in the appropriate terms. This template will also display the credits that the course is worth, along with a sticky note icon on the side to view any notes that may have been attached to the specific requirement. The top portion of this page will also let you know who the last to edit this plan was and what date the plan was last updated. You will also have the options to access the Audit, Delete plan, Save as copy and Create block as well.

Template Management

Plans can be created ad hoc by students or advisors, or colleges can set up Templates for their programs' Plan of Study. Staff who have Petitions approval privileges are automatically assigned Template Management functionality. If you are a Template Manager, please see your advisor for guidance on how to use this functioanlity or contact [email protected] with questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why isn't a course showing in DegreeMAP?

The two most common reasons courses don't appear in Class History or in the Worksheet are as follows:

The course is not coded as “Gradable” in Banner (SSASECT). Please contact your school’s scheduler to confirm the section is Gradable in Banner, and/or to submit a request an update, as needed, in accordance with your school's standard course change request process.
The course is registered on a different level than the audit you’re viewing. If this is the case, then a Academic History Update Form (level change) will need to be submitted to the registrar’s office to move the course to the correct level transcript.

Why is a 0 credit class showing on DegreeMAP?

Courses offered for 0 credits which should not be posted to the transcript or DegreeMAP (such as labs and discussions) will appear if they are inadvertently coded as “Gradable” in Banner (SSASECT). Please contact your school’s scheduler to confirm whether the section is Gradable in Banner, and/or to submit a request an update, as needed, in accordance with your school's standard course change request process.

Why isn't a grade showing in DegreeMAP?

The two most common reasons grades don't appear in DegreeMAP are as follows:

The grade has been submitted but hasn't "rolled" to the transcript yet. Grade rolls typically happen through a nightly process, so please check back the following day to see if the update has been made. If not, contact the records team at [email protected] to troubleshoot the issue.
The grade that was submitted is not eligible based on the grade mode that the student is registered for (ex. a "pass" grade was submitted when the student was registered for the "letter grade" mode). If this is the case, the faculty should be able to go into the grade roster and update the grade to an eligible one. If the grade mode needs to be changed, please submit a Registration Transaction Form (RTF) reflecting the correct grade mode to the Office of the Registrar.

What do I do if DegreeMAP is not applying courses as expected?

DegreeMAP is configured to apply courses and requirements based on curriculum and policy documented in the University Bulletin. If courses are not applying as expected please contact [email protected] and include a description of the issue, a link to the page where the policy is documented, and if possible include a GWID of a student with the issue. The DegreeMAP team will use this information for troubleshooting. If the courses are applying where eligible, but an EXCEPTION to policy is being made, then a Petition for Exception may be warranted.

What do I do if a course attribute is missing from a student's record?

Some requirements in DegreeMAP are managed by assigning a course attribute to each (CRN-specific) section. These are typically assigned through the course scheduling process each semester, and so updates can be submitted to the Office of the Registrar Academic Scheduling team through the scheduling coordinator designated at your college or school. On the rare occasion that changes need to be made after a course is graded, then you can reach out to [email protected] to run an update process. Please provide the term, course subject, number, CRN, and a sample GWID of an impacted student for reference.

Why isn't the correct major, minor, or concentration displaying?

DegreeMAP is intended to display the curriculum associated with the Banner (SGASTDN, SFAREGW) current program and admitted programs. Changes in curriculum information for the current term are generally managed directly within the Colleges advising or graduate student services offices. If guidance is needed on making updates or the term or you receive an error making a change, contact [email protected] for assistance.

The advisor assigned to the student in DegreeMAP is missing or incorrect. How can it be updated?

Advisors that display in DegreeMAP are imported from the SGAADVR form in Banner. Not all schools choose to maintain advisors in Banner, but if updates are needed then they may be made by the student's advising office directly. Advisors can also be updated in batch by providing a list with GWID's and names of the advisor and their advisees to the Office of the Registrar at [email protected].

Should I submit a petition as soon as the course is showing in DegreeMAP or wait until it's graded?

In most cases the DegreeMAP team can apply an exception as soon as the student has registered, but it's often helpful to wait until a final grade has been submitted, as it is not guaranteed that a student will remain registered or successfully complete the course and it can be confusing to see the exception notation displayed in the worksheet with no course attached. Please note that we may need to wait to apply a submitted petition until a grade one action is specifically dependent on another. For example, if a requirement is being shared by exception, then we typically need to force complete one of the shared requirements, and we want to be sure that the course is completed before doing so.

An exception was placed incorrectly, didn't have the desired effect, or has fallen off. Should I resubmit it?

In most cases, resubmission of petition isn't needed. Reach out to [email protected] with the student's name, GWID, and a reference to the petition (copying and pasting from the original is fine) and we will reapply it.

The structure of the curriculum coding can become quite complex, so applying exceptions can be especially tricky when interpreting requests at high volume for programs across the university. The underlying coding sometimes triggers other courses to be reevaluted by the auditor in a way you may not anticipate. In addition, when student curriculum information is changed, or requirements are changed exceptions can become "unhooked" or "uninforced." We do monitor for all of these scenarios, but please reach out if you spot them before we do!

Is study abroad credit counted toward residency requirements in DegreeMAP?

Effective Fall 2024, DegreeMAP is coded to count Study Abroad transfer credit toward minimum residency credit requirements and class requirements that are required to be completed in residence. For undergraduate programs, the Office of Study Abroad will apply a course attribute (RESA - Residency Credit, Study Abroad) that designates approved study abroad credit on the student's record. Graduate programs who wish to count Study Abroad Credit as residency credit may also do so if in accordance with college academic policy.

Students who completed their Study Abroad semester prior to Fall 2024 will not have these credits recognized automatically in DegreeMAP (as in semesters past), however, a petition can be submitted requesting to apply them on a case by case basis if it's deemed necessary to do so. For example, if the credits are needed to ensure that the total residency requirement for a program is met.

(updated 12/10/2024)

A degree or certificate was awarded, but now DegreeMAP has dropped below 100%. Is that a problem?

Sometimes changes are made to the curriculum coding to help facilitate advising and tracking for continuing students which cause the % complete for graduated students to drop below 100%. There is no need to reapply petitions or make any adjustments to correct the worksheet after the degree or certificate was awarded, nor does it signal that they are no longer eligible for completion. A DegreeMAP worksheet is "frozen" or saved at 100% by staff during the graduation clearance process at the time it is awarded and can be viewed in the "View Historic Audits" dropdown menu as a point of reference.

Additional Resources

GW Business Intelligence Services hosts several dashboards which are of use when working with DegreeMAP. The following dashboards can be accesssed through their Content Catalog. Some protected data may not be available to all users dependent on their role at the university.

Student Graduation and Student Graduation by Field of Study (Tableau dashboards)
Dashboards contain filters for % complete and missing grades which can be helpful in targeting students who are ready to be cleared for graduation or who may need proactive review to resolve issues. Some filter combinations which we recommend schools monitor for students with pending outcome/graduation status (including AC, LC, PG, SO) and:
- Below 90% complete: Needs urgent attention. May need petitions, coursework, non-course requirements,
  student coding update, or DegreeMAP team troubleshooting.
- 90-96% complete: Needs attention. May need petitions or non-course requirements.
- 97/99% complete: Needs attention. Registered for all correct coursework to be on track for graduation, but one or more requirements may have a “See Advisor” indicator.
- 98% complete: Pre-screen for final clearance. Likely on track for graduation pending completion of all courses.
- 100% complete and no missing grades: Review for final clearance. Has likely met all requirements. If needed, submit any final adjustments to DegreeMAP (petitions, non-course requirements, etc.) and update graduation clearance workflow to "cleared" when validated. See Graduation Services for additional guidance regarding the clearance process.
- 100% complete and missing grades: Review for final clearance. Met all requirements. Possibly should have applied for prior term completion and may be enrolled in excess credit beyond their completion term.
Student Enrollment by College and Student Enrollment by Field of Study (Tableau dashboards): Can be used to track enrollment in a specified term. Contains DegreeMAP % complete data which can be helpful to identify enrolled students who may be eligible for graduation but have not yet applied, to monitor progress toward completion and identify anomalies in student progress, or to aid in improving data integrity.
Student Enrollment with Attributes (Power BI report): Can be used for programs that use Student Attributes in SGASADD to track enrollment or curricular variations that aren't otherwise captured in Banner majors, minors, or concentrations (ex. tracks, areas of focus, specializations, thesis/non-thesis, combined/joint degree, etc.).
Course Management Course Attributes and Course Mangement Section Attributes (Tableau dashboards): Helpful for reviewing course attributes during the scheduling process to ensure accurate course lists are searchable in the Schedule of Classes and applied to the correct requirements in DegreeMAP.

Timely Topics

Reserved for updates regarding DegreeMAP including new features and known issues.

Have suggestions for DegreeMAP for Students or the Advisor's Guide to DegreeMAP? Email [email protected]. We welcome your feedback!