There’s no one way to plan a degree; much of the process depends on you and your mentor, and the different things you need to consider.  Know, though, that educational planning actually starts informally in your first conversation with your mentor, who may ask you about your interests, goals, what type of degree you want to pursue, and more.  The educational planning course simply formalizes and structures this ongoing conversation.

However you approach planning your degree, there are a few general planning strategies that may help:

• You will be asked about your preferences, so start thinking early on about what you really want to accomplish via this degree.
• Ask questions at any time.  Connect with your mentor as needed.  Connect with other students.  Connect with college resources.  Don’t sit alone worrying and wondering about how to approach degree planning; just get in there and start.  There’s always someone to talk to and help.
• Start reading the Undergraduate Area of Study Guidelines relatively early for degree areas in which you’re interested.  Guidelines list the competencies – the academic knowledge and skills – that are expected in degrees in certain fields.  Understand that some of the guidelines are intentionally vague in order to offer maximum flexibility.  Again, ask questions and discuss these guidelines with your mentor.
• If you’re considering including credit from prior learning assessment in your degree plan, it’s a good idea to talk about that early on with your mentor, and to start the process relatively early.  Your degree cannot go through academic review and approval until all prior learning credit recommendations are done.
• Finally, know that even after you plan your degree and get it approved, there might be a little room for change if it makes sense.  For example, you might want to switch one course for another one, a new one that was not available when you planned your degree.  Know that this is possible, with only one restriction – you cannot remove or switch a course that’s needed to address a guideline or fulfill a requirement (e.g., advanced-level, liberal credit, general education).

Overview of the Degree Planning Process