Degree Works FAQs (Student)

When should I look at my degree audit?

Students should frequently review their degree audit at least four times a semester. You should review your audit:

1. Before you meet with your academic advisor to discuss registration for the upcoming semester.

2. After you register to ensure that the courses you selected applied to your requirements as expected.

3. After your grades for each semester are posted.

4. Any time you make a change to your schedule or your academic program (degree, major, minor, and/or certificate).

Can I use my Degree Works audit as my transcript?

No. Your Degree Works audit can replace neither an official, nor an unofficial transcript. It is solely an evaluation tool to provide you with academic information related to your degree progress. It displays the courses required and completed in your degree program.

Your academic transcript is your official university record and provides a chronological list of courses, and the associated earned grades, completed in your academic history. Your official transcript must be requested from the Office of the Registrar.

How current is my information in Degree Works?

Degree Works is refreshed nightly. Any changes made will be updated and available the following day.

"What does "Graduation Status" mean?

Near the top of the Degree Works audit, student information is listed, including "Graduation Status." This status indicates at what point the student is on the process of seeking a degree, applying for graduation, and being awarded a degree by Rice University.

  • SO - Sought - student is degree-seeking
  • AP - Applied - student has applied to graduate
  • PN - Pending Final Grades/Review - pending successful completion of in-progress coursework, the student has met university AND departmental requirements; the record will be reviewed again when final grades are submitted
  • D0 - In-Progress Non Course Requirement - student is lacking a requirement (in the university requirements and/or the major, minor, or certificate) that is not a course; this requirement is in-progress during the current semester, and pending its successful completion, student can be approved to graduate at the end of the semester
  • D1 - University Deficiency - student is lacking a university requirement
  • D2 - Department Deficiency - student is lacking a requirement in the major, minor, or certificate
  • D3 - University and Department Deficiency - student is lacking a university requirement AND a requirement in the major, minor, or certificate
  • AG - Approved to Graduate - upon final grade submission and an additional review of the degree audit, the student has met all degree requirements and is approved to graduate
  • AW - Awarded - student has met all requirements, and Rice University has conferred the degree
What does "SO-Sought" mean? What does "AP-Applied" mean?

For the majority of the time as a student at Rice, students will have a status of SO-Sought , indicating they are degree-seeking students who are actively enrolled. In their final year of study, as students apply for graduation and degrees are awarded, the graduation status will change from SO-Sought to AP-Applied, meaning the student has applied for graduation. Applying for graduation indicates that the student intends to graduate that academic year and believes they have met, or will have met, all degree requirements. Applying for graduation begins the process of multiple reviews of the degree audit to determine that students who have applied to graduate meet all degree requirements for their program of study - both university requirements and major, minor, or certificate requirements.

The graduation status will change many times during the review process.

What does “PN-Pending Final Grades/Review” mean?

Students who have met university requirements and major, minor, or certificate requirements will receive a status of PN-Pending Final Grades/Review . This status indicates that, pending successful completion of in-progress coursework, the student has met university AND departmental requirements . Their records will be reviewed again after final grades are submitted.

What does "PT-Pending Thesis" mean?

Graduate students who have completed all coursework and only lack the completion of thesis requirements in their final semester (such as candidacy, defense, or submission) will receive a status of PT-Pending Thesis. This indicates that, pending successful completion of thesis requirements (candidacy, defense, and/or submission), the student is expected to meet graduation requirements. Their records will be reviewed again after the related thesis deadlines and at the end of the semester by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS).

What does "D0-In Progress Non Course Requirement," “D1-University Deficiency,” “D2- Departmental Deficiency,” and “D3-University and Department Deficiency” mean?

Upon initial review of students who have applied for graduation, students who have not met university requirements will receive a status of D1-University Deficiency . Students who have not met major, minor, or certificate requirements for their program(s) of study will receive a status of D2-Departmental Deficiency . Students who have not met university requirements AND major, minor, or certificate requirements for their program(s) of study will receive a status of D3-University and Department Deficiency. Students who have a deficiency due to a requirement that is not met by the completion of an in-progress course will receive a status of D0-In-Progress Non Course Requirement. This type of deficiency should be satisfied with successful completion of the non course requirement by the end of the current semester.

Any student with a status of D0, D1, D2, or D3 will be contacted by the Office of the Registrar. Details regarding a deficiency will be outlined in the Degree Works "Notes" block, as well as in emails and communications to the student from the Office of the Registrar and from the advisor in the student's major, minor, or certificate which contains the deficient requirement. Students will have the opportunity to clear the deficiency or to change their graduation date. If all deficiencies are cleared, a student will be changed to the status of PN-Pending Final Grades/Review. If the student will not be able to complete requirements in time, they will change their graduation date to the appropriate semester and return to a graduation status of SO-Sought.

What does "AG-Approved to Graduate" mean?

Upon submission of final grades during the final semester of the final year of study, degree audits of students who have applied to graduate will be reviewed again. Students who have met all degree requirements upon final grades submission and review will be changed from PN-Pending Final Grades/Review to a graduation status of AG-Approved to Graduate.

What is “Catalog Year” and what does that mean?

Catalog Year is the academic year for which a degree candidate must meet documented graduation requirements. University graduation requirements and each academic program's curricular (major, minor, or certificate) requirements are officially documented in the GA (General Announcements). The student information system and Degree Works default to the year of matriculation as a student’s “Catalog Year.” Students may decide whether to follow the graduation requirements in the GA year in effect when they first matriculated at Rice, those in effect when they graduate, or any year in between matriculation and graduation. This GA year is referred to as "Catalog Year" in Degree Works.

The What-If function in Degree Works allows students to evaluate changes or additions to their field of study, including a change in catalog year. Students may use the What-If audit to change the catalog year on their academic program of study in order to evaluate which catalog year requirements to follow. Changing the catalog year on the What If function can allow students and advisors to see the curricular differences between catalog years for their field of study. This should be discussed with the advisor during the declaration of major (or minor or certificate) process, or when discussing enrollment and degree planning for graduates. The What-If function in Degree Works can aid in that decision.

More information can be found under "Applicable Academic Graduation Requirements" here: https://ga.rice.edu/undergraduate-students/academic-policies-procedures/graduation-requirements/#text

How do I change my “Catalog Year”?

Any student seeking to change the "Catalog Year" in Degree Works should simply e-mail registrar@rice.edu and request the change. Please be certain to include your Student ID number, and be specific as to what year and for what academic program (major, minor, or certificate) you are desiring the change to Catalog Year. This decision should be made in consultation with the major, minor, or certificate advisor.

I am a double major, can I have one “Catalog Year” for one major, and a different “Catalog Year" for the other?

Yes, It is possible. A student with multiple majors can have different GA Years (or "Catalog Years") for each program. As noted in the GA, "Departmental major requirements may vary from year to year during the period between a student's matriculation and graduation." When declaring the major or minor, students and advisors should identify and clearly document the set of major requirements to be followed. A department’s Official Certifier may a) enter course substitutions to meet major requirements in instances where they might have changed from year to the next, or b) e-mail registrar@rice.edu to have the "Catalog Year" updated and changed.

I thought I had finished the Distribution 1 requirement last semester, but now Degree Works is using an in-progress course to fulfill Distribution 1. What will happen if I drop the in-progress course?

Degree Works attempts to use every course at least once. Each semester as a student registers for new coursework, Degree Works will run a new audit to attempt to use all coursework to meet requirements. Sometimes, it will use an in-progress course rather than a completed course to fulfill a requirement because the completed course might be fulfilling another requirement already, and the new course can be used to fulfill Distribution. This might make it appear that a requirement is incomplete without the in-progress course. If the in-progress course is not needed for requirements and it is dropped from the schedule, Degree Works will run a new audit and likely put the completed course back where it was. Please e-mail our office at registrar@rice.edu if you have specific questions about courses fulfilling requirements.

I have taken more than 48 credit hours that are required at the upper-level, but Degree Works is only showing 48 credit hours. Why aren't all the upper-level courses I've taken showing in the 48 credit hours at the upper-level area?

Once a student has completed a requirement (or the requirement is complete including in-progress coursework), Degree Works will not show the excess courses available beyond the minimum requirements. The system is only indicating that the minimum requirements are complete (or in-progress). Excess courses not needed for the 48 credit hours at the upper-level will be used to meet other requirements or will show in the "General Electives" area.

I took a course that isn't fulfilling the major (or minor or certificate) requirements like I thought it would. What might be happening?

There are a few scenarios that might make a course in academic history not show on the expected area of Degree Works:

  • If the course was taken as Pass/Fail, it will not fulfill major, minor, or certificate requirements. Students will need to uncover the Pass grade to the actual grade earned. If they have missed the deadline to do so, they should email registrar@rice.edu to request to have the grade uncovered. Otherwise, the grade will be uncovered in the student's final semester. There is more information under "Pass/Fail courses" here: https://ga.rice.edu/undergraduate-students/academic-policies-procedures/graduation-requirements/
  • If a course that is not repeatable for credit was taken more than once, then only one instance of the course (the instance for which the student earns credit hours) will be listed in the major (or minor or certificate) requirements. There is more information regarding Repeated Courses here: https://registrar.rice.edu/students/reg_repeated_courses
  • If new courses have been created that fulfill requirements or requirements that have been changed since the student declared the major (or minor or certificate), then the student's catalog year may not show those new courses or requirements. Students should contact the Official Certifier to request a petition or an exception on their record for the new course or requirement. If requirements have drastically changed since declaring the major (or minor or certificate), then students should change the catalog year on their record to the year that most closely aligns with the requirements they are following. (See 'How do I change my "Catalog Year"? above for more instructions.')
How can I use my Degree Works audit?

Degree Works will be extremely helpful in scenarios such as the following:

  • Meeting with your academic, program, or major advisor
  • Creating a list of questions to discuss with your advisor Identifying courses needed to complete your degree
  • Determining what major(s) or program(s) of study you would like to pursue
  • Deciding whether to add a minor or certificate
  • Evaluating progress towards degree completion
  • Evaluating a change of academic program