Degree Works: Step-by-Step Instructions

The following are instructions for students who are using Degree Works.

How To Log On To Degree Works

There are two entry points into Degree Works.

Direct Log In

You can log in directly to Degree Works by clicking here or by typing https://degreeworks.rice.edu into your web browser. (Note: Chrome and Firefox are preferred browsers. Internet Explorer and Safari are not supported browsers).

For those using Firefox browser, please follow these steps to clear the cache before logging in:

  1. From the History menu, select "Clear Recent History."
  2. From the Time range to clear drop-down menu, select "Everything" as the desired range to clear.
  3. Next to "Details", click the down arrow to choose "Cookies" and "Cache" to clear.
  4. Click "Clear Now" at the bottom.

ESTHER Log In

You can log in through ESTHER (directions below).

  1. Go to ESTHER and log in with your Rice user ID and PIN.
  2. Click the "Student Services and Account Information" tab.
  3. Click "Degree Works" at the top of the Student Services and Account Information page.

    Student Services Tab 2
  4. Click the “Degree Works” button at the top of the next page.

    Degree Works Button 2
  5. You will then see the initial view of your Degree Works audit worksheet.
    Step 5 View of Degree Works Audit Worksheet

Navigation Bar and Student View

The top of the Degree Works audit worksheet contains basic student information, such as Student ID number, declared academic program (such as degree, major/program, minor, and/or certificate), residential college, expected graduation date, etc. The default view is the student view within the "Worksheets" tab. If you are pursuing more than one degree (i.e., BA and BS degrees or MBA and MS degrees), click on the drop down arrow in the navigation bar under "Degree" to select which degree audit you’d like to view.

Navigation Bar and Student View

The Degree Works audit worksheet is divided into several sections, called blocks, which together comprise your degree audit. The types and number of blocks may vary from student to student, depending on the academic program declared and the student's level (undergraduate versus graduate). Degree Works will audit the courses in-progress and in a student's academic history against the stated requirements for the declared academic program to allow students to track their progress toward completion. The following is an overview of the blocks all students will likely see on the degree audit worksheet.

Progress Bar

Between the navigation bar at the top of the audit and the Degree Block, there is a progress bar to indicate "Estimated Progress Toward Degree." This bar indicates the percentage of requirements that are marked complete on the audit, which is determind by calculating the percentage of boxes that are "checked" as complete. It is a tool for students to estimate overall progress.

Progress Bar

Degree Block

The first block found at the top of every audit is the Degree Block. This will list the requirements for your degree. The degree block lists overall graduation requirements, such as total credit hours required, overall GPA, academic standing, and more. For undergraduates who have not yet declared a major, the Degree Block will default to a BD – Bachelor Degree.

Degree Block

Note that throughout the audit, you will see the following symbols to indicate progress toward a particular requirement. They can also be found on a legend within the audit worksheet.


Completion Block

University Requirements and 48 Credit Hours at the Upper-Level Blocks (Undergraduates Only)

The block immediately below the Degree Block for undergraduates are the University Requirements Block and the 48 Credit Hours at the Upper-Level Block. These blocks track the university requirements for FWIS, distribution credit (D1, D2, and D3), LPAP and 48 credit hours at the upper-level requirements. As some requirements have changed from year to year, the requirements listed in these blocks will correspond to the catalog year on the student's record.

University Requirements and 48 Credit Hours at the Upper-Level Blocks 9

Major/Program, Minor and Certificate Blocks

Next, Degree Works will display a block for each of your declared major/program(s), minor(s), and/or certificate(s). (Note: "major" is used to refer to fields of study in graduate degree programs). If Degree Works indicates a missing requirement that you do not believe should show as missing, please follow up with the major/program (or minor or certificate) Official Certifier to help you resolve the issue.

Major/Program BlocksMinor BlocksCertificate Block

Other Blocks

The bottom of the audit (following the declared academic program block(s)) will have some variety for each student, depending on coursework taken and academic progress. The General Electives Block lists courses that cannot be used to meet other requirements on the degree audit, such as required courses in the major/program, minor, and/or certificate, or (for undergraduates only) university requirements, 48 credit hours at the upper-level requirements, etc. Some transfer credit or AP credit may appear in this block if it is not applied elsewhere in the degree audit. The credit hours in the General Electives block will be used toward Cumulative GPA, if applicable, and the overall credit hours earned toward degree, however.

Other blocks

The In-progress Courses Block simply lists the courses for which you are currently enrolled, with “IP” (In-progress) listed as the grade until the course is complete. In-progress courses will also apply throughout the degree audit to University, Major/Program, Minor, and/or Certificate requirements, as applicable with the tilde (~) showing and a shade of blue indicating that upon successful completion, the requirement will be met. The In-progress Courses Block is directly connected to your enrollment in Banner, and will update nightly with any registration changes made. At certain times each term, the In-Progress Courses Block may include in-progress courses for the current term and pre-registered courses for the next term.

In-Progress Courses Block

The Insufficient - Not Eligible for Use Block will display coursework that does not meet the minimum requirements for credit hours or GPA, such as courses that were audited (AUD) or coursework not passed.

Insufficient for Use Block

The Not-Counted – Not Eligible for Use Block will display coursework that does not count toward the degree you seek. This might include Study Abroad coursework, coursework for which the grade was insufficient, and coursework which may have been repeated beyond the limit allowed.

Not Counted - Not Eligible Block

Other Features

GPA Calculator

The GPA Calculator allows students to input a desired GPA to calculate what GPA is needed in the remaining degree program to achieve a desired GPA. Similarly, students can input a desired or estimated GPA for current coursework to calculate the semester GPA.

What If

The What If feature allows students to select other degrees, majors, minors, and/or certificates to determine how the coursework they have already taken would apply to a new or additional academic program. This can be helpful when students wish to evaluate a change to their current degree, major, minor and/or certificate. Students and advisors may also use the What If function to determine if a change in catalog year is beneficial to the student. Students may choose to follow the requirements of their matriculation year, their graduation year, or any year in between. Changing the catalog year on the What If function can allow students to see the curricular differences between catalog years for their field of study. From the main Worksheet, Student View, click What If on the left. From within the What If area, then select the Degree, Catalog Year, Major, Minor, etc., to indicate which academic areas to consider in the What-If audit, then click Process What-If to view a new audit. The What-If audit is a planning tool only and is not an official change of major or any other academic program.

Look Ahead

The Look Ahead function allows students to select a course they’d like to take and see where it might be applied on the degree audit or toward current degree enrollment.

Look Ahead Function