Reconcile five records
No single screen necessarily contains the whole graduation contract.
- Catalog yearConfirm which published requirements govern your program and whether a later change was formally accepted.
- Degree auditReview every incomplete, in-progress and unmatched course rather than relying on the completion percentage.
- TranscriptCheck grades, repeats, transfer work and credit totals against the audit.
- Program approvalsLocate written substitutions, waivers, study-abroad equivalencies and concentration declarations.
- Course scheduleVerify when remaining requirements are expected to be offered and in what sequence.
Test the plan term by term
Place every remaining requirement into a specific future term, including prerequisites, linked labs, internships, capstones and minimum-credit rules. Then add the graduation application, commencement distinction and financial-aid timelines that are separate from completing coursework.
If the plan assumes a course that is rarely offered, a credit overload or an unapproved substitution, treat it as unresolved. Ask the responsible office for a written answer and save it with the audit.
Ask beyond total credits
Graduation gaps often hide inside categories and institutional rules.
- Residency requirementHow many credits, upper-level credits or final credits must be completed through this institution?
- Minimum gradesWhich major, prerequisite or cumulative requirements need a particular grade?
- Repeat treatmentHow do repeated courses affect earned credit, GPA and requirement placement?
- Non-course obligationsAre there portfolios, exams, placements, applications or clearances outside normal registration?
Close gaps before the last registration rush
Assign every unresolved item a date and owner.
- NowDownload the audit, transcript and catalog requirements.
- Within one weekMeet the adviser or program office with a proposed finish plan and named discrepancies.
- Before registrationObtain approvals and choose backups for limited or sequenced courses.
- After registrationRun the audit again and verify that the registered courses land in the intended requirements.
