Completing your degree in four years requires careful planning on your part. We’re here to help you by providing information and guidance related to course selections and schedule planning. The time it takes to earn a degree can be impacted by many things, like working while taking classes, studying abroad, being in the military, extended research opportunities, or completing valuable internships. Keep your academic advisor in the loop on your unique circumstances and we can help you plan accordingly.
It’s important to keep in mind that your degree is in the School of Environment and Natural Resources. You are required to adhere to the rules and deadlines of our program. Students are often confused based on things they hear from friends in other majors on campus. Each program sets their own degree requirements, be sure to seek out the appropriate information when it comes to your ENR major.
Degree audits allow you to track your progress through your curriculum. It uses the courses you have taken and places them in the appropriate categories within your curriculum. Degree audits are always up to date in terms of the courses you have taken or are currently enrolled in. Changes you make to your program, like course substitutions, will also be documented in your degree audit so they accurately reflect your remaining requirements. Office of University Registrar has detailed information and instructions on running and interpreting your degree audit, click here for more information. We encourage you to run a degree audit every semester.
Curriculum guides (found here) are another tool you can use to monitor your course requirements. They list the official requirements for each SENR major. The expectation is that students will take responsibility for their degree program, this includes planning appropriately and understanding the curriculum requirements.
If you are having difficulty scheduling a course that is a requirement in your program due to circumstances beyond your control, you may be eligible to petition a course substitution. Note: not all situations will warrant approval of a course substitution. Substitutions for course requirements are requested through a course change petition process. Your academic advisor is a good starting point to discuss this. Completed course change petitions are submitted to 210 Kottman Hall for review and decision by the SENR Faculty Academic Affairs Committee. Submission of a petition does not guarantee approval. You will receive an email notifying you of the outcome of the decision on your petition.
Degree Planning Tips:
- Utilize the several degree planning tools provided through our website here. It is expected that you will use your curriculum guide, degree audit, and the curriculum roadmap for your major/specialization to plan your schedule.
- Tackle the math and science requirements first. There are several major courses that require you to have the math and science foundation courses, so completing these early in your program allows you to stay on track as you move through your major requirements.
- Plan ahead for when you will take courses in your major. Major courses are not typically offered every semester and sometimes are not offered every year, you need to plan your schedule accordingly. Remember to also plan for the prerequisites that are required for your major courses.
- Be realistic about your ability to manage multiple math/science/or lab courses in one semester. These courses can be more time intensive and loading up on them in one semester may not be ideal.
- Give major courses priority in your schedule planning. These courses have limited offerings and may need to be taken in sequence to keep you on track for graduation. Use General Education courses as fillers when planning your schedule. General Education courses have multiple offerings each semester and can easily be added around your major courses.
- Schedule your classes as soon as your enrollment window opens. Failure to schedule on time can result in delayed time to degree due to getting locked out of required courses. Course substitutions are not granted for missed requirements due to late scheduling.
