Degree Works FAQs

Degree Works is a Web-based tool for students to monitor their academic progress toward degree completion. Degree Works allows students and their advisors to plan future academic coursework.

A Degree Works audit is a review of past, current and “planned” coursework that provides information on completed and outstanding requirements necessary to complete a degree.

Yes. Access to Degree Works is through the Web. Anywhere you can log in to your OneACCS portal will allow you access to Degree Works.

Yes. Like other processes you use through the OneACCS portal, Degree Works is accessed through your secure log in. Remember that your advisor, faculty, and selected staff will be able to view the information contained in Degree Works.

Degree Works is available to all degree-seeking students. Advisors, faculty, and selected staff will also have access for the purpose of supporting your progress through your academic career.

The information in Degree Works is refreshed each night. Any changes made today (e.g., grade changes or classes added/dropped) will be seen in Degree Works tomorrow.

No. Degree Works is a snapshot of courses in-progress, planned, and in academic history. Registration will continue to be handled through your OneACCS portal.

Yes. Degree Works is laid out in block format displaying degree, major, and concentration (if applicable) requirements information. Look for unchecked boxes to identify requirements that you still need to complete.

Degree Works looks at the student’s program holistically and places each course using a “best fit” scenario. We've also programmed priorities so that courses will be used in some areas before they will be used in others. This process will not always be perfect, particularly when multiple possibilities exist, so if the student has taken a course that does not appear in the area in which you wanted to use it, you may create an exception to move the course to the desired area.

Yes. See the Planner section for information.

Yes. Once grades have been processed at the end of the semester, they are viewable in Degree Works following the nightly refresh; however, though grades are viewable in your OneACCS portal once posted by an instructor, final grades are not available in Degree Works until after the final grading period for the College has ended. Courses in-progress are listed with an “IP” grade.

Yes. On the Audit tab, click on the Class History link at the top for a printable list of courses taken at Coastal Alabama Community College as well as transfer courses.

You should consult with your advisor for a review of your audit. Any exception to degree requirements should be discussed with your advisor.

There could be several reasons. One is that Degree Works may not have refreshed since a change was made (the information is refreshed nightly). Second, there could be some paperwork that needs to be completed. For example, if you have completed transfer courses, it is possible that we have not received an official transcript, or the coursework is pending Registrar review. Check with the Registrar’s Office if your transcript or audit does not reflect transfer work you have completed.

Degree Works uses a student’s Catalog Year to determine the set of degree requirements to use when producing a degree audit.

You cannot update course information in Degree Works.

Please contact your advisor or email InstructionalServices@coastalalabama.edu with any questions about Degree Works.

Your audit will display the courses you have taken or are registered for and will show you any degree requirements that are being met by the courses you have taken or that may be met upon satisfactory completion of courses in progress.

Degree Works uses the information that is current for your transcript. You will be able to view any courses that have been completed/registered for/transferred by the date your audit was last refreshed. (Data is refreshed nightly.) Keep in mind that any transfer work or grade changes that have not been formally submitted and accepted will not appear on your audit.

Your advisor is your primary point of contact. If your advisor determines that your audit is incorrect, he/she will email InstructionalServices@coastalalabama.edu for assistance.

Your major GPA is a calculated GPA based on coursework used to fulfill degree requirements. This GPA will appear within the major block requirements of your audit.

Your audit will outline for you courses still needed to meet degree requirements within each specific block. You may then use this information to discuss your plan with your advisor.

Your advisor is your primary point of contact. If your advisor determines that your audit is incorrect, he/she will contact Instructional Services for assistance.

Check with the Admissions Office for assistance.

There could be two reasons. First, the course did not meet either the minimum number of credits and/or minimum grade requirement for use in your program of study. Second, all requirements have been met and this course is simply not needed.

Courses from which you have withdrawn will appear in the Insufficient Due to Grades and/or Repeats block on your audit.

You should contact your advisor to resolve any substitution issue. Any waivers, substitutions, or exceptions for degree requirements must be communicated to Instructional Services by the appropriate division chair.

Not necessarily. Once you have applied to graduate, the Registrar’s Office will perform a preliminary audit of your coursework prior to the add/drop period of your final semester and a final audit after all final grades have been submitted to determine if you are eligible to graduate. Missing requirements will be communicated to you by the Registrar’s Office.

The Planner is a tool for you to arrange course requirements into future semester blocks. You and your advisor may find this helpful as you forecast your academic career. It is recommended that you create an active plan and keep it up-to-date, as this information may be used by university administrators to determine the demand for various courses each term.

• By a split screen, the Planner allows you to drag and drop courses from your audit into future semester blocks. You can also type courses directly into the planner boxes. You must enter the course as it is labeled in the catalog (e.g., ENG 101, not English 101).
• Alternatively, you may wish to begin your plan with a template, which will lay out a suggested plan of study semester-by-semester. To do this, in the right side “Student Educational Planner” column, click “Load in a pre-defined plan”. Complete the necessary information to search for an appropriate plan. Note the search form is pre-populated with your curriculum data. Select the correct plan by Catalog year and click “Load into my plan”. Once the plan is populated, edit as desired, then click “Save Plan” to retain the plan of study you developed.
• Note that requirements beginning with a “- ” are labels indicating what type of specific course should be used to fulfill that item in your plan.

No. Nothing entered on the Planner will affect your actual audit. You can, however, see how the courses you have entered in your planner will apply in your audit by checking the boxes next to the semester blocks that you wish to include (check all of the boxes to see how your audit will look if you complete your entire plan) and then clicking on Process New. In the audit on the left-hand side of the screen, you will see how the planned courses applied to the various major requirements.

Yes; however, only one plan at a time may be kept as an active plan. You should mark the plan that you expect to follow as your active plan. This information may be used by college administrators to determine the demand for various courses each term.

Yes. Degree Works will allow you to save all plans you create; however, only one plan may be marked as active.

Yes. Your advisor can see your plan(s) and participate with you in the planning process. There is a Notes feature, as well, for you and your advisor to keep additional information.

Depending upon your major, your advisor may choose to lock your plan after discussing it with you. Once your plan is locked, you will need to return to your advisor to make any additional changes.

No. Your planner is for planning purposes only. You will register through your OneACCS portal.

No. Your planner is for planning purposes only. Final course schedules are available to students online shortly before registration. If you discover that a course you had planned is not being offered, you should identify an alternative course and move the original course, if still needed, to a future term.

Yes. There is a print button at the top of the planner.

The What If function allows you to hypothetically change your degree. The What If audit will show you what coursework is required for the new degree, what courses you have taken that satisfy requirements, and what courses are still left for you to take.

No. The What If function is for information purposes only. You will see the header What If Audit displayed at the top of the audit whenever an audit is run on a What If scenario.

Yes. The What If function will perform an audit based on the hypothetical degree and will show how your completed, current, and planned coursework meets the requirements of the hypothetical degree.

Since What If scenarios are not stored on Degree Works, your advisor can only see your results if the two of you work through a What If procedure together.

No. What If plans are not saved on Degree Works. You would need to run a new What If scenario next time you log in to see it again.

Yes. If you want to share it with your advisor at a later date, you should print your What If scenario.

Always speak with your advisor first. After consulting with your advisor, you may change your degree using the Change of Degree Plan Request Form.

The Term Calculator will show you your estimated cumulative GPA after you fill in hypothetical grade information. By putting in your current earned units and GPA and placing your in-progress courses in the table (this all will default in for you) along with the grade you anticipate receiving for each course; you will see a revised cumulative GPA based on the estimates you provided.

No. This is an estimate only.