Students in catalogs Fall 2016 and later will be using the Degree Works evaluation system. Login to the MSU Portal and click on the Degree Works icon. Also see Degree Works help page.
Students who were in catalogs prior to Fall 2016, would have continued below with instructions using our former degree audit system in WebWorld. (However, no students should be under catalogs this old any longer.)
What is a Degree Evaluation?
A degree evaluation is a computer-generated analysis that enables the student and his/her advisor to track the progress toward a degree. It does not replace advising by the advisors.
How do I run a Degree Evaluation?
The evaluation says it is “not official” and that I must still apply for graduation. How do I do that?
You must complete the application for graduation and pay a $30.00 fee. These forms are available at the Office of the Registrar or online.
What can I do if I don’t understand the evaluation?
Click here to see the sample page with explanatory notes. If you have further questions, please contact the Audit Team in the Office of the Registrar at graduationconnection@msutexas.edu.
I took a science class at another college, but the evaluation did not use it. Why?
The class may not have transferred in as a core class. If you have a question about the evaluation, contact the Audit Team in the Office of the Registrar at graduationconnection@msutexas.edu.
How do I know which catalog I should use?
Undergraduate students can use any catalog that has not expired (over 6 years old) under which you have earned 12 hours. Catalogs begin with the Fall term of the first year stated and end with the second summer term of the last year stated. For example, the 2021-2022 catalog is in effect from Fall 2021 through Summer II 2022. The 2022-2023 catalog is in effect from Fall 2022 through Summer II 2023.
Do catalogs have an expiration date?
Yes. All degrees under a catalog must be completed within 6 years of the catalog. The 2021-2022 catalog expires on August 31, 2027. The 2022-2023 catalog expires on August 31, 2028. Additionally, graduate course work has a time limit of 6 years to be used toward a degree.
What can I do if my original degree plan is under an expired catalog?
Undergraduate students must earn 12 hours under a current catalog. (i.e., 2022-2023 catalog -- earn credit from Fall 2022 through Summer 2023), and file a new degree plan. Graduate students must have attended during the time frame the catalog chosen was in effect and the catalog is not expired.
How will courses that have been substituted appear on the evaluation?
The course that has been substituted will automatically be used to fulfill the requirement specified, and you will see course substitutions in blue in Degree Works.
My advisor told me I could use a different course to meet a degree requirement, but the evaluation does not show it as completed.
Check with your advisor to be sure your department has sent a course substitution form to the Registrar’s Office.
The core course has been taken (and passed), but it is not pulling into the correct area. How do I get it to pull in?
It may be due to a missing attribute that needs to be coded, the way the area was built, or something unique to your program. Contact the Audit Team in the Office of the Registrar at graduationconnection@msutexas.edu.
Are transferred-in courses used in the grade point average?
No, but if you transferred in with a grade point deficiency (less than 2.0), you would be responsible for making up those points at MSU.
I repeated a course last semester but it is still using the old one in my grade point average, why?
If a repeat is not coded for a prior semester, you should contact the Audit Team in the Office of the Registrar at graduationconnection@msutexas.edu.
I attended MSU in 1985, but my evaluation shows those courses outstanding. Did I lose that credit over time?
No, undergraduate credit earned is not lost. Credit earned before June 1986, is on a hard-copy transcript in the Registrar’s Office and does not show on your computerized transcript. When your official evaluation is completed in the Registrar’s Office, after you have applied for graduation, these courses will be used as applicable. (Graduate courses do expire after 6 years, please check with your advisor if you have a question.)
Why do some evaluations not “work”?
Some degrees are so complex that they have not been coded into the degree evaluation system as of yet. You will need to go by the catalog requirements and your degree plan. Once you have filed for graduation with the Office of the Registrar, an official evaluation will be mailed to you.
What is “What If” on the online Degree Evaluation system?
The "What If" option allows you to select a new catalog or proposed major, minor, and/or concentration (other than your currently declared program) to see which requirements you have fulfilled. This option may also be used to generate an evaluation for a second major.
Does the evaluation include currently enrolled classes?
Yes, Degree Works will include currently enrolled courses, as well as any courses in which a student has early registered.
How does the evaluation decide where to place courses completed?
It processes the courses by chronological term, based on a "best fit" scenario and the way the requirements are defined. It will look through each of the courses, and then assigns each course to the first requirement in the degree program that the course will fulfill.
Where are my developmental courses?
Developmental courses and extra physical activity courses do NOT count toward hours for graduation; the online Degree Evaluation system subtracts these from your totals. They are listed as excluded in the "Additional Information" section. If you have questions about this, please contact the Audit Team in the Office of the Registrar at graduationconnection@msutexas.edu.
What happens to dropped, withdrawn, or failed courses?
Any course with a non-passing or incomplete grade, or a repeat of a course with a passing grade will appear in the "Not Counted" or "Insufficient" area in Degree Works.
What does "Catalog Term" mean?
"Catalog Term" is the term your requirements will be evaluated against.
The major requires a concentration, it did not appear on the evaluation. What is wrong?
Either the concentration has not been declared yet, or the "What-If" evaluation was run without adding a concentration.
Why are some of the courses appearing in the wrong areas? What can I do to change this?
The evaluation does the best it can to fit your courses into appropriate areas. Sometimes there are multiple areas that a course could fit into and it will choose one. Unfortunately, it does not know where you meant the course to fit into your program. If you wish to change the placement of a course, contact the Audit Team in the Office of the Registrar at graduationconnection@msutexas.edu to see if moving it is within accepted academic guidelines.
Some of my transfer courses do not match MSU course numbers. What do the numbers mean?
Transfer courses that do not have an exact MSU equivalent come in as electives. See examples below:
| ACCT | 10000 | ACCT lower elective |
| BIOL | 11000 | BIOL lower core (the second digit 1 indicates core) |
| ENGL | 11100 | ENGL lower core literature (the third digit 1 indicates literature credit) |
| HIST | 30000 | HIST upper elective |
If you wish to use one of these courses for a specific requirement, please contact your advisor.