Student User Guide

 

 

 

 

 

Click here to download a PDF version of this guide

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Office of the University Registrar

myDegreePlanner Version 4.5.4.3

Last Updated: 4/9/21


Table of Contents

 

Getting Started with myDegreePlanner 1

Log In.. 1

Navigation.. 3

Style. 3

Help. 3

Log Out 3

Request an Audit 3

Run Declared Programs. 4

Select a Different Program.. 4

Advanced Settings. 7

View the Audit Report 8

Screen Header 9

Audit Results Tab. 9

Report Header 9

Report Body. 10

Report Footer 11

Navigating the HTML Audit Report 11

Course History Tab. 17

Exceptions Tab. 17

Markers Tab. 17

2-column PDF Report 17

Planned Courses Screen.. 17

Exceptions Screen.. 19

Viewing an Exception’s Details. 19

Settings Menu.. 20

 


 


Getting Started with myDegreePlanner          

myDegreePlanner is the online application for running and viewing degree audits.  It runs in one of the supported browsers listed below without having to install additional software on your device.

myDegreePlanner is available via Windows and Mac computers running Internet Explorer (version 11 or later, Edge), Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, or Safari.  Limited functionality—running degree audits only—is also available via mobile devices running Android (Chrome browser only) or iOS (Safari browser only).

This guide assumes you are running myDegreePlanner on a Windows computer.  myDegreePlanner runs on Apple devices as well; however, the screen/icons might be slightly different, in some circumstances, from what appears on this guide.

The source for the student data used/displayed in myDegreePlanner is myZou.

Log In

Go to https://mydegreeplanner.missouri.edu, or from within myZou, navigate to Self Service, then Student Center, and click on the Request Degree Audit link.

The University of Missouri System application login screen will then appear.

Enter your username and password (the same credentials you use to log in to myZou), and then click the Login button.

Once you log in, the Request an Audit screen displays.

 

If the Maintenance In Progress page displays instead, it means that the system is undergoing regularly scheduled maintenance.  Please try to log in later.

If some other error message displays, or the program becomes unresponsive, you should report the issue to degreeaudit@missouri.edu.

Navigation

Use the myDegreePlanner menu items/icons/links that appear in the browser’s main screen to navigate the application.  Do not use the browser’s menu items/buttons that appear in the browser’s header—such as the Back button—as this can cause problems.

Style

You can change the application’s color via the Select your style toggle buttons that appear at the top right of the screen.  The two choices are gold and black.

Help

Contextual help is available on some screens via the question mark iconand as a menu option item via the Settings icon

Log Out

Always log out of the application when no longer using it.  To do so, click on the Settings icon , select the Log Out option, and then follow the on-screen instructions.

Request an Audit      

The Request an Audit screen has three main sections: One to request an audit for your program of study/catalog year as defined in myZou (Run Declared Programs), one to request an audit for a different program/catalog year (Select a Different Program), and a section with several fields to configure your request by changing the default settings (Advanced Settings).

The program(s) of study associated with your records in myZou, for which a degree audit exists, display by default.

 

Run Declared Programs

Click on the Run Declared Programs button to run an audit for the listed program(s). 

Wait until the Completed Audit Requests screen stops updating.  Don’t click on any of the stop/pause options that might display.

The report(s) for the audit(s) will be added to the list of existing reports (if any).

Select a Different Program

The Request an Audit screen displays this message if no degree audit matches your program of study:

If this happens, you can select a different program.  You should also select a different program if you have multiple programs of study and you wish to run an audit for a single program, or, if you wish to run an audit for a program/catalog year other than the default one(s).

To do so, click the Select a Different Program link.

Select the Academic Unit of the program, then select the Degree Type (Bachelor, Master, etc.), Program, and Student Catalog Year.  If you are unsure in which academic unit the program is, set the Academic Unit field to blank, and a full listing of all programs will be available via the Program drop-down.

Click on the Run Different Program button to run an audit for the selected program/catalog year.

The audit report will automatically open once the audit finishes processing.

Please Note: If you have multiple programs of study in myZou, and degree audits are available for only some of them, a message like this displays:

If this happens, you can run an audit for the listed program(s) by clicking on the Run Declared Programs button (however, additionally, a default blank audit report will be generated for each row displaying the “No audit found for your program. Select different program below.” message) or select a single program by clicking on the Select a Different Program link.

Advanced Settings

The Advanced Settings section of the screen includes four fields that allow you to set options for each audit by changing the default settings.

To display the fields, click on the Click to view available options. link that appears to the right of the Advanced Settings section header.

The In Progress Courses checkbox determines whether in-progress (IP) courses will be included in the audit.  This option defaults to checked; IP courses will be included unless you uncheck the box.

The Planned Courses checkbox determines whether your planned courses will be included in the audit.  This option defaults to unchecked; planned courses will not be included unless you check the box.

Currently, the Run Type drop-down selection has a single option; it is set by default.

The Format drop-down allows you to choose the audit report format.  Options are:

HTML: The default and recommended format.
PDF (single column)
: This format generates a PDF version of the HTML audit.

Note: The advanced settings apply to audits run under either the Run Declared Programs or the Select a Different Program sections above. They do not “stick” from run to run, but instead reset to the default settings after each audit request completes so that the next audit request does not execute with unintended settings.

View the Audit Report       

Reports from previously ran audits (by you or shared by an advisor) display in the Completed Audit Requests screen.  The reports can be in HTML or PDF format.

The Completed Audit Requests screen opens automatically after a default program audit finishes running.  To access the Completed Audit Requests screen without running an audit, click on the Manage option of the Audits menu item on the menu bar.  

The screen displays a grid.  The grid has one row per audit report and, within that row, the following fields:

Program: The program of study used in the degree audit.

Catalog Year: The catalog year used in the degree audit.

Type:  The  icon displays if the audit report is generated via the Select a Different Program option.
Includes IP/Planned Courses:  The
icon displays if the audit includes in-progress coursework.  The icon displays if planned courses are included (planned courses may also include in-progress courses).
Format: The
icon displays if the report is in HTML format. The  icon displays if the report is in single-column PDF format.

The Prepared By and Prepared On fields display information about who created the report and when.

The last column on the grid allows selection of reports for deletion.  Once selected, the report(s) can be deleted by clicking on the Delete button.  Below the Delete button, the Select All/None link allows selection/deselection of all reports at once.

By default, the most recent degree audit report displays at the top, with the rest displaying in descending order of preparation.  You can change the sort order by clicking on any of the hyperlinked column headings.

To open one of the listed reports in the viewing screen, click on the hyperlinked program title in the Program field (first column).

The report-viewing screen includes a header, and below it four tabs: Audit Results, Course History, Exceptions, and Markers.

Screen Header
The header includes data about you, the audit’s program of study, and the audit itself, including a unique job ID.  You should always provide the value in the Job ID field when reporting a problem/concern about a specific audit report. 

It also includes a shortcut Request Audit button; clicking on it returns you to the Request an Audit screen.

Audit Results Tab

This tab displays the audit report, in either HTML (default) or PDF format. 

The reports are static, as they do not refresh each time you view them.  They are available for viewing for seven days only.  To access a current report, request a new audit, which will generate a new report.

The reports have three sections: a header, the body/main section, and a footer.

Report Header
The header displays information about your program(s) of study (majors, minors, certificates, emphases) with an active status in myZou, the associated advisor(s), and expected graduation date(s). 

The information for a program of study (including advisor information) stops displaying once you complete it.

It is then replaced with information concerning the completed program of study. This includes certificates, minors, emphases, and degrees earned at Mizzou.

Degrees earned elsewhere also display, if recorded in myZou.

Below this section, a summary line reports whether all of the program of study requirements included in the audit have been met.

 

Report Body

Most reports begin with text outlining introductory information or general requirements, then list program of study specific requirements, both required (numbered) and optional (not numbered).

The HTML report main section is described in detail below, in the Navigating the HMTL Audit Report section.

The single-column PDF report displays in a container window:

If the window does not open by default, you need to configure your browser via the browser’s applications options (set the PDF-documents viewer to “preview in browser” or similar option).

The window includes various browser-dependent options to view, navigate, print, and download the report.  It displays only a small portion of the report at the time; it is not designed for use as the primary report-viewing tool.  Once you are satisfied that you are looking at the correct report, you should download it and view it in your regular PDF document viewer.

You may also download the single-column PDF report via the Download PDF Audit link that appears immediately below the Audit Results tab label.

Report Footer

The report footer includes five sections:

1)    Signature lines

2)    GPA descriptions

3)    Information about the PDF reports’ codes, course codes, and special grades.

4)    A brief description of exceptions that applied to that specific degree audit, if any.

5)    A FERPA confidentiality warning.

Navigating the HTML Audit Report

HTML reports initially display compressed, with only requirement headers showing.  Additionally, several informational and navigation items display to the left of each requirement.

Opening and Closing Requirement Sections
Use the Open all Sections or Close All Sections links or icons ( ) above the report header to open (display details) or close (hide details) all requirement sections at once. 

Sections that are closed display with a right-pointing icon next to them.  Sections that are open display a down-pointing icon .  Clicking on these icons opens/closes one section at the time.

Key/Legend

An abbreviated key/legend of the informational icons that appear to the left of each requirement/subrequirement displays at the bottom of the HTML report. 

Additionally, clicking on the question mark icon  opens the full key for the HTML report, describing icons, course codes and special grades. 

To close the key screen, click the Close button.

Printer Friendly
On the far-right side of the Audit Results display is a link to a “printer friendly” version of the HTML report:

Clicking on this link opens a new browser tab displaying the HTML report by itself.  To print it, use the browser’s printing functionality. 

Close or switch tabs to return to the Audit Results window.

Requirements/Subrequirements

Completion of a program of study requires a number of undertakings, for example, taking specific courses, obtaining minimum grades, attaining specific grade point averages, etc.  These are known as requirements.  Complex requirements can be better understood by splitting them into subrequirements.

The report body includes information about required, optional, and informational requirements, and each requirement’s subrequirement(s) (if any). 

Requirements

Typically, requirements include:

-       a requirement number,

-       a title,

-       a summary line indicating the number of credits or subrequirements (referred as sub-groups) needed/earned to complete the requirement, and

-       subrequirements. 

Optional requirements do not include a requirement number; OPT appears instead. 

Informational “requirements” are also unnumbered, and typically contain no subrequirements; they may contain instructions, descriptions, examples, or serve as section separators.  For example, the signature lines. 

Subrequirements

Typically include:

-       a subrequirement number,

-       a title,

-       a summary line indicating the number of credits or courses/set of courses that are needed/earned to complete the subrequirement, and

-       lists of courses that you

o   have taken,

o   can take (SELECT FROM), or

o   can’t take (NOT FROM)

to fulfill the subrequirement. 

It may include an icon saying that the subrequirement is required  and not just an option from the set of listed subrequirements.

Informational subrequirements do not count towards the number of subrequirements needed to fulfill a requirement; rather, they provide information only.  For example, the Latin Honors subrequirement may inform an undergraduate student concerning honors eligibility in a specific academic unit based on current cumulative grade point average.

A “Requirement Waived” notation appears if the subrequirement has been waived.

 

 

Courses included in SELECT FROM and NOT FROM lists are hyperlinked.

Clicking on a hyperlinked course opens a pop-up screen displaying course information, if there is an exact match to a course in the current myZou catalog.  

You can add the course to your planned courses list by clicking on the Add course button.  To close the screen, click the Cancel button.

Course History Tab
This tab displays coursework information, up to 32 terms, both on-campus and transferred-in, as recorded in myZou.  Planned courses appear if such courses were included in the audit request that generated the report you are viewing. 

You can change the sort order by clicking on the hyperlinked column headers.  You can also filter the list by selecting values for the Grade and/or Term drop-downs, and then clicking the yellow arrow icon .  To return to the full list, select the default Grade and Term values in the respective drop-downs, and then click on

This screen does not display the equivalent of a university transcript.  Do not use it as a transcript.

Exceptions Tab
An exception is a modification to the standard program of study completion requirements.  For example, under certain circumstances, a required course may be waived because you took a similar course.

This tab lists only exceptions that could apply to the current audit, which might be a subset of all exceptions on your record.  The full list of exceptions on your record is available via the Exceptions screen (see the Exceptions Screen section below).

Please contact your advisor if you have questions about an exception.

Markers Tab
Markers are sets of requirements that can be included in addition to or instead of the regular set of requirements. 

For example: Some programs of study offer the option of selecting specialization “tracks”; advisors can add such tracks to your degree audit via markers so that you can see what coursework you must complete. 

Please contact your advisor if you have questions about a marker.

 

2-column PDF Report

While viewing an HTML or PDF formatted report, you may access a condensed, 2-column, PDF version of the report, by clicking on the 2-column PDF menu item on the gold menu bar.  This option is only available when viewing an HTML or PDF formatted report (it doesn’t work when you are on other screens, as it needs to know which report to display in the 2-colum format).

Planned Courses Screen          

To access the Planned Courses screen, select the Courses item from the menu bar, and then the Planned option.

The planned courses screen allows you to add courses to an audit to simulate their effect on program of study completion.  Planned courses are NOT automatically added to your official enrollment records in myZou.

Courses listed in the Planned Courses screen appear on an audit report/courses tab if you requested the audit to include them.  Inclusion of planned courses in the audit is not the default option.

Adding a Planned Course

·         Click the Add Planned Course button to display the Add Planned Courses screen:

·         Select a Term for the course.

·         Select the Course subject code (for example, MATH) and course number (for example, 1500) using the drop-down lists of values located under the Course field.  The Title will automatically populate once the course number is selected.  

You should not type in the subject and course number information directly into the Course field, as it is easy to make a mistake.  If you choose to type in the course information, separate the subject code and the course number with a back slash only (for example, MATH\1500).  This will ensure the two are spaced correctly.

This is a required field.

·         Enter the credit hours in the RCredit field.

This is a required field.

·         Enter the expected grade in the Grade field.
If the planned courses are expected to be completed elsewhere, select grades ending in T (transfer) or U (transfer from UM-System school) respectively.

This is a required field.

·         Ensure the three required fields above have values, and then click on the Add To List button to save the planned course.  If all required fields are not present, an error message will display and all data for the course will be discarded.

·         You may enter a single course or multiple courses.  If entering many courses, click on the icon to display a list of short-cut keys for faster entry.

·         Click the Return button when done entering courses.

 

Exceptions Screen    

The Exceptions screen displays select information about all existing exceptions on your record. 

Please contact your advisor if you have questions about an exception.

Viewing an Exception’s Details

Clicking on an exception’s hyperlinked Code value displays all the available information for that exception.

Click on the Done button of the Details screen to return to the Exceptions screen.

Settings Menu  

The Settings menu item in the gold menu bar provides access to the Help and Log Out options.

Help
Clicking on the Help link opens this document online.

Log Out
To log out of myDegreePlanner, select the Log Out option from the Settings menu, and follow the onscreen instructions.