Planning Your Degree

Graduation in four years is a goal for many students-and an expectation of many parents. If that goal is to become a reality, you (and your family) need to think about how you are going to achieve it. You need to plan to succeed academically, and that planning requires considering factors that may extend the time it takes to complete a degree.

To begin with, you need to determine (and, from time to time, re-evaluate) whether a four-year degree plan is the right plan for you. The time it will take you to complete a degree is certainly an important concern, but how strong is your commitment to completing the work for a degree in four years, and how probable is it that you can do so?

• Although there are probably unique individual circumstances that you will need to factor into your decision, the following concerns are common to many students:
• Have you decided on a major?
• Have you been admitted directly to the major you have chosen, or will you need to apply?
• Is admission to the major competitive?
• When will you have the grades you will need to be admitted? Delayed entry to a major-or extended pursuit of a major to which you are unlikely to gain admission-is a frequent cause for extended time in completing a degree.
• Are you prepared to succeed in the major you have chosen? Students with lower standardized test scores in mathematics typically struggle in the math and science courses needed to complete a major in the natural sciences.
• Will you be employed a substantial number of hours during the academic year to help finance your education? Being a full-time student is a demanding full-time job, and you may find it necessary-perhaps desirable-to take lighter course loads in order to perform as well as you expect. This will, of course, extend the time it takes to complete a degree, but that may be the right choice for you.
• Are there good academic or professional reasons-opportunities for enrichment, study abroad, internships-for taking longer than four years to complete a degree? You will need to balance the timely completion of a degree, on the one hand, and objectives that might extend the time you will need to complete your program, on the other.

The business of constructing your own graduation plan should involve an ongoing dialogue with an academic advisor and/or your faculty adviser in the field of your major. It is quite possible that, as you discover more about your interests and aptitudes, you may change your mind about the program you now think you want to pursue. Such changes in direction do not always extend time to graduation (though they may), and your academic advisor is an excellent resource in helping you to think about alternatives.

In addition to the academic advisor and faculty advisor, please take advantage of all of the student services available at UA to support you in achieving your goal to graduate.

Application to Graduate

Each candidate for graduation is expected to file an application for degree one term prior to the term of graduation. An application form will be provided and accepted by the divisional or departmental office in the student's academic division 12 weeks prior to the expected date of graduation. A student who fails to complete all requirements by the date on the application must file a new one. The graduation fee is payable to the Office of Student Receivables at the time the application for degree is filed. For graduation information for a Bachelor's Degree, please click here.