Degree Explorer 101

Not very many students seem to know about Degree Explorer. Before an acquaintance of mine introduced Degree Explorer to me, planning out my academic year typically involved sitting hunched over a notepad, counting FCEs and writing out course codes, while I rapidly toggled between tabs open to the Arts & Science Calendar and various timetables.

Ever since Degree Explorer showed me that I can upgrade one of my minors into another major (yay!), I've been bent on showing other students how to navigate this easy-to-use planning tool. HOW TO FIND DEGREE EXPLORER Degree Explorer can be found in the Student Web Services Portal. If you already know how to access ACORN, then all you need to do is click the tab that says Degree Explorer. Pretty easy, right? If you look, you'll also notice tons of other useful tools in the same bar. Alternatively, you can click here.

NAVIGATING DEGREE EXPLORER You'll need to login to Degree Explorer using your UTORID. Once logged in, you will be taken to a page that shows you your POSts, as well as how far you've progressed through them. This is the "CURRENT STATUS" section of Degree Explorer. Clicking the little squares next to your Program Codes will open up separate sections where you can see which program requirements you've fulfilled (or still need to fulfill) and which courses are being used towards that particular program. You can also open these sections up for more details.

Let's move onto something else. Below the U of T coat of arms, click the "PLANNER" tab. Here you'll be able to see your classes. Everything is colour-coded for your convenience. Below this little table, you might come across programs labelled as "Hypothetical." If they appear like this, definitely check them out: this is how I discovered that I could upgrade my minor to a second major.

Finally, you'll have the "ACADEMIC HISTORY" tab. This section is similar to ACORN, since you'll be able to see your course history as well as your sessional, annual, and cumulative GPA scores. You can also see if any of your classes can fulfill your breadth requirement, which is nifty. FINAL THOUGHTS For the most part, Degree Explorer is impressively accurate. With this being said, certain programs seem to have some difficulty translating onto this web tool. If something seems off, make sure to go back and consult the Arts & Science Calendar or ask your program coordinator for help... but otherwise, explore away!