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Interpreting a Degree Audit

Degree audits are computer-generated reports that match a student's transcript information against the requirements for a particular degree. Audits list all the requirements that the Faculty Senate, colleges, and departments have set for earning a degree. To interpret the audit, you need to know the various curricular requirements and overall graduation requirements for the degree.

Students in majors receive audits based on their declared major, and those not yet in majors receive audits based on the major they have reported as their first preference. You can find their preferences listed in the student summaries you find on eLion. Students and advisers can obtain copies through eLion.

Audits have a standard format that is based on the Faculty Senate's format and language for curricula. The example below shows an audit for a student majoring in finance in the Smeal College of Business. To read the audit, you must first look at the legend, which is printed at the end of the audit. It lists the symbols used to describe progress toward meeting requirements by showing how the audit accounts for courses on the student's transcript and courses scheduled.

PREPARED: 10/13/08 - 16:53 999999999 ADAMS, JOHN QUINCY AUDIT CODE: B S FIN PROGRAM YEAR: 2008 PENN STATE DEGREE AUDIT REPORT BACHELOR OF SCIENCE FINANCE	Click for an explanation Audits begin with a heading that shows these items: the date the audit was prepared the student's Penn State ID the student's name the program year for general education the major code the program year for the major (the academic year in which the student enters the major) the degree audit title and the degree it is displaying
----------------------------------------------------------------- Your Current Program Information General Ed Year: 2007 Degree: NODEG Major/Option: B A Program Year: 2007 Minor: Minor Year: Honors in: Honors Admit Sem: Campus: UP Semester Class: 03 Cumulative GPA: 3.24 Deficiency Point: Late Drop Credit: 16.0 Major Advisor: WASHINGTON MARTHA (MXW999@psu.edu) Your first registration date for campus UP SP09 - 10/25/08 (Based on FA08 schedule + 13.00 total credits -- refer to Registration Instructions if schedule changed after 10/28/08)	Click for an explanation The second section of the audit lists the current program information: the general education year that determines the set of General Education requirements the student follows the type of degree the major/option code(s) (up to four) the program year(s) of the major(s), which determine the major requirements the student follows minor code (up to four) minor program year(s) honors status honors admit semester campus semester classification cumulative grade-point average grade-point deficiencies late drop credits remaining name and e-mail address of the student's assigned academic adviser a note indicating when the student is eligible to register for the next semester
----------------------------------------------------------------- AT LEAST ONE REQUIREMENT HAS NOT BEEN SATISFIED ----------------------------------------------------------------- GRADES FOR SPRING AND SUMMER SEMESTERS 2008 SP08 B A 242 2.0 B SP08 ECON 002 3.0 A- SP08 JAPNS002 4.0 B SP08 STAT 200 4.0 C SP08 SOC 001 3.0 B SU08 B A 241 2.0 B+ SU08 ACCTG211 4.0 C+ ----------------------------------------------------------------- CURRENT SCHEDULE FA08 CHEM 001 3.0 RG FA08 ECON 302 3.0 RG FA08 MIS 204 3.0 RG FA08 MUSIC005 3.0 RG FA08 MUSIC008 3.0 RG FA08 KINES017 1.5 RG ----------------------------------------------------------------- GRADE POINT AVERAGE FOR THE MAJOR -----------------------------------------------------------------	Click for an explanation This section displays courses attempted and grades earned for the previous semester/session the student's current schedule and, if scheduled, courses for the following semester/session the grade-point average for any courses required in the major that have already been completed (graded) A registration status code of SH (instead of RG) in the current schedule would indicate that the student's semester bill has not yet been paid for those courses.
NO COLLEGE REQUIREMENTS EARNED: 17.0 CREDITS --> NEEDS: 2 SUBREQMNTS + 1) FOUNDATION COURSES (10 CREDITS) (C OR HIGHER REQUIRED IN ACCTG211) FA07 ECON 004 3.0 A SP08 ECON 002 3.0 A- SU08 ACCTG211 4.0 C+ + 2) LEGAL, SOCIAL & ETHICAL ISSUES (4 CREDITS) (C OR HIGHER REQUIRED) SP08 B A 242 2.0 B SU08 B A 241 2.0 B+ + 3) INFORMATION SYSTEMS (3 CREDITS) (C OR HIGHER REQUIRED) FA08 MIS 204 3.0 RG - 4) TAKE THE FOLLOWING JUNIOR CORE COURSES (8 CREDITS) COURSE LIST: B A 301 ,302 ,303 ,304 - 5) TAKE ANALYZING BUSINESS/INDUSTRY COURSE (3 CREDITS) COURSE LIST: B A 411 -----------------------------------------------------------------	Click for an explanation This section of the audit shows progress toward meeting college requirements, (i.e., all students in this college must complete the requirements shown here). The audit divides the major into subrequirements, each of which is numbered. Before each subrequirement, the audit shows a minus (meaning that the requirement has not been met) or a plus (meaning that the requirement has been or will be met by the end of the current semester or is scheduled to be completed in a future semester/session). The audit displays courses completed, courses scheduled, and courses still to be taken by this student for this major. In many instances in which students can double count courses, the audit will state that condition. When a course meets more than one requirement, the audit will show it under both. The credits earned for such a course, however, count only once toward the total credits required for graduation.
NO COLLEGE REQUIREMENTS - GLOBAL EDUCATION - 1) FOREIGN LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY-12TH CRD LEVEL - 2) GLOBAL AWARENESS & UNDERSTANDING COURSES (6 CREDITS) SEE SMEAL GAU LIST -----------------------------------------------------------------	Click for an explanation This section shows additional requirements, if any, that all students in the college must complete. In this case, the Smeal College of Business requires that students meet the 12th-credit level of proficiency in a foreign language and complete two Global Awareness and Understanding courses to meet the college's global education requirement.
NO MAJOR REQUIREMENTS EARNED: 3.0 CREDITS --> NEEDS: 3 SUBREQMNTS - 1) TAKE ALL OF THE FOLLOWING FINANCE COURSES (9 CREDITS) C OR HIGHER GRADE REQUIRED COURSE LIST: FIN 305W,406 ,408 - 2) TAKE TWO ADD'L FIN COURSES FROM THE FOLLOWING (6 CRDTS) C OR HIGHER GRADE REQUIRED COURSE LIST: FIN 405 ,407 ,410 ,414 ,460 OR R EST460 FIN 470 OR R EST470 - 3) TAKE ONE TWO-PIECE SEQUENCE FROM DEPARTMENT LIST(6 CRS) SEE FINANCE MAJOR TWO-PIECE SEQUENCE LIST + 4) RELATED AREA (3 CREDITS) FA08 ECON 302 3.0 RG -----------------------------------------------------------------	Click for an explanation This section of the audit shows progress toward meeting major requirements, (i.e., all students in this major must complete the requirements shown here). This section also includes a note indicating that students must earn a grade of C or better in specific major courses.
NO GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS EARNED: 27.5 CREDITS --> NEEDS: 6 SUBREQMNTS + 1) COMPOSITION (GWS) FA07 ENGL 015 3.0 A - 2) TAKE ENGL 202D (3 CREDITS) - 3) TAKE CAS 100 (3 CREDITS) + 4) QUANTIFICATION (GQ) - C OR HIGHER REQUIRED FA07 MATH 110 4.0 A + 5) QUANTIFICATION (GQ) - C OR HIGHER REQUIRED SP08 STAT 200 4.0 C - 6) TAKE 9 CREDITS IN NATURAL SCIENCES (GN) SEE GENERAL EDUCATION GN LIST FA07 EGEE 101 3.0 B+ FA08 CHEM 001 3.0 RG + 7) ARTS (GA) FA08 COMM 150 3.0 RG FA08 MUSIC008 3.0 RG - 8) TAKE 6 CREDITS IN HUMANITIES (GH) SEE SMEAL GAU LIST OR GENERAL EDUCATION GH LIST - 9) TAKE 6 CREDITS IN SOCIAL & BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES (GS) SEE SMEAL GAU LIST OR GENERAL EDUCATION GS LIST SP08 SOC 001 3.0 B - 10) TAKE 3 CREDITS IN HEALTH AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (GHA) SEE GENERAL EDUCATION GHA LIST FA08 KINES017 1.5 RG -----------------------------------------------------------------	Click for an explanation This section shows the University requirements for General Education. The subrequirements are arranged by category, and the symbols are the same as those used to show progress toward requirements in the college and major. In this section, notes about double counting of courses are not shown. You should check requirements of the major to see if some of the subrequirement notations state that courses taken for the major may also meet general education. The credits, however, are only added once toward the credits for graduation. Students and advisers often are confused by such double or triple counting of courses.
NO ELECTIVES (21 CREDITS) EARNED: 6.0 CREDITS - ELECTIVES FA07 PSU 006 2.0 A SP08 JAPNS002 4.0 B -----------------------------------------------------------------	Click for an explanation This section displays those courses that are counting toward the electives in this major. (Some majors do not have any electives.) In this case, the audit also shows the number of elective credits that would need to be completed for this major (i.e., 21).
NO MINIMUM 120.0 CREDITS REQUIRED FOR GRADUATION EARNED: 37.0 CREDITS IN-PROGRESS 16.5 CREDITS --> NEEDS: 66.5 CREDITS -----------------------------------------------------------------	Click for an explanation This section displays the minimum number of credits needed to graduate in this major, the number of credits previously earned, the number of credits in progress (including the current semester and any credits the student has scheduled for a future semester/session), and the number of credits remaining to be scheduled.
NO 400-LEVEL REQUIREMENT - 15 CREDITS MINIMUM IN PRESCRIBED, ADDITIONAL, SUPPORTING & ELECTIVES -----------------------------------------------------------------	Click for an explanation This section displays an indication of whether the student has (OK) or has not (NO) completed the requirement of at least 15 credits of 400-level course work.
OK HIGH SCHOOL FOREIGN/SECOND LANGUAGE ADMISSION REQUIREMENT NOTE: ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY REQ'D BY SOME MAJORS -----------------------------------------------------------------	Click for an explanation This section displays an indication of whether the student did (OK) or did not (NO) complete at least two units of a single foreign (or second) language while in high school. If not, the student must make up the deficiency in the first 60 credits at Penn State.
OK FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR FA07 PSU 006 2.0 A -----------------------------------------------------------------	Click for an explanation This section displays an indication of whether the student has (OK) or has not (NO) completed the first-year seminar requirement.
NO WRITING ACROSS THE CURRICULUM TAKE 3 CREDITS IN 'W' SUFFIX COURSES FROM YOUR COLLEGE -----------------------------------------------------------------	Click for an explanation This section displays an indication of whether the student has (OK) or has not (NO) completed the Writing Across the Curriculum requirement. Courses that meet this requirement are generally designated by a W suffix (e.g., FIN 305W) and can also count as a required course in the major.
NO UNITED STATES CULTURES AND INTERNATIONAL CULTURES (US/IL) --> NEEDS: 2 SUBREQMNTS - 1) TAKE 3 CREDITS IN UNITED STATES CULTURES (US) - 2) TAKE 3 CREDITS IN INTERNATIONAL CULTURES (IL) -----------------------------------------------------------------	Click for an explanation This section displays the courses the student has taken that meet a United States Cultures or International Cultures requirement. Courses that meet this requirement can generally also be used to meet other requirements, such as college, major, General Education, or electives.
NO GENERAL GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS - SENATE POLICY 83-80 + 1) AT LEAST 36 OF THE LAST 60 CREDITS MUST BE EARNED AT PENN STATE ( 53.5 CREDITS TAKEN) - 2) AT LEAST 60 CREDITS MUST BE EARNED IN LAST FIVE YEARS 53.5 CREDITS ADDED NEEDS: 6.5 CREDITS -----------------------------------------------------------------	Click for an explanation This section displays an indication of whether the student has (OK) or has not (NO) met the requirements specified in Faculty Senate policy 83-80 (Limitations on Source and Time for Credit Acquisition).
OK MINIMUM 2.00 CUMULATIVE GRADE POINT AVERAGE REQUIRED FOR GRADUATION - SENATE POLICY 82-40 -----------------------------------------------------------------	Click for an explanation This section displays an indication of whether the student has (OK) or has not (NO) met the minimum 2.00 cumulative grade-point average requirement for graduation as specified in Faculty Senate policy 82-40 (Cumulative Grade-Point Average Requirements).
LEGEND NO Requirement not completed OK Requirement completed IP Requirement in-progress, OK when satisfactorily completed OR One requirement/subrequirement of group needs to be completed - Subrequirement not completed + Subrequirement completed or in-progress * Subrequirement not required, but courses apply RG Registered course SH Scheduled course TR Transfer course IL Independent Learning course, in-progress PA Portfolio assessment course LD Late dropped course >R Repeatable course, counts more than once >Z Duplicate course, counts once >S Credits split between two or more requirements >Y Credit limit for repeat course exceeded ----------------------------------------------------------------- This report is an unofficial working copy of a student's progress toward an academic degree. Graduation certification of degree requirements is subject to the approval of the student's college dean. Questions about the report should be directed to the student's academic adviser or college dean. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ******************* END OF ANALYSIS *******************	Click for an explanation This section displays a list of the codes that are used throughout the audit, with an explanation of each code.

Some of the text for “Interpreting a Degree Audit” was adapted from The Penn State Adviser (3rd ed.).

Step-by-step instructions for requesting degree audits are available in the University Undergraduate Advising Handbook.