MyDegree UC Davis: The Complete 2026 Academic Planning And Degree Audit Guide

MyDegree is the official web-based degree audit and academic tracking platform used by the University of California, Davis to help undergraduate students, academic advisors, and faculty monitor progress toward graduation.

Built on Ellucian Degree Works architecture and fully integrated with the UC Davis Student Information System (SISWeb/Banner), MyDegree provides real-time verification of completed coursework, in-progress classes, General Education (GE) requirements, college-specific criteria, and major/minor certification. Navigating the nuances of unit caps, upper-division minimums, and the "What-If" planning tool is essential for maintaining an efficient pathway to graduation.

What Is UC Davis MyDegree and How Does It Function?

MyDegree cross-references a student’s completed academic transcript against the official UC Davis General Catalog requirements for their specific matriculation year. The system automatically pulls transcript data directly from UC Davis records at the close of every grading cycle, updating progress indicators across university, college, and departmental benchmarks.

The platform categorizes academic progress into distinct modular blocks:

• University Requirements: Validates system-wide standards including the UC Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR), American History and Institutions, and minimum overall grade point average (2.000 minimum).
• General Education (GE3) Components: Tracks Core Literacies (Qualitative Literacy, Quantitative Literacy, Scientific Literacy, and Visual Literacy) alongside Topical Breadth areas (Arts and Humanities, Science and Engineering, and Social Sciences).
• College Residence & Unit Rules: Monitors the mandatory 180-unit minimum (or college-specific equivalents), the 54-unit minimum of Upper Division (courses numbered 100–199) coursework, and the Senior Residence requirement (requiring 35 of the final 45 units to be completed in residence at UC Davis).
• Major and Minor Programs: Audits lower-division prerequisites, core upper-division major sequences, depth subject matter, and declared minors.

System Refresh Latency Notice

MyDegree pulls batch data from Banner overnight. If you make a registration adjustment via Schedule Builder or resolve a grade change with the Office of the University Registrar, the audit will reflect these changes following the nightly system refresh cycle. Advisors can trigger a manual real-time re-audit during scheduled advising appointments.

Technical Features: Navigation, Legend Indicators, and Audit Modes

Navigating the MyDegree interface requires an understanding of standard system nomenclature and audit symbols. The dashboard displays degree checklists through specific status indicators that confirm satisfied criteria or signal missing coursework.

[Legend Visualized via Clean Text Standard]

Deciphering the Audit Status Legend

• Green Checkmark (Complete): The course or requirement has been satisfied through completed UC Davis coursework, articulated transfer credit (Assist.org or UC cross-enrollment), or approved test credit (AP/IB).
• Blue Half-Circle (In-Progress): The requirement is currently being met by classes in which you are actively enrolled for the current academic quarter.
• Red Open Circle (Still Needed): The requirement remains unsatisfied. The audit text indicates the specific courses, unit counts, or GPA thresholds necessary to clear this block.
• Yellow Asterisk (Prerequisite / Pending Note): A prerequisite course is in-progress or a manual exception form is currently routing through departmental review.

Comparison: MyDegree Audit vs. Official Academic Transcript vs. OASIS

Students at UC Davis interact with three separate academic record platforms. Understanding how MyDegree works alongside the Online Advising Student Information System (OASIS) and official transcripts prevents registration errors and graduation delays.

Step-by-Step Guide: Running a "What-If" Audit for Major or Minor Changes

If you are considering changing your major within the College of Letters and Science, declaring a double major across colleges (such as Agricultural and Environmental Sciences to Engineering), or adding a minor, the "What-If" tool simulates the change without altering your official academic standing.

1. Access the Platform: Log in to MyDegree using your UC Davis Kerberos credentials (Dual-Factor Duo Authentication required).
2. Select Audit Type: On the left navigation pane under the primary student header, toggle the radio button from "Academic" to "What-If".
3. Choose Catalog Year: Set the catalog year corresponding to the term you intend to declare the new program, or retain your matriculation year if permitted by college regulations.
4. Select Degree Program and Major: Use the dropdown menus to select the target credential (e.g., Bachelor of Science), primary major, and any planned concentrations or tracks.
5. Add Proposed Minors or Additional Majors: Under the additional areas of study tab, input intended minors or secondary majors to view combined cross-curriculum compatibility.
6. Include In-Progress and Planned Courses: Ensure the checkbox for "Include In-Progress Courses" is marked to test how current quarter classes apply to the target major.
7. Process the Audit: Click the blue "Process What-If" button at the top of the interface. Review the resulting breakdown to see which completed units transfer into the new major's core subject matter and identify remaining deficits.

Resolving Academic Exceptions and Discrepancies in MyDegree

MyDegree uses automated rule-checking scripts, meaning anomalies can occur when students transfer credit from California Community Colleges, study abroad through UC Education Abroad Program (UCEAP), or complete cross-departmental substitutions.

Crucial Policy on Manual Exceptions

Automated systems cannot infer unarticulated course waivers. If a departmental faculty advisor approves an upper-division course substitution, this agreement must be submitted as an official Academic Variance Petition through OASIS to the Dean’s Office. The variance only displays in MyDegree once approved by the Dean's Office Academic Advisor.

Common Audit Errors and How to Resolve Them

• Transfer Credit Routing to "General Electives": Lower-division transfer courses that do not share a direct articulation agreement via Assist.org fall automatically into the Fallthrough (General Electives) block. To apply these courses toward specific major requirements, submit a Course Substitution Request accompanied by the external course syllabus to your major advisor.
• Unassigned General Education (GE) Literacies: When a course is approved for multiple GE literacies, MyDegree allocates it dynamically to satisfy the maximum number of requirements. If you prefer a course to apply to a different valid GE category to open space for another class, consult your College Dean's Advising Office for manual block adjustment.
• Senior Residence Deficits: Participating in non-UC study abroad programs or taking concurrent courses at outside institutions during your final 45 units will trigger a Senior Residence deficiency warning. Formal petitions for waivers must be processed through your respective college:
  
  
  • College of Letters and Science: Office of Undergraduate Education and Advising
  • College of Engineering: Engineering Undergraduate Student Support (EUO)
  • College of Biological Sciences: CBS Dean's Office Student Academic Affairs
  • College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences: CA&ES Dean's Office

Senior Year Protocol: Filing for Degree Candidacy and Final Clearance

Passing all courses shown in MyDegree does not automatically trigger the conferral of your degree. Graduation requires an explicit sequence of administrative actions during your designated final quarter.

[Mandatory Graduation Workflow Timeline] 1. Step 1: Complete MyDegree Pre-Graduation Review with Departmental Advisor (2 Quarters Prior) 2. Step 2: Submit Graduation Application via the UC Davis Online Graduation Portal 3. Step 3: Clear All Incomplete (I) Grades, Variances, and Discrepancy Blocks 4. Step 4: Final Certification by the University Registrar and College Dean's Office

1. Perform a 135-Unit Comprehensive Check: When you achieve senior status (135+ completed cumulative units), schedule an appointment with your College Dean's Office advisor to cross-verify your MyDegree audit against university residency rules.
2. Submit the Graduation Application: During the application filing window of your final registered quarter, submit your candidacy application via the UC Davis Graduation Application platform. Application windows open during specific quarterly periods managed by the Office of the University Registrar.
3. Resolve Outstanding Incompletes: Any incomplete ("I") grade remaining on your academic record will freeze degree conferral. Unresolved incompletes automatically revert to an "F" or "NP" at the end of the subsequent term of enrollment, directly impacting cumulative GPA calculation.
4. Confirm Final Post-Grading Run: Following the final grading deadline, the Registrar and College Advisors execute a final audit sweep. Once all blocks in MyDegree turn green, the degree status shifts from "Applied" to "Awarded."

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How often is the information in MyDegree UC Davis updated?

MyDegree updates nightly by pulling batch updates from the UC Davis student database (Banner). Any changes to your course schedule, drop/add actions, or posted final grades will appear on your audit the following morning.

Manual adjustments made by college advisors, such as approved petitions and course variances, will appear as soon as the advisor processes the exception and refreshes your audit. If you recently dropped or added a class via Schedule Builder during open registration, wait until the following morning to see the course reflected in the in-progress section of your MyDegree dashboard.

Why is an approved course substitution not showing up on my MyDegree audit?

A course substitution will not appear in MyDegree until your academic petition has received final approval from your College Dean's Office and been coded into the system. Departmental advisor recommendations must be officially recorded before the audit rules update.

To fix an unapplied substitution, check the status of your petition inside the OASIS portal under the "Forms & Petitions" tab. If the petition shows as fully approved by the Dean's Office but your MyDegree audit remains unchanged after 48 hours, contact your major academic advisor to request an audit re-evaluation.

What is the difference between "General Electives / Fallthrough" and "Insufficient" courses?

The "General Electives / Fallthrough" section contains passed courses that do not satisfy any specific major or General Education requirements but still count toward your total 180-unit graduation minimum. The "Insufficient" section contains courses that earn zero degree credit.

Courses in the Insufficient block include classes failed with an "F" or "NP" grade, repeated courses where credit was already awarded (violating the duplicate course policy), or developmental courses below degree-level credit. These units cannot be used to meet the minimum unit threshold for graduation.

Does completing 100% of the blocks in MyDegree mean I have officially graduated?

No, completing all blocks in MyDegree indicates curricular satisfaction, but it does not replace the mandatory administrative filing of the UC Davis Graduation Application. You must explicitly apply for graduation during the published application period of your final quarter.

The Office of the University Registrar and your College Dean’s Office perform a final manual certification of your file after grades are published at the end of the term. Only after this administrative review is completed will your degree be formally conferred and posted to your official academic transcript.

How does MyDegree calculate Upper Division Unit requirements?

MyDegree tracks upper-division units by isolating all completed and in-progress courses numbered 100 through 199. UC Davis requires a minimum of 54 upper-division units to graduate, with some specific degree programs requiring more.

If you complete an upper-division course at an outside institution, it will only count toward this requirement if the UC Davis transfer evaluation office explicitly assigns it upper-division transfer credit (numbered 100-199 equivalent). Lower-division courses taken at community colleges (courses numbered 1–99 equivalent) cannot satisfy upper-division benchmarks under any circumstances.

Maximize Your Academic Trajectory

Take proactive control of your graduation timeline by conducting regular degree audits in MyDegree after every registration adjustment and grade release. If you encounter structural discrepancies, fallthrough errors, or unassigned transfer units, schedule an advising session through the UC Davis OASIS portal with your primary major advisor and College Dean’s advising team to keep your degree path on track.