Creating Your Educational Plan

Each of these steps, gathering information, drafting a plan to graduation and working on the development of your plan over time with your advisor, are all equally important parts of an essential process for achieving your goals at Seattle University and beyond.  

1. Gather the information you need

 Resources for Degree Planning      
 Learning Opportunities Outside the Classroom 
 Your Long and Short-term Goals     

2. Draft your plan 

 You can use either the printable or Excel version of the planning grid. (Open and save the Excel document on your computer desktop before using.)
For more detailed directions use the For Freshman: How to Complete Your Education Plan, or For Transfers: How to Complete Your Educational Plan. 
      
If you are currently exploring majors: Experiment with the planning grid to try out a few 4 year plans.  Continue now to explore and gather information on these pages that will be important to you in your ongoing planning. 

3. Revisit, Revise and Refine 

 You educational plan is a work in progress - undergoing revision and expansion as you identify and refine your goals. Why plan? There are many good reasons. Gaining a thorough knowledge of your degree requirements eliminates the risk of taking courses that you don't need, extending your time to graduation and adding to the cost of your education. Planning ahead for co-curricular activities gives you time to incorporate related classes; planning ahead for a minor gives you time to work it into your graduation timeline; and planning ahead for graduate school or a career gives you the incentive to work at broadening your experiences and developing your abilities.
     
Your advisor is your best source of support at every stage of planning. She/he can verify the accuracy of your plan, advise you on making changes, and direct you to resources and opportunities. Although the flexibility you have in course planning will vary widely depending on your program of study, your advisor can help you explore and weigh all the options that are available to you.