Navigating Your GPA with CUNYfirst and DegreeWorks
Understanding your Grade Point Average (GPA) is crucial for academic success and future opportunities. CUNYfirst and DegreeWorks are valuable tools provided by the City University of New York (CUNY) to help students monitor their academic progress and estimate their GPA. This article will guide you through using these resources effectively to understand and manage your GPA.
Understanding DegreeWorks
DegreeWorks is a web-based evaluation tool designed to assist students and advisors with course planning, curriculum advising, and monitoring academic progress toward degree completion. It is available to all degree-seeking undergraduate students.
DegreeWorks Worksheet
The DegreeWorks Worksheet is a review of past, current, and “planned” coursework, laid out in block format displaying degree, major, minor, and concentration requirement information.
Important Disclaimer
It is important to remember that DegreeWorks is not the official academic transcript nor is it an official notification of completion of degree requirements. It does not supersede the College Catalog and/or academic policies.
Keeping DegreeWorks Updated
Changes made to CUNYfirst will typically take 24-48 hours to be reflected in a DegreeWorks audit. These changes include newly registered courses, course requirement designation changes, grade changes, changes to transfer credits, and changes to majors, concentrations, and minors.
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Exploring "What If" Scenarios
The “What If” function allows students to hypothetically change their major, minor, or concentration to see how it would impact their degree progress.
Planning Your Academic Path
The Student Education Planner (SEP) allows students and advisors to plan a suggested course sequence for every semester of enrollment.
GPA Calculation Tools within DegreeWorks
DegreeWorks offers three GPA calculators: Graduation, Term, and Advice. Keep in mind that the GPA calculator is just an estimate and rounds up.
Factors Affecting Your GPA
Course Substitutions
If a Department or Program approves a course to be used as a substitution for a major or minor requirement, the Department or Program must submit a Course Substitution Form.
Concentration Blocks
Some majors and minors require a sub-plan, concentration, specialization, or track. If a concentration block is not found, it may require further investigation with an academic advisor.
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Elective Classes
Students are allowed a different number of general electives depending on the amount of coursework completed, as well as the number of credits required by a major or minor, to meet the total number of credits required for the degree program.
"Electives Not Allowed"
“Electives Not Allowed” count toward the degree and total credit count; however, any course that exceeds the number of credits for Elective Classes Allowed or which do not apply to any requirement block will fall into this section. This may impact the student financial aid award (i.e. Course Degree Non-Applicable
Course Degree Non-Applicable
Coursework that appears under 'Course Degree Non-Applicable' may include insufficient grades, non-contributing grades, pending ePermit courses, or transfer coursework that exceeds the maximum allowable transfer credit limit. Coursework under 'Course Degree Non-Applicable' will not be included in the credit applied count in the DegreeWorks.
Understanding Your College GPA
Your college GPA (Grade Point Average) measures the quality of work you’ve done during your college career. This number will appear on your official college transcript and helps both graduate schools and employers determine your level of performance relative to other students.
Transfer Credits and GPA
ONLY courses completed at John Jay College impact your GPA. If you decide to transfer to another college, start graduate school, or seek employment, you will need to provide all of your transcripts.
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Official Withdrawal Impact
If you officially withdraw from a class, it is not factored into your GPA.
Addressing Incomplete Grades
If a professor gives you a grade of INC, this means that he or she is waiting for you to reach out regarding make up work. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you contact the professor as soon as possible.
Calculating Your GPA Manually
For all other grades, tally up how many credits you have of each grade. For example, if you earn an A in a three-credit class, mark off three credits of A on your tally sheet. Most classes at John Jay are three credits each, but not all; be careful to correctly tally each class for the appropriate number of credits. For grades of F, FIN and WU, tally the number of credits you would have earned had you passed the class. Enter your totals into an online GPA calculator. If you are repeating a failed course as part of your current or future plans, remember that if you expect to earn a C or better, you also need to remove the failed course from your GPA.
