The Graduation Requirements / Degree Audit module in openSIS helps educational institutions define the academic requirements that students must complete to earn a certificate, diploma, or degree.
Instead of simply listing courses, this module organizes graduation requirements into Degree Programs, Course Categories, and Eligible Courses. It also defines the number of credit hours or ECTS credits required for each category, making it easier to monitor student progress toward graduation.
By organizing academic requirements in this way, institutions can ensure that students complete the correct courses and earn the required credits before graduating.
The Graduation Requirements module follows a simple hierarchy.
Degree Program
↓
Course Categories
↓
Eligible Courses
For example:
MBA
├── Core Courses
│ ├── Business Strategy
│ ├── Financial Management
│ └── Marketing
│
├── Electives
│ ├── Project Management
│ └── Business Analytics
│
└── Capstone Project
Each course category specifies the number of credits that students must complete to satisfy that portion of the program.
A Degree Program represents the overall academic program that students are enrolled in.
Examples include:
Each Degree Program has its own graduation requirements and course structure.
Course Categories divide a Degree Program into logical academic groups.
Examples include:
Each category contains one or more eligible courses that students can complete to satisfy that requirement.
Eligible Courses are the individual courses that count toward a particular Course Category.
For example:
| Course Category | Eligible Courses |
|---|---|
| Core Courses | Financial Accounting, Business Law, Marketing Principles |
| Electives | Entrepreneurship, Data Analytics, International Business |
Students complete these courses to earn the required credits for that category.
Each Course Category can define the number of Required Credit Hours that students must successfully complete.
For example:
| Course Category | Required Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| Core Courses | 18 |
| Electives | 9 |
| Internship | 3 |
Students must earn the required credit hours in each category before they can complete the program.
Institutions that follow the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) can also define Required ECTS Credits for each Course Category.
This enables openSIS to support institutions that use ECTS instead of traditional credit-hour systems.
A Degree Audit compares a student's completed coursework with the graduation requirements defined for their Degree Program.
The audit helps answer questions such as:
Instead of manually reviewing transcripts, administrators can use Degree Audit to quickly evaluate academic progress.
A student is enrolled in the MBA program.
The program requires:
| Course Category | Required Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| Core Courses | 18 |
| Electives | 9 |
| Capstone Project | 3 |
If the student has completed:
The Degree Audit will indicate that the student still needs 3 additional elective credit hours before completing the program.
Create a clear academic framework for each degree or diploma program.
Monitor how close students are to meeting graduation requirements.
Reduce manual transcript evaluation by comparing completed coursework with program requirements.
Configure programs using traditional credit hours or ECTS credits.
Help advisors identify missing requirements and guide students toward graduation.
Define the academic program before configuring its graduation requirements.
Organize courses into meaningful categories such as Core, Electives, or General Education.
Ensure required credit hours or ECTS credits match the institution's academic policies.
Update graduation requirements whenever curriculum changes occur.
Ensure all required courses are assigned to the appropriate course categories.
A Degree Program is the complete academic program, while Course Categories organize the requirements within that program.
Yes. Each program can contain multiple categories such as Core Courses, Electives, and Capstone requirements.
A Degree Audit compares completed coursework with graduation requirements to determine whether a student has met the requirements for program completion.
Yes. Institutions can define Required ECTS Credits for each Course Category in addition to traditional credit hours.