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University Advisement Center

Graduation Blueprint

Creating your Blueprint

This process was adapted from an assignment given in Alberto Puertas's Student Development 117 class.

Throughout this process we will compare building a house to graduating. Just as you use a blueprint to construct a house, a graduation blueprint can help point you to graduation.

Consider the following steps as you create your graduation blueprint

  • Select a major

    The first step to creating a solid graduation blueprint is to select a major. Without a major, it would be like trying to build a house without knowing what you want it to look like. You would still know you needed different rooms and accommodations but a major will help you figure out in which order you should proceed and what the final outcome will look like.

    • If you would like to explore choosing a major with an advisor please call 801-422-3826 and we would be happy to schedule an appointment with you.

  • Understand Your University Progress Report

    To understand what parts of your figurative house are already built, you will need to refer to your University Progress Report (Sometimes referred to as an ABC Report).

    • There are two main ways to access your Progress Report

      • Log into myBYU and under the Campus Links section type progrpt in the Quick URL section. When the Student Progress Report page comes up click on the Full Progress Report link towards the bottom left side of the page.
      • Go to MyMap and click on the, “Click here to use MyMap” button in the middle of the page. Once you have logged in, go to the Plan tab at the top of the page. Once the Plan tab has loaded, click on the Progress Report button on the upper-right side of the screen.

    You will use this report to complete other steps in the blueprint creation process.

  • Obtain a copy of the Major Academic Plan (MAP) of your chosen major

    These plans are found at the College Advisement Centers or online at registrar.byu.edu/advisement. This MAP in our analogy is compared to getting a hold of the blueprint of a house you have always liked. It will allow you to know which options are mandatory to get your major but will also give you options to customize your studies to your needs and desires.

  • Visit the College Advisement Center and complete the Academic Advisement Questionnaire (provided below)

    In our analogy this would be like visiting the builder of your home.

    • Remember to find out which semesters/terms your needed courses are taught and any order in which the courses will need to be taken. This is often obtained by acquiring the "flow" sheet for the major. Don’t forget to take your Progress Report to this meeting (Advisors will have access to this document but having it in hand shows that you have a vested interest in building your future).

  • Complete the rest of the instructions listed below

    After acquiring the above listed information you should be able to create a blueprint that will help you graduate. Remember that at any point in your journey if something changes or a class is unexpectedly canceled you can always come back to this process an re-work your blueprint.

Some Helpful Hints as You Proceed

  • Remember that every required class is not offered every semester/term in which you would like to take it. Find out which classes are offered only during a specific semester so that you make sure you enroll for the course at a time when it is offered.
  • Don't forget that many courses have prerequisites. For example, to complete the General Education foreign language option requirement, you can take Spanish 202, 315, 345 or 355. The hidden requirements are Spanish prerequisites 101, 102, and 201 or equivalent.
  • Majors can differ greatly in the amount of required courses and thus the amount of time to complete them. For example, Mechanical Engineering requires 20 pre-professional hours, and 72 other major hours for a total of 92 major hours. In contrast, English requires 42 total major hours plus a foreign language requirement (up to 20 hours). In sharp contrast, Economics only requires a total of 37 major hours.

ADVISEMENT CENTER QUESTIONAIRE

Take these questions with you as meet with an advisor of the major you have chosen. Please make sure you read through the document first as you do not need to ask anything you already definitively know the answer to (You may want to write down any answer you know and verify the information with the advisor using phrases like, “It is my understanding that….is the case, is this correct?”).

Questions You Can Ask:

  1. What are the entrance requirements for this major? What is the expected GPA or grade point average for an applicant?
  2. When are the application dates and when can I enroll after completing the required preparatory courses?
  3. Evaluate the academic rigor of the major. Can you help me understand which courses may be most challenging and why?
  4. What courses need to be taken in sequence? What courses require prerequisites for other major classes? What courses are only offered once or twice a year (Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer)?
  5. What internships or summer employment could I seek to help prepare for future full-time employment with this major?
  6. What are some of the possible career opportunities related to this major? What do students usually do who graduate in this major?
  7. Secure information on graduate school requirements. What are the most noted schools where students normally seek graduate education? What are the typical graduate GPA and graduate exam requirements? Are there other requirements such as passing a required exam, obtaining a license or certifying for your career?

Click here for the worksheet that will help you finish creating your blueprint.