A what-if degree audit shows how your credits would apply to a different major or minor before you commit. Learn how to run one and read the results.
Picture a sophomore who is two weeks from the add/drop deadline and thinking about switching from biology to public health. She has 48 credits and a hunch that most of them will carry over, but she has no idea how many, or whether she would land closer to graduation or further away. The change-of-major form is one signature from her advisor, and she would rather know the answer before she signs.
A what-if degree audit gives her that answer. It is a version of the degree audit that applies the courses you have already taken, and the ones you are enrolled in, to a major, minor, or concentration you have not declared, then shows which requirements would be met and which would still be open. Nothing changes on your record, so it works as a low-risk preview when a decision this size is on the table.
A standard degree audit checks your coursework against the program you are in, and a what-if run applies it to a different program instead. At City College of New York, students choose a proposed degree, then a major (and a concentration, if applicable), and the system shows how their coursework may be used in the program they are considering. The University of North Texas describes the same idea as running an audit for any program "to see how it might work for you," across undergraduate majors, certificates, and some graduate programs.
Running one is typically quick. You open the audit tool in your student portal, choose the what-if option, pick the program and catalog year you want to test, and process the report. Some schools let you add a minor or a concentration in the same run.
The output looks like a regular audit, with each requirement block marked as met, in progress, or still needed. Start with which of your completed courses count toward the new program, and where. A course that satisfied a general education requirement in your current major may now satisfy a major requirement, or it may land in free electives, where it carries credit but moves you no closer to the new major. Next, add up the credits in the unmet blocks and compare that total to your current audit for a rough sense of what the switch would cost in time. Grade minimums deserve a look too, since some majors set a grade floor or an entry GPA that the report may not flag on its own.
For a closer look at how credits move after a switch has been approved, our guide on what happens to your credits when you change your major picks up where the what-if report leaves off.
A what-if audit is informational, and the schools that offer it say so plainly. Dalton State notes that running one does not change your major and that the scenario is not saved between logins, so your advisor will not see it unless you review it together. UNT states that a what-if "will not change your declared program," and that to make the change official you need to contact an academic advisor. CCNY points students to a separate declaration system for the same reason.
There are some other limits worth knowing. The report reflects the rules in the catalog year you select, and catalog year can change the answer, because program and core requirements can change from one year to the next. UNT tells students to choose the right one for exactly that reason. The report cannot show you whether you will be admitted to a program that has its own application or whether the courses you need will be offered when you need them. Financial aid is another open question, and Dalton State suggests checking with that office before you change majors, which is good advice at any school.
Run it more than once, including for a major you have not seriously considered. You may find that a program you had written off needs fewer additional credits than the one you are drawn to, which makes for a more informed conversation.
Then bring the results to your advisor. Print or save each report and note the catalog year you used. Come with questions such as which of the remaining courses are offered next term, and whether this major has a competitive admission step. If a course substitution or waiver were approved, would any of your courses count differently? An advisor can answer those in a few minutes, and the report gives the conversation a concrete starting point.
If you are mapping what comes after, the 4-year plan guide walks through turning the remaining requirements into a term-by-term schedule.
The sophomore in our opening could have spent a week guessing. With a what-if audit she gets a credit count and a list of open requirements, so she can make the call with real information in front of her.
If you work at a college and want students to see a clear what-if view without needing a staff member to walk them through it, we would be glad to show you how Stellic Progress handles it. Request a demo whenever the timing works for you.
No. A what-if audit is a simulation and leaves your declared program as it is. To make a change official you submit your school's change-of-major form or use its declaration system, usually after talking with an advisor.
It depends on your school's system. At some institutions the scenario is visible only to you and is not saved between sessions, so save or print the report and bring it to your meeting.
Generally yes, to the extent that credit is already posted to your record. Credit that has not been evaluated yet will not appear, so confirm with your registrar if you are waiting on transcripts.
Some schools let you add a minor to the what-if run, and UNT, for one, handles minors only as an addition to a degree program audit. Check the options in your own audit tool, or ask your registrar how your school handles it.
It is as accurate as the program rules loaded in your school's system and the catalog year you choose. Treat it as a strong estimate and confirm details such as admission requirements and course availability with your advisor.
