Step-by-Step Guide to Complete your Academic Plan

Your professor may assign a Student Academic Plan for Completion or SAP-C using the Starfish Degree Planner as part of your coursework. If completing this plan for a class assignment, follow all professor instructions for due dates, completion, sign-offs, and related tasks. Planning ahead will help meet deadlines smoothly.

If not completing this as a class assignment, the Starfish Degree Planner is still a useful tool for organizing your degree requirements, courses, and graduation or transfer goals. It can also guide your academic planning appointments by providing a clear semester-by-semester course map.

Counselors and program advisors are eager to collaborate on reviewing and refining the plan. Begin your plan independently before the meeting, then work together with your advisor to discuss course choices and timelines.

Please remember that counselors and program advisors are happy to discuss your SAP-C, but they will not fill it for you. You should start filling out SAP-C on your own before meeting with a counselor or program advisor. Bring your questions to the appointment to discuss courses you're interested in and to build an estimated timeline for completion.

Step-by-Step Guide to Complete your SAP-C (Academic Plan) in the Starfish Degree Planner

You are responsible for filling in your plan before your academic planning meeting and for submitting it to your professor by the due date. Counselors and program advisors are not responsible for completing SAP-C in the Starfish Degree Planner for you, but they are available to review your plan and discuss your course selection and course sequencing with you. The instructions below will help you complete and/or update your SAP-C. Before getting started, please review any guidelines your professor has given you if you are completing SAP-C for a class assignment. 

Step 1 – Sign In and General Info:

Log into Starfishnew window using your MyMCnew window login and password.
Go to the navigation menu in the upper left-hand corner.

Then select Degree Planner from the list. 

If you’ve already met with a counselor, a plan was likely created for you in Degree Planner. There may be more than one plan, but look for the one labeled “Active” - this is usually your most recent, and often the approved plan.

• Select the Catalog Year to represent the year of the appropriate course catalog (e.g., the catalog year on record in Banner, often the year you stated at MC).
  

• Select the program that should be used to build the plan:
  Start typing the name of the program of study (also called a major) into the Program Box to display available options and select the one for which you wish to create a plan, or select the Browse option to see more options.
  

• Tip: If the wrong program of study is accidentally selected, click the X icon to remove the selection and start over.
  Tip: Add additional programs before proceeding, if applicable.  A plan can include up to 3 programs total.
  
• Specify additional preferences by clicking Advanced Settings:
  Configure the first three options ONLY.  
  • Set the ‘what term does your plan start?’ to the current or next semester.
  • Set the ‘About how many credits do you want to take per term?’ to plan for less or more than the default. 

• Click on Build Plan to continue.
  
  Note: Depending on your program settings, you may need to select courses for requirement placeholders, called pre-selections, before your plan is built. If prompted, an option to choose specific courses to fill these placeholders will display. Recommended electives will appear at the top with a recommended icon. Once you select your courses, Starfish will build your plan.
  
  
• After the plan is built, you will return to the Plans page, where the newly created plan will display a gear icon while in progress. 
  
• Once complete, the icon will change to "In Progress," and an "Open Plan" label will display. You can then open the plan to review.
  
• Once generated in the system, the plan will be available to edit and print.

Note: Courses are automatically placed in a recommended order based on program requirements and the suggested course sequence in the College Catalog. The plan is also built using anticipated course offerings, and selected preferences whenever possible.

If your plan includes multiple programs with pre-selections, they will display based on the order that the programs are added on the Create New Plan page.

Step 2: Review Academic History and Current Courses

The two main areas of information can be found on the Courses tab and the Requirements tab. The plan will open by default on the Courses tab, which can appear overwhelming at first. 

• Courses View: Once in the plan, the first screen you will see is the Courses tab. This shows you the semester-by-semester view of your academic plan.
  
  Note: Rearranging courses may result in taking courses out of sequence. Always review changes to the plan with a counselor or program advisor before registering.
  
  
• Requirements View: Select the Requirements tab to see the list of all the requirements needed to complete your plan. 
  
  Courses that have been taken that are being used for this academic plan will show on the right, including the grade, location of the course, and term the course was taken in. Courses that are in progress or planned for the future will also be listed.
  
  Note: Degree Planner is for planning ahead and Degree Works is for tracking progress toward completing program requirements. Together, they help you stay on track to graduate.
  
  Click on More and select Student Records to review courses you have already completed and to verify if anticipated transfer credit has been applied. (If you expect transfer credit from AP, IB or CLEP scores or other institutions to be listed, be sure that you have submitted the appropriate documents.)
  
  
  
  You can also see the courses you have already taken and your program of study (also called a major) by reviewing your academic history in Degree Worksnew window. If your program is not correct, be sure to Complete the Declaration or Change of Program of Study form (PDF, )   and turn it into the Office of Records and Registration. 

Step 3: Update or Change Your Academic Plan

Begin by navigating to the Requirements tab to fill in required courses. You can later return to the Courses tab to adjust the sequence, if needed.

Note: You are strongly encouraged to use the following academic planning resources to help you complete this step. 

• College Catalognew window: Review program requirements for your major and the recommended course sequence. Check the program requirements for the year that matches your catalog year.
• Program Advising Guides: tool to help you understand degree requirements for your chosen major.
• Advising Worksheets: Each program has an advising worksheet that details the requirements for that program of study (major).
• Degree Worksnew window: tool that allows you to review and monitor progress toward degree completion.
• Math and English Requirements: Complete your math and English foundation courses within your first two semesters or as soon as you have completed any prerequisites. A counselor will help you understand your course placements and which courses to take. Waiting on your math and English requirements will delay your graduation.
• General Education (Gen Ed) Courses: Whether a course completes a specific General Education requirement depends on the course’s Gen Ed status the year it is completed. Remember to use the current academic year’s General Education course listing to ensure your selected course meets the Gen Ed requirement for the current academic year.
• Academic History: You can see the courses you have already taken by reviewing your academic history. This is available in Degree Works, Starfish Degree Planner and the Student Advisory Report (SAR) in MyMC.  Note: Degree Planner is for planning ahead, and Degree Works is for tracking progress. Together, they help you stay on track to graduate.
• Transfer Agreements: Review these transfer agreements to know if one exists for your intended transfer major and to help you meet any course requirements for transfer.
• Course Equivalencies: Review the resources on this page to understand how courses are accepted when you transfer from MC to another school or vice versa. You can also review recommended transfer programs (see a counselor or program advisor for help).
• Academic Planning Session: Meet with a counselor or program advisor to discuss the courses and course sequencing you should follow.

As you scroll down the page note that there are areas where you have to make a selection. Click on the “+Add Course” button. 

You will see the options to choose from to satisfy that area.
Note: If you do not see a course, it is likely because the course will not be offered in an upcoming semester.

Choose the term and section (optional) for when you plan to take the course and click on the Add button. 
Note: This is for planning only, not registration. You will register for your courses later in MyMC.

Tip: Review the Description to confirm that any prerequisites and required assessment levels are satisfied.
Continue these steps until all required courses have been chosen in the Requirements tab.

Step 4: Submit Your Academic Plan

Click on Request Approval on the blue menu bar at the top of the plan to show you have completed all steps of your SAP-C plan for now. 

Click on Print to have a printed copy for your records. If needed for a class, follow your professor’s directions to submit the assignment.

You will be able to update/edit your plan later. In fact, we strongly recommend that you update your academic plan in the Starfish Degree Planner each semester so it reflects courses you are taking, your future course plans, and/or revisions needed should your plans change.

Click on More and select Plan History to track how ow the plan has changed over time.

Step 5: Academic Plan Review

Meet with a program advisor by looking for them on the college’s advising by major page. If you are in the General Studies program of student, meet with a General Studies program advisor or with a counselor to review your academic plan.

Schedule your academic planning meeting early! Academic planning appointments aren’t emergencies, so try to plan ahead. Avoid asking for last-minute meetings, quick email reviews, or extension requests to your professor. Instead, give yourself enough time to have a thoughtful conversation with a counselor or program advisor about your course choices and the best path to graduation.

It’s important to remember that the Degree Planner is only a planning tool and does not replace the official College Catalog. It also does not serve as an official evaluation of progress toward completing a certificate or degree at Montgomery College.