Course planning and advice

We can help you with course planning advice, and you can use the myDegree tool to see what courses you need to do to complete your qualification or major.

You can do a lot of your own planning using the myDegree tool, which you access via the Pūaha self-service portal. If you have questions about the myDegree tool or need help to plan or change your programme of study, your Student Success Adviser can help. Our Careers and Employment team can help you plan for life after study.

‘Programme of study’ is the term we use to describe your chosen degree (or certificate or diploma) along with your major and minor subjects.

Use the myDegree tool to evaluate your progress

Use the first ‘Academic’ tab in the myDegree tool to work out what courses you need to complete for your programme of study. You can see:

  • Your progress towards completing your degree(s) (or other qualification).
  • Your progress towards completing your major(s) and any minor(s).
  • The requirements you’ve completed, those that are in progress, and those that are yet to be started.

Find out more using myDegree to track your progress

Use the myDegree tool to plan your changes

Use the second ‘What if’ tab in the myDegree tool before you add or drop courses or re-enrol for the next academic year. Follow the instructions below to explore the impact of choosing a different degree or major, or to evaluate the impact of specific courses on your path to completing the requirements of your programme of study.

You can't use myDegree to change the courses that you're currently enrolled in. Find out how to add and drop courses.

Explore the impact of changing your degree, major, or minor

To explore the impact of changing your degree, major, or minor:

  • Select the ‘What if’ tab.
  • Use the drop-down menus to select the relevant year, and level of study.
  • Select your proposed new combination of degree, major, and minor subjects.
  • Click ‘Process’.

The screen will then display:

  • Requirements circles comparing your achievements to date against the overall requirements and points for your proposed programme of study.
  • The detailed requirements for your proposed programme of study, for both degree and any majors or minors.
  • Your progress towards those requirements, based on the courses that you have already completed.
  • ‘Additional’ courses are courses that you’ve completed or are working towards that don’t help you to meet the new programme’s requirements.
  • ‘In-progress’ courses are those that you’re currently studying.

Use this information to assess the courses you’d need to do and the requirements you’d need to meet if you did change your programme.

Evaluate the impact of courses on programme completion

To see if a particular course or courses would help you complete your qualification:

  • Select the ‘What if’ tab.
  • Tick ‘Use current curriculum’ box—this will fill in the degree, major, and minor fields with your current programme of study.
  • Enter the subject code (MATH, for example) and number (201, for example) of the course you are considering, and click ‘Add’.
  • Repeat this step for any other courses you are thinking about adding to your course load.
  • Click ‘Process’.

The ‘What if’ tab will then display:

  • Requirements circles showing how far your proposed new course(s), combined with your achievements to date, would go towards completing your programme.
  • The detailed requirements for your degree(s), major(s), and minor(s).
  • Your progress towards those requirements, based on the proposed new course(s) in addition to the courses that you’ve already completed.

Use this information to see if the courses you’re thinking of adding will help you meet the requirements for your degree, major, and minor.

Use the Course Finder to explore options

Use the Course Finder tool to search for courses at undergraduate or postgraduate level, or browse by subject. You can also find courses that you can study online without coming to campus.

The tool allows you to select courses that are offered in a particular semester or taught on a particular day of the week. Each course has a page outlining the content you’ll cover, timings, fees, and teaching details.

Get help planning your degree

For more difficult questions about planning your degree, contact your Student Success Adviser. They can help answer any queries relating to your degree, course planning, credit transfer, and postgraduate qualifications—or anything else related to your academic programme.

Get help planning your career

What you want to do after you leave university is something to consider when planning your degree and choosing courses.

Get help exploring ideas for your career from the experienced professionals in our Careers and Employment team. They can help you with:

  • exploring ideas for your future career pathway
  • the implications of subject choices for your pathway
  • details of specific jobs, employers, and postgraduate courses.

Book and manage events online

You can book career advice appointments, workshops, and employer events through the University's CareerHub. Join and manage your progress on leadership programmes through the hub.

Log in to the CareerHub

Online career resources

We offer an online career centre, where you can search for jobs, get career ready with interactive tools and resources, and explore career options.

Use the online Career Centre