The University of Utah’s Campus Information Services, commonly called Utah CIS, includes a Degree Audit tool for tracking academic progress.
One particularly useful feature is the ability to explore a different major without officially changing your academic program.
But there’s an important distinction between the degree you’re currently pursuing and a program you’re only considering.
A What-If Audit is a planning tool. It doesn’t change your declared major or automatically enroll you in another academic program.
Declared Audit vs. What-If Audit
The Degree Audit system supports different types of reports.
A Declared Audit evaluates your progress toward the academic program officially recorded for you.
A What-If Audit shows how your completed and current coursework could apply to a different program.
For example, a student currently majoring in Psychology might want to explore the requirements for Sociology.
A What-If Audit can display which requirements have already been satisfied and which courses would still be necessary.
That doesn’t mean the student’s official major has changed.
Where to Find the Feature
The University of Utah provides access to Degree Audit through the graduation-cap tile in CIS.
Inside the Degree Dashboard, students can request a new audit.
The university’s instructions identify two ways to reach that function: using the Request an Audit option or selecting Request New from the Audits menu.
To explore another program, choose the What-If Audit section rather than the option for declared programs.
Choosing the Correct Program
The What-If Audit process requires several selections.
These can include the college, major, degree type, and catalog year.
Some programs also require an emphasis.
The selections matter because different degree combinations can have different graduation requirements.
A Bachelor of Arts program, for example, may have requirements that differ from those of a Bachelor of Science program.
Don’t assume that choosing the correct major name is sufficient if the remaining options don’t match the program you’re researching.
Catalog Year Can Change the Results
Academic requirements can change between catalog years.
When exploring a program you haven’t declared, the university’s instructions generally direct students to use the most recent catalog year.
This matters when comparing an existing declared program with a possible new major.
A requirement that appears in a What-If Audit may not be identical to the requirement listed under an older catalog year.
If you’re seriously considering changing majors, discuss the applicable catalog year with an academic advisor.
You Can Explore Minors and Certificates
The What-If Audit isn’t limited to comparing individual majors.
The University of Utah also supports adding multiple emphases, minors, and certificates to an audit.
However, its instructions specify that minors and certificates must be attached to a bachelor’s degree audit rather than generated as standalone audits.
This is useful when exploring combinations of academic programs.
For example, a student could evaluate a proposed major alongside a minor and see how the combined requirements affect the remaining coursework.
Understanding the Color Indicators
Degree Audit uses colors to distinguish different academic statuses.
Green indicates completed coursework, blue represents courses in progress, and red identifies unfulfilled requirements.
Purple is used for planned coursework when an audit is specifically generated with planned courses included.
These distinctions help explain why a requirement may appear in an audit without being completed.
A course that you’re currently taking isn’t the same as a course you’ve successfully finished.
Likewise, a planned course doesn’t represent confirmed enrollment.
Why Some Completed Courses Don’t Satisfy the New Major
A course can appear in your academic history without satisfying a particular program requirement.
Different majors may apply coursework differently.
An elective that counts toward one degree might not fulfill a required course sequence in another.
The What-If Audit helps identify these differences before you make an academic decision.
However, questions about substitutions or exceptions should be reviewed with the appropriate advisor.
What If You Haven’t Declared a Major?
Students without a declared academic program can still use What-If Audits.
The University of Utah specifically recommends this feature for exploring graduation requirements before declaring a major.
It also recommends meeting with an advisor to discuss the results.
This makes the tool useful for students who want to compare several possible academic paths.
Running an Audit Doesn’t Change Your Records
This is the main limitation to understand.
Generating a What-If Audit is not the same as submitting a change-of-major request.
The report evaluates a hypothetical academic path using your existing coursework.
Your officially declared program remains separate.
If you decide to pursue the new major, you’ll need to follow the university’s applicable declaration or program-change procedures.
When to Contact an Advisor
A What-If Audit can provide a useful starting point, but it shouldn’t be treated as a final academic approval.
An advisor can help interpret requirements, explain possible course substitutions, and identify restrictions associated with a particular program.
This is especially important when considering a major with additional admission requirements.
Utah CIS makes it possible to compare academic programs before committing to a change. Use the What-If Audit to understand your options, but rely on your declared program record and academic advising for official degree planning.