We have designed this page with the needs of Sprott students in mind to help you stay on track as you progress through your program. Please review this information at least once a year or every time you make changes to your Program Progression Plan.
Your Program Progression Plan is your individualized action plan for navigating your degree – it centres around your short-term and long-term goals, including your academic, career, and graduation objectives. Your plan should consider your commitments, extracurriculars, personal circumstances, and your learning needs. The success of your plan will require that you,
It is never too early or too late to develop a clear action plan – whether you are in your first year or starting your last, your Program Progression Plan will provide you with the structure that you need to align your registration with your program requirements.
The Undergraduate Calendar is your first stop to review University Rules and Regulations, as well as program and course requirements.
This information, combined with your Academic Audit, provide you with the necessary tools to identify and understand your program requirements.
Your Audit is your personalized map for your program – get your own copy of your audit on Carleton Central, and take the time to review it and understand it.
Pro Tip: Check your Audit every time that you add or drop a course to confirm that your action has had the intended outcome on your Audit and on your Program Progression Plan.
Remember that your Audit may reflect your requirements based on the Calendar Catalogue Year that matches your year of admission – if there is a discrepancy between your audit and the current calendar, review the program structure for the corresponding year in the Calendar Catalogue Archives.
For more information about how to read your academic audit check out the Academic Advising Centre’s information on reading the Audit.
Now that you have reviewed your Audit and have a list of your requirements, consider the overall structure of your program.
To do this effectively, start connecting your courses to determine their appropriate sequencing – factor in course prerequisites, preclusions, and how course content builds from one level of study to the next.
Pro Tip: BUSI course outlines are available for you to review on the Sprott website and can be a great resource of information as you consider course content.
Remember that your Concentration(s) and/or Stream(s) objectives should inform your selection of electives.
Access to BUSI courses is determined by order of priority based on your program requirements. This information is outlined in the Sprott Registration page.
In addition to the structure, understand the Rules and Regulations of your program – read all notes in the Undergraduate Calendar to identify additional progression requirements.
Before finalizing your program mapping and registration plans, take the time to consider your goals, priorities, motivators, and needs. Remember that the best plan is one that accounts for everything that you are navigating in a given term.
Consider the following questions to help you get started with framing your priorities:
Pro Tip: Discuss your goals and workload with a Program Advisor. An advisor can help you determine if registering in a course overload or lowering your course load will support your overall success. Reconsidering your workload may help you make strategic changes along the way.
Now that you understand your requirements and priorities for the upcoming registration period, start scenario planning to give you several possible plans to execute should you need to pivot based on course availability, access restrictions, and/or scheduling.
Create multiple Draft Worksheets in the Registration section of Carleton Central and plot different options for each term in advance of your registration time-ticket. Pay close attention to error messages that will help you troubleshoot any course access issues in advance of your registration.
Pro Tip: Bring your draft worksheets and possible scenarios to your Advising appointments for review.
Don’t forget to check the Sprott Registration Page to confirm your priority access to BUSI courses.
At Sprott and at Carleton University you have access to many resources that can support you in meeting your objectives. These resources include people, services, support programs, workshops, and spaces that combine opportunities for academic, career, and social engagement.
Take the time to explore the Carleton Current Students portal and the Sprott Undergraduate Student webpage, to identify and make note of the resources that can help support your success strategically.
For example, if you have concerns about your success in a Math course, connect with the Math Tutorial Centre; if you are taking an intensive language course and would like to practice your skills, connect with the Language Resource Room and attend a Conversation Group; if you are often struggling with your time management or with other academic success skills, connect with the Centre for Student Academic Support; or if you would like to withdraw from a course but are unsure about the academic implications on your progressions, connect with your Sprott Program Advisors.
Pro Tip: Having a clear network of support is the key to knowing who to connect with when you experience difficulty and need support – start building your toolkit or network of resources now by visiting service departments in person, meeting with your advisors, attending community events, exploring the Carleton and Sprott websites, and introducing yourself to your professors.
Remember that to support your success, your Program Progression Plan should include when and what resources to access based on your projected challenges.
Are you ready to graduate? Congratulations! Now it's time to review the Graduation Checklist