ANJALI DALAL-WHELAN / FEATURE EDITOR

At this point of the semester, many students are juggling a busy schedule. While balancing classes, extracurriculars   and social lives,  it’s   easy to forget that the  main  point of college is graduating. Some Toreros are confused on what the actual requirements   are  to get their diploma.    Although  the core and major requirements are generally easy to follow,  there’s a  few other elements, such as career readiness points that tend to puzzle some students. 

USD     first-year Kirsten Buenrostro expressed her understanding of the graduation requirements. 

“If you don’t do your research, it might be a little harder if your advisor doesn’t help you.”

In terms of career readiness points, Buenrostro was unaware of the requirements.

“I  remember  my professor talking about it,  but I don’t really know what it is,” Buenrostro  said. “This   is  the   first   I’ve   heard  of  them.” 

 Here is a  breakdown of  the main requirements that USD  has to graduate.  Students  should  talk to   their academic advisors to guarantee that they     are   fulfilling their requirements. 

Career readiness points 

One  of the most    befuddling     parts of USD’s graduation requirements is the Career  Readiness Program (CRP). 

This requirement varies based on what school a student falls into. The  College of Arts and Science students have to   meet   their  COMPASS point requirements, Knauss School of Business students need  PASSPORT points and Shiley-Marcos  School of Engineering students collect CONNECT points. All  of these programs essentially have the same purpose: to help students explore and get connected with career opportunities. Each program has specific requirements, which can be  found on USD’s   Career  Development  Center  website. 

For College of Arts and Sciences students, COMPASS has a requirement of 10 points, split between four core points and six flex points. The core points involve a COMPASS orientation, a networking event, a workshop called “articulating  the value of your liberal arts education” and a senior graduation survey. The orientation meeting is recommended to be taken after declaring a major, and the “articulating the value of your liberal arts education” workshop is recommended for the first semester of students’ senior year.  Both meetings take place during Torero hours most weeks of the semester. 

Flex points can come from a variety of things, such as career fairs and speaker events. 

Business and Engineering students  both  have 12 required      points   for  PASSPORT or  CONNECT.     This   includes  three  core points which are PASSPORT or CONNECT orientation meetings, a networking event and a senior graduation survey.  Students in both schools also need nine flex points, which can also come  from a variety of sources. 

Many  events on campus advertise that  students can receive COMPASS, PASSPORT or CONNECT points for attending. Toreros should make sure to register with their student ID numbers to receive credit. Students can also receive points for things that they may already be doing. At the bottom of the CRP webpage,   there   are forms that can be  filled   out to award points for internship experiences, or for attending professional conferences and talks that aren’t at USD.  Filling out these forms does not guarantee points, but it can potentially be a great way to knock off flex   points for students in any school. 

Students can check how many points they  have on   the MySanDiego website in the “Career Readiness” page under the “Torero Hub” tab.  There   are  a  few upcoming events this  semester that students can attend to receive  CRP points. This includes the Spring Career and  Internship   fair on  March 4,   which    students  receive two flex points and a networking point for attending. USD’s career center sends out   a weekly email to students called “Career Weekly.” This email  advertises   events   where  students  can  earn   points to meet   requirements. 

Complete  all  of  your  classes

Because USD is a liberal arts school, everyone must complete the core curriculum, a series of classes that covers a variety of departments and subjects. This class list can look daunting, but there are some ways to make it go by quicker. Doubling up on  credits is a great way  to   satisfy the core requirements effectively. For example, classes in the theology, philosophy and history departments  often have the Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice flags, meaning students can check off two requirements in one class. Additionally,   many  students fulfill the  credits  through community college classes and Advanced  Placement  or International  Baccalaureate  tests  that they may have taken in high school.  

One of the more confusing parts of the core curriculum is the Advanced Integration flag, which is meant to be fulfilled at the end of students’ college career. While First-Year Integration is fulfilled through students LLC or Living Learning Community courses, Advanced Integration is much more open-ended. It can be fulfilled through a range of courses, which often corresponds with student’s majors. Students can find classes that fulfill the advanced integration flag when searching for classes by searching the attribute CINT. 

Every major at USD has very different graduation requirements. Information on major requirements can be found on the different departments’ websites as well as  Degree Works. Some majors have a required final research project or a capstone project which students complete during their final two semesters. 

Petitioning  for graduation

One of the last requirements to graduate is submitting a formal petition to graduate. This can be completed once a student has 90 credits. The petition form can be found in the MySanDiego portal under the “Senior” tab. 

While    the  variety of requirements to graduate can feel overwhelming, spreading out the tasks over time makes them more manageable. By paying close attention to each requirement, Toreros can be sure to receive their hard-fought diplomas. 

By staying on track with graduation requirements, students can reach the finish line.  Graphic by Alissa Abramovich/The USD Vista