Senior Life Hack: How to check your remaining credits and see if you're on track for graduation

Your Unofficial Transcript in Student Planning is the best place to check how many credits you have left before graduation.
It is easier to find and understand the credit math on the Transcript than on the Degree Audit, particularly if you have repeated classes that allow you to earn credit more than once (e.g. Dance Technique, Advanced Language Through Content, Supervised Research, etc.) or are registered for a yearlong thesis that only gives you grades and credits in spring.

How to check how many credits you still need to complete your degree:

How to search Vergil for classes with open seats or other relevant criteria

Did you know you can use the Course Search in Vergil to filter for classes that have open seats?

Select “Only show classes with open seats” in the search results!

There are a bunch of other useful things you can filter for, including  classes that satisfy Barnard General Education (Foundations) requirements, classes with a particular number of credits, etc. 

NOTE ON FOUNDATIONS REQS: for Barnard requirements, it's safest to cross reference anything found here with the Slate listing of courses approved for Foundations requirements. 

NOTE ON LAB SCIENCE: Do NOT rely on Vergil for acceptable lecture-plus-lab science pairings. See recent blog post for more info on this. 

Senior year is approaching -- now is a good time to check your degree audit

Planning to graduate this year?  Now's a good time to double-check that you're on track to complete all of your requirements on time. 

Step 1: Open up both your Degree Audit and your Unofficial Transcript -- both in Student Planning

See related blog post for how to check remaining credits on your Transcript.

Step 2: Check for some important stuff

T

On your Unofficial Transcript

1. Are all the classes you took listed, are all the grades on your transcript, and do you have credit for all PE and dance classes you need?
2. Are all external credits you expect -- previous college credit, summer credit, AP/IB credit, study abroad credit, etc. -- listed? 
3. If you're planning to graduate this May:
1. Have you completed at least 86 credits, thereby attaining senior status? 
2. Are you registered -- or will you soon register -- for a schedule that puts you on track to finish everything that remains by the end of the spring?

On your Degree Audit

1. Is your expected graduation date correct?
2. Are all courses showing up as counting for the requirements you expect them to count for? Or are things listed in "Other" that you expected to see under General Education Requirements (GERs) or in your major?  
3. If you're planning to graduate this February, everything should be completed or in progress.

Step 3: Address any issues you identified in Step 2

 

Senior Class Dean 2025-2026 Walk-In Hours start Sept 2 -- virtual only first week of classes

Got a quick question?

Need to talk to a dean ASAP?

If you have something complicated or want to be sure you can talk at length, please make an appointment via Dean Grabiner's online scheduler.

Otherwise, during the semester, you may walk in virtually beginning Tuesday, Sept 2 (note that, due to construction, walk-ins are virtual only the first week of classes -- we apologize for the inconvenience) or in person beginning Tuesday, Sept 9 at any of the times below.  

Tuesdays 3:30-4:30pm Eastern Time

• Enter waiting room via this Walk-In Hours Zoom Link or visit 105 Milbank,
  
• We will see students on a first-come, first-served basis. 
• If we run out of time and can't see you, we apologize for the inconvenience and encourage you to schedule an appointment, to try walk-ins on a different day, or for time-sensitive matters, to call the office at 212-854-2024 during business hours.

Wednesdays: Degree Audit Drop-Ins 3:30-4:30pm Eastern Time

• Enter waiting room via this Walk-In Hours Zoom Link or visit 105 Milbank
• We will prioritize students seeking degree audit advice but will see other students if time permits 
• If we run out of time and can't see you, we apologize for the inconvenience and encourage you to schedule an appointment, to try walk-ins on a different day, or for time-sensitive matters, to call the office at 212-854-2024 during business hours.

Thursdays 3:30-4:30pm Eastern Time

• Enter waiting room via this Thursday Afternoon Walk-In Hours Zoom Link or visit 105 Milbank.
  
• We will see students on a first-come, first-served basis. 
• If we run out of time and can't see you, we apologize for the inconvenience and encourage you to schedule an appointment, to try walk-ins on a different day, or for time-sensitive matters, to call the office at 212-854-2024 during business hours.

Summer location change -- How to find Dean Grabiner in Millbank 119b Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and these Mondays: 6/9, 6/23, 7/7, 7/21, 8/4, & 8/25

Due to construction this summer, the class deans are being temporarily relocated to the offices of kind colleagues who are sharing space with us this summer. We should be back in our normal space in 105 Milbank by the second week of classes.

Dean Grabiner is around and available for appointments (walk-ins are virtual-only for the first week of classes) on zoom or by phone any weekday, and in-person on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and the following Mondays: 6/9, 6/23, 7/7, 7/21, 8/4, and 8/18.

How to find Dean Grabiner's summer office:

Go to Milbank Hall

Swipe your ID to enter

 

Walk up the small flight of marble stairs directly in front of you

 

 At  the top of the stairs, turn right and walk through the open doors to the carpeted hallway

Find the Access Barnard 119 Milbank suite on your right after the elevator. Open this glass door and walk straight ahead

If Dean Grabiner is available, her 119b door, directly in front of you, will be open -- come right in!

 

If Dean Grabiner's door is closed, take a seat on the bench in the hallway directly opposite, and Dean Grabiner will come invite you in when ready

 

Use this link to make an appointment with Dean Grabiner any time: https://deangrabiner.youcanbook.me/

Apply to be a Peer Academic Coach!

Are you interested in helping students build their academic skills and your leadership skills as a Peer Academic Coach for the upcoming academic year? Please see the following flyer below for more information for qualifications and how to apply!

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to the Program Coordinator, Allie Johnston, at ajohnsto@barnard.edu

Senior FAQ: I submitted a form online -- how do I know if it was received, reviewed, or approved?

Did you submit one of the online forms that are available via the Slate for Students website? 

Wondering how to track its progress, i.e. to see if/when it was received, approved, processed, etc.?

Here's how to check.

1. Log into Slate directly or find it on the Barnard Portal under the Academics tab

 

 

 2. In the Home tab of Slate, scroll down to the bottom of the page, to Forms Submitted. There you'll see any forms you have submitted and can track them along their route from submitted to approved and processed. The legend below explains any symbols

3. That's it!

When/where/how to take your approved deferred exam from spring 2025

Deferred exams for Spring 2025 classes

Deferred exams from Spring 2025 will be held on Friday, Sept. 5th & Monday, Sept. 8th.  We will be in touch with you to confirm the location & room details regarding your exam details the week before exams.

Friday, September 5, 2025 9:00AM – 12:00PM - Room TBA

Friday, September 5, 2025 1:00PM – 4:00PM - Room TBA

Monday, September 8, 2025 7 9:00AM – 12:00PM - Room TBA

Monday, September 8, 2025 – 4:00 PM - Room TBA

For most in-person deferred exams, we will follow a self-scheduled exam model. You will be contacted directly if your exam has a specific day and time. Otherwise, this model, followed by a number of peer institutions, allows students to select when to take their exams from among a number of blocked exam time periods. 

Spring 2025 deferred exams must be completed by Monday, September 8, 2025.

Pro Tips:

• If you have an unavoidable conflict between a deferred exam and a current class, prioritize the exam and email your instructor, copying your class dean, to say you were advised to do this and ask how to catch up on missed content
• If you have a choice, plan to take your deferred exam at the earliest possible opportunity -- that will give you a Plan B option if anything goes awry.

Senior Year FACT or FICTION: possible to take fewer than 12 credits in your last semester????

FACT OR FICTION:
Is it true that you can take fewer that 12 credits in your last semester?

YES; this is FACT, BUT ONLY IN VERY SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES and by following proper procedure. 

As stated in the Barnard College Catalogue:

"Graduating seniors who need fewer than twelve credits to complete their degree – and who have already satisfied the College’s academic residency requirement and completed at least four full-time semesters in academic residence – may be approved to take a minimum of nine credit hours. Because Barnard students are charged a flat rate of tuition per semester, reducing one’s course load to nine credits will not change the tuition owed in the last semester. International students must consult with International Student Services in advance to determine eligibility.  Students who meet these criteria and are approved to be enrolled in nine credits are still eligible to live in Barnard’s residence halls. 

If any student who is not an eligible senior needs to register for fewer than twelve credits for disability-related reasons, they should reach out to CARDS to discuss the reduced course load process at cards@barnard.edu."

Submit this form by the drop deadline to request approval **Note that this request can only be made at the start of your final semester, for that semester**: https://slate.barnard.edu/register/final_semester_request

Heard a rumor and want to know if it's true?  Submit requests for this series to SeniorClassDean@barnard.edu

Senior FAQ: Can I take more than 19 credits? How/when can I get permission?

Q: I heard it's possible for students to get permission from their adviser to take more than 19 credits. Is that true, and if so, how/when can I get permission?

A: Yes, in rare cases, and only once the semester has begun. You may request adviser permission* for more than 19 credits only during the final registration period (Sept 2-12 for fall 2025). 

--> Stay tuned for info on the new process to request this.

NOTE: Approval after the registration deadline is by petition only.

*Please note that these requests will only be granted for urgent reasons, such as completion of a major, a minor, or for graduation requirements.

 

Q: What if I get in off a waitlist that puts me over the limit?

A: If you are removed from a waitlist and temporarily find yourself in more than 19 credits, you will need to drop the "extra" class or receive approval to exceed the limit 

Warning: if you neither request permission nor drop below 19 credits, the registrar will drop you from the most recently added class.

Need an extra credit or two this fall? Here are a few options

Doing that degree-audit arithmetic and need one or two more credits?

If you're having trouble getting up to the number of credits you need and are looking for a 1-2-credit course to add, here are some options and tips. Pay special attention to the start dates of these courses.

**Be sure to check course descriptions for special registration procedures or necessary permissions.

Know of something that's not on here? Email SeniorClassDean@barnard.edu, and we'll add it!

1-2 credit course options: