What is Progress Toward Degree/Time To Degree?
Progress Toward Degree/ Time to Degree is a percentage that estimates how far along students are in completing the coursework requirements for their degree plan.
The Time to Degree (TTD) indicator is a four year graphic indicator viewable by incoming freshman whose first semester enrolled (FSE) is fall 2012 or later and has a first mode of admission 2 (Texas High School) or 3 (Out-of-State High School). All other students outside the target population will see percentages that correspond to the TTD values, but will see the PTD display bar with percent complete.
The TTD algorithm is based on the student’s FSE and the coursework that needs to be completed for his/her degree over eight long semesters. Summer semester courses will be calculated following enrollment in the appropriate long semester. The algorithm calculates if students are on pace to graduate in four years. If students are on pace, the bar will display green in their audit results; clicking on the check mark provides additional information. A yellow bar with an exclamation point indicates that the student is not on pace to graduate in four years. More information on how to improve pace is available by clicking on the exclamation mark of the yellow bar.
The following algorithm is used to calculate PTD/TTD:
Step 1. Find Total Hours Needed for Degree:
(Total Hours Counted for Degree + Requirement Hours Lacking=Total Hours Needed for Degree)
1. Total Hours Counted for Degree. This includes all coursework hours the student has taken that count toward the degree, and can be found under the Grand Totals requirement (any course hours that cannot count toward the degree due to unacceptable grades or other degree plan restrictions are excluded).
2. Total Number of Requirement Hours Lacking. This is usually derived by adding the hours in the lacking column for course seeking requirements. (Note: curriculum flag hours are excluded from this calculation if the estimated hours are set to zero. You may need to review the course seeking requirements if the courses are double dipping and adjust the estimated hours.)
If the number of course requirement hours lacking is greater than the highest value of hours lacking from any of the Totals Requirements, then use the sum of Course Requirement Hours Lacking as the Requirement Hours Lacking.
or
If the course requirement hours are less than the highest value of hours lacking from any of the Totals Requirements in the degree plan, then use the highest number of lacking hours from the Totals Requirement. Basically:
- A=The total number of course requirement hours lacking.
- B=The highest value of hours lacking from any of the Totals Requirements.
- If A is greater than B, use A. If B is greater than A, use B. Use the greater of the values of A or B.
NOTE: If any ungraded Study Abroad (SAB) coursework exists on the audit (including past semesters), add up the total number of hours for the ungraded SAB courses. Subtract this total from the value you chose (A or B) and use the difference for Requirement Hours Lacking.
3. Add the total number of Total Hours Counted Towards the Degree and Requirement Hours Lacking to get the Total Hours Needed for Degree.
NOTE: If the number of hours for Total Needed for Degree is less than Total Degree Plan Hours, then use Total Degree Plan Hours as the Total Needed for Degree. This will accommodate any allowable electives that may be needed to meet the Total-Degree-Plan Hours.
Step 2. The final percentage that is displayed on the degree audit is obtained by using the following calculation:
Total Hours Counted for Degree/ Total Hours Needed for Degree * 100= PTD/TTD
What about “double-dipping?”
“Double-dipping” can occur when a single course may count toward multiple requirements in a degree plan. The PTD/TTD formula takes double-dipping into account and makes adjustments for it. In many cases, because of double-dipping, the interim numbers used in the PTD/TTD calculation may exceed the Total Hours Needed for Degree. The calculations in the formula are intended to handle this issue.