Four-Year Academic Plan

The 4 Year Academic Plan is used to help students plan for their academic progression throughout their coursework at Mercer. The plan allows students to outline their transfer credit, general education requirements, major and minor coursework, and pre-professional goals while recognizing what should be achieved each semester as they work toward graduation requirements. Students should continuously monitor their plans and consult with an academic advisor concerning changes, updates, etc. This plan does not take the place of ongoing, mandatory academic advising sessions, but instead, helps guide advising conversations regularly.

Outline the Four-Year Plan

Begin your 4-Year Academic Plan by utilizing the Academic Planning worksheet or download, save, build, and edit your electronic copy of your Academic Plan.

Evaluate Previous Credit Earned

List any college-level credit earned before your enrollment at Mercer (IB, AP, dual-enrollment, and transfer credit received and evaluated by Mercer’s Registrar’s Office). View your evaluated transfer credit outlined on your unofficial transcript, available on your MyMercer account under the “Self-Help Center.” Place these courses and their Mercer equivalencies in the “Transfer Credit” section on the Four-Year Plan.

List First Semester Coursework

List courses in which you are currently enrolled in the “First-Year Fall Term” section on the Four-Year Plan.

Review Undergraduate Degree Requirements

A bachelor’s degree requires a minimum of 120 semester hours of academic courses numbered 100 and above. Many programs require more. Each Mercer student bears responsibility for knowing the requirements for their degree and for meeting those requirements. Students should review with their academic advisor or department chair every semester to evaluate progress and plan for future coursework.

Construct the Four-Year Plan

Consider the following curriculum when constructing the Four-Year Plan.
Note: Page numbers listed below align with the 2018-2019 version of the University Catalog.

Four-Year Plan Considerations

General Education Coursework

General education courses exist to provide curricular exploration and experiential development. These courses supplement major, minor, and specialization coursework by offering an overview of several broad knowledge bases.

When adding these courses to a Four-Year Plan, space them appropriately to supplement major coursework and additional classes.

Review the general education requirements for each of the colleges and schools below.

Major Coursework

Each college or school within Mercer University offers a wide variety of majors. Seek assistance from an academic advisor in determining course progression within your major as you work toward graduation.

The University Catalog outlines each academic requirement, organized first by college or school, and then by major in alphabetical order.

Additionally, academic program checklists (tools used to further identify which courses should be taken each semester) are also offered online through the college or school’s website. (Note: Ensure the checklists are up-to-date and fully reflect the academic requirements listed in the University Catalog.)

Additional Depth Requirement

Students studying within the College of Liberal Arts also complete an Additional Depth of Understanding requirement (minimum of 15 credit hours). These courses promote depth of understanding outside the major. This requirement can be fulfilled by earning a grade point average of 2.0 or higher in one of the following:

  1. A second major in another discipline;
  2. A minor in another discipline;
  3. The courses required for a secondary teacher certification as described by the Tift College of Education;
  4. A B.S. or B.A. interdisciplinary major that includes additional depth.

Reference the University Catalog to consider which coursework should be added to your Four-Year Plan to achieve the Additional Depth of Understanding requirement needed for College of Liberal Arts students.

Pre-Professional Tracks

Students wishing to enter a professional school after completing their work at Mercer University are considered to be on a “pre-professional track.” Additionally, if students are a part of an Accelerated Special Consideration Program, they need to uphold the proper course progression that allows for continued program eligibility.

View the track-specific academic requirements and incorporate them into your Four-Year Plan.