Overview
Academic advisors can use MyDegreePath (uAchieve) Self-Service to apply program-level exceptions for a student’s declared major, emphasis, or minor; campus-wide requirements must go through the Petition of Academic Policy process. Planner is not enabled at this time.
When to use an exception
- Substitution — allow a different course to fulfill a requirement (e.g., PSY 123 instead of PSY 120)
- Waiver — waive a requirement entirely with justification
- Add Course — manually place a course into a requirement block not currently encoded to accept it
- Remove Course — prevent a course from applying (duplication, excess sharing, policy)
- Change Minimum — adjust required units, GPA, or number of courses
- Force Complete — mark complete only when the block is truly satisfied but not displaying correctly (use sparingly)
Do not use exceptions for General Education or University Requirements; use the petition process instead.
How to add an exception (Self-Service)
- Log in to MyDegreePath Self-Service.
- Search for the student and run a fresh degree audit.
- Click Enter Exception Mode (top-right of the audit screen).
- Hover over the requirement or sub-requirement and select the exception icon.
[Placeholder: image showing the exception icon on a block] - Select the exception type (see “When to use an exception”) and complete the form:
- Use the memo to explain in catalog-based language (appears in the audit).
- Use the advisor note for internal context (not visible to students).
- Click Save, then re-run the audit to confirm the change.
[Placeholder: before/after audit screenshot highlighting the applied exception]
Best practices
- Include exact course codes and term info (e.g., HIST 016, Fall 2024).
- Follow your School’s internal approval process before applying exceptions.
- Avoid vague notes; quote or paraphrase relevant catalog language.
- Review the audit before and after adding an exception.
- Avoid Force Complete unless necessary; some automated checks may not respect it.
Graduate pseudo courses
Some program exceptions may reference graduate-level pseudo courses. Use your Graduate Pseudo Cheat Sheet to select the correct pseudo code and description.
- School of Natural Sciences (SNS) — [Placeholder: table excerpt or link to SNS pseudo codes]
- School of Engineering (SOE) — [Placeholder: table excerpt or link to SOE pseudo codes]
[Placeholder: image/table summarizing common graduate pseudo codes and usage]
Resources
- Exceptions Documentation (PDF) — reference details; use this page for the streamlined workflow.
- UC Merced Catalog — program rules and petition of academic policy information.
Need help?
- Records/content (placement, logic, catalog rules): submit an Academic Record Review (ARR) with a screenshot of the affected block.
- Technical (errors, access, buttons not responding): use the OIT Service Hub → Get Help.
