Alamo GPS

Goal + Plan = Success (GPS)

Alamo GPS is a tool designed to help you navigate college. It helps you plan, stay on track, and complete your degree or certificate.

SET YOUR GOAL
Create a degree plan, which will guide you as you register for courses each semester.
FOLLOW YOUR PLAN
Review your completed coursework and current GPA, view what courses you have left, and calculate what grades you need to achieve your GPA goal.
ACHIEVE SUCCESS
Follow your degree plan to complete your program’s requirements.

Your assigned academic advisor will still guide you every step of the way. Alamo GPS is a tool that supports academic advising, but is not intended to replace one-on-one advising sessions.

Features

  • Audit: A document that lists all degree requirements and courses taken/needed by core and major blocks. The form can be saved as PDF and printed.
  • Advisor Notes: Advisors document meetings and advice given, and it is saved in Alamo GPS for students to reference.
  • What If: This feature allows students to “try on” all the majors across the Alamo Colleges District. It shows students how progress toward degree completion changes if they change majors.
    • Future Classes: This dynamic tool shows how degree progress is affected by courses you plan to take in the future.
  • Plans: View your semester-by-semester enrollment plan through graduation.
  • GPA Calculator: See the impact your grades will have on your overall GPA, and calculate the grades you need to earn in order to reach your GPA goals.

FAQs

About Alamo GPS Using the Worksheet Audits
Troubleshooting the Worksheet Audit Using the GPA Calculator

 

About Alamo GPS

How do I access Alamo GPS?

Log in to ACES using your usual ID and password.

Alamo GPS is readily accessible through your Homepage and Student tab in ACES.

When can I use my Alamo GPS audit?
Key times to use your Alamo GPS audit are when: 
  • Reviewing your progress with an academic or major advisor. 
  • Creating a list of questions to discuss with your advisor. 
  • Identifying courses that need to be completed. 
  • Selecting courses that meet your degree requirements. 
  • Determining a projected graduation date. 
  • Choosing a major. 
  • Calculating your GPA in various scenarios
Is my degree audit the same as my Alamo Colleges transcript?

No. Alamo GPS is not your academic transcript, nor is it an official notification of completion of degree requirements

Your Alamo Colleges transcript is arranged by each semester and is the final and official documentation of your academic record at the Alamo Colleges.

The online degree audit is a computerized program that displays your academic information based on official requirements as spelled out in the bulletin and other sources.

The online audit is not an official transcript – all colleges require an official transcript to evaluate your credits.

I just submitted an Academic Petition, Change of Major form, Change of Grade form, or added/dropped a class. When will it appear in my audit?

Our system is automatically refreshed and updated once a semester after grades are posted, so any changes made to your account should appear in Alamo GPS the day after grades are processed.

Your advisor may manually update your record at any time.

Please note that it may take days or weeks before a document is received and processed and your audit is ready to be updated.

Do I automatically graduate if everything is checked off?

In order to graduate, you must file an application for graduation with the Enrollment Services / Admissions and Records office.

There is no fee for this application.

Applications may be obtained and filed online through ACES Web Services.

Who do I contact for more assistance?

For further assistance with Alamo GPS please view our Contact Information.

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Using the Worksheet Audits

How does Alamo GPS determine which set of degree requirements to use?

Alamo GPS uses a student’s College, Major and Catalog Year to determine the set of degree requirements to use when producing a degree audit.

What is a Catalog Year?

The catalog year determines which catalog/degree requirements students follow to obtain a degree.

Students have five years from the time a major/degree is declared to complete the requirements.

The "What If" function can be used to view how a student’s coursework is used toward a degree.

Students wanting to use Alamo GPS audit may update the catalog year \through their college’s enrollment services office.

Am I able to change my catalog year to meet a different set of requirements?

Students may either chose to be audited under their original catalog requirements if it is within the previous five years or the requirements of the catalog active at the time of their graduation.

Students may use the "What If" function to determine which catalog year requirements are most beneficial.

How do I read my degree audit?

Your DegreeWorks report is divided into various sections and is intended to be read from the top down.

Each section contains a specific set of requirements as defined in the official catalog for your degree, major, etc. The Student Header is the first section on the report and contains various academic information.

The next section is called the Degree section and contains graduation requirements.

The audit lists the overall requirements to earn your degree including core and major requirements. Refer to the individual blocks or sections for details on your specific remaining and satisfied requirements.

In-progress courses are listed within the appropriate requirement block and toward the bottom of the audit.  

What do different Sections / Blocks of my audit represent?

Student Header: The Student Header provides useful information as degree, college, advisor, etc.
Print Audit: Select the Print icon at the top of the Degree Audit Worksheet to print an audit. The print options will appear.
GPA Calculator: The Graduation Calculator is used give calculations for Graduation, Term and Advice.
Class History: You can view Class History to get a term-by-term summary of the courses taken and the grades earned.
Notes: View notes added by advisors to an audit progress or needs.
Degree Progress:The Degree Progress shows the percentage of complete requirements and credits as well as overall GPA.
Degree Audit Blocks: The Degree Audit is divided into multiple sections called blocks. The blocks will show the progress towards the degree.
Legend: The legend can be found at the bottom of the audit, which explains the icons found throughout the degree audit.

Does my Alamo GPS audit show all of my coursework, including courses I completed at another university?

The Alamo Colleges must have an official transcript on file showing successful completion of any transfer work and have evaluated the transfer courses before they will appear in Alamo GPS.

All courses transferred in from other colleges or taken in the military should show on your degree audit.

You need to earn a grade of D or better (or a passing (P) grade) in a transfer course for it to be transferred into the Alamo Colleges.

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What if my program requires advisor approved electives?

After you and your advisor can choose your approved elective slots, the Enrollment Services / Admissions and Records office must receive written approval from your advisor before this requirement will be complete.

We encourage advisors to use the Note feature in AlamoGPS to convey a student's advisor approved electives.

Once the note has been added by the appropriate advisor and the enrollment services office has been notified, we can apply the approved course(s) and manually complete the requirement.

Are courses I am currently taking applied to my audit?

Courses you are currently taking or have registered for in a future semester are included in your degree audit.

These courses are applied to the requirement block(s) where they meet a specific requirement with a grade of REG for registered.

You will also see them grouped in a separate section titled In-progress near the bottom of the Audit.

Please be aware that the total credit counts listed near the bottom of your audit include anticipated credits.

How do I use Alamo GPS to plan my course schedule?

Requirements with a red circle at the left are unfulfilled requirements. To the right of each requirement, you'll see a course or a list of courses that you can complete to fulfill each degree requirement. Review your unmet requirements and choose the courses you would like to take. To learn more about a course s and confirm if you have met the prerequisites, hover over the course. The name of course will appear. Click on the course and you will be linked to the course information and availability.

Can I use Alamo GPS to make my schedule, check course availability or register?

Yes, Alamo GPS can be used to develop a schedule and check course availability. Alamo GPS allows you to create a plan by accessing the plan tab which then can be accessed through self service registration.

However, after you have planned what courses you would like to take, you can open ACES at the bottom of your desktop and enter Web Services where you can check open sections, make a schedule and register.

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Troubleshooting the Worksheet Audit

My major is incorrect, what should I do?

Students should meet with their academic advisor to discuss this matter.

If a correction needs to be made, complete a Change of Major form, have it signed by your advisor and return it to the Enrollment Services / Admissions and Records office.

This form is available from your advisor and college advisement office. 

What if there is an error within my degree audit?

Students who feel there may be errors in their audit should see their academic advisor to review program requirements and completed coursework. The first step is to clarify what information you believe is wrong.

Perhaps your audit is not up to date; your advisor has the ability to refresh your audit. If a refresh does not correct the error, the following discrepancies should be brought to the attention of the enrollment services office at your home college.

What should I do if my audit says I still need a course that I know I completed or do not need to take?

Online audits will try to apply your coursework as efficiently as possible.

However, it is an automated system and is still very new, so it is possible that some of your courses may be applied to requirements or sections that were not your original intention.

This may occur because the same course may be used to meet multiple requirements. It is most likely to occur when you first declare a major or change your major since you have fewer completed courses and any remaining requirements.

As you take more courses toward your degree, the audit system will begin to assess and place your courses more accurately. 

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Using the GPA Calculator

What is the GPA Calculator?

Graduation Calculator: Determines what grades you need to reach your desired GPA upon graduating. The Cumulative Calculator option on the GPA Calculator tab will show what average you will need in your remaining credits to graduate with your desired GPA.

Term Calculator: If you’re trying to reach a certain GPA by the end of your current term, calculate the grades you need to earn in each class that you’re taking.

Advice Calculator: Determines how many credits of a specific grade average you need to reach your desired GPA.

All GPA Calculators are an estimate and not a guarantee.

How Do I Use the GPA Calculator?

Click the ellipsis (…) on the top right, and click GPA calculator.  Choose a GPA Calculator type and click Load.

Fill in the requested information and click calculate.