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4.7: Creating Your Educational Plan: Counseling, Program Maps, and my DegreeWorks

Guid 1: Career Exploration · LibreTexts

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    A puzzle piece with the words think and plan on it. Plan… — PICRYL - Public Domain Media Search Engine

    Once you have identified a major, career goal, or area of interest, the next step is to develop an educational plan. An educational plan serves as a roadmap for completing your certificate, degree, and/or transfer requirements and helps you stay on track toward achieving your academic and career goals.

    Meet with a Counselor to Create Your Education Plan

    One of the most important steps in achieving your academic and career goals is meeting with a counselor to develop a comprehensive educational plan. Your educational plan serves as a roadmap for completing your certificate, degree, and/or transfer requirements and helps ensure you are enrolling in the courses needed to stay on track.

    Students can schedule a counseling appointment through the Counseling website at https://www.gavilan.edu/counseling/index.php or through Gav Connect in the MyGav student portal. Counseling appointments are available in person at the Gilroy and Hollister campuses, as well as virtually through Zoom or by phone, providing flexible options to meet your needs.

    Counselors can help you:

    • Clarify your academic and career goals
    • Explore majors and career pathways
    • Develop a personalized educational plan
    • Understand degree, certificate, and transfer requirements
    • Connect with campus resources and support services
    • Referral to mental health counseling

    Explore Program Maps and Pathways

    Before or after meeting with a counselor, students are encouraged to explore Gavilan College's Program Maps and Pathways. These sample maps provide a semester-by-semester guide showing how courses can be organized to complete a certificate, degree, or transfer goal. Reviewing a program map can help you better understand program requirements, estimate time to completion, and prepare questions for your counseling appointment.

    To explore available program maps, visit:

    https://gavilan.programmapper.com/academics

    While program maps provide a helpful starting point, they do not replace an individualized educational plan. Meeting with a counselor is essential to ensure your educational plan reflects your specific goals, transfer requirements, prior coursework, and personal circumstances.

    Accessing Your Education Plan in myDegreeWorks

    DegreeWorksFigure 4.5 – Gavilan College MyDegreeWorks

    Once your education plan has been developed, you will be able to view it in myDegreeWorks through your MyGav student portal. To access it, log in to MyGav, go to the Student tab, and select myDegreeWorks.

    Your education plan will help you track your progress and map out the courses needed to meet your academic and career goals. You are encouraged to meet with a counselor at least once per semester to update your plan and stay on track for graduation or transfer.

    For more detailed information about education plans, visit: https://www.gavilan.edu/counseling/education_plans.php

    If you are not yet certain about your major, that’s okay. You can still begin exploring options such as certificate programs, associate degrees, or transfer pathways. If you have a general idea of your interests, you can start with general education courses and consider taking exploratory classes next semester to help you identify potential areas of study.

    Before answering the questions below, consider exploring one or two program maps related to your career interests and reviewing your educational plan in myDegreeWorks. These tools can help you better understand the coursework and requirements associated with your academic and career goals.

    After reading through section 4.5 Choosing a Major and Educational Planning, it is time to make a decision. Take into account the research you have gathered about different majors using the online resources addressed earlier in this section and answer the following questions:

    1. What are your top two career fields you are considering at this time?
    2. What kind of entry-level training/certification is needed to enter each field (industry certification, associate degree, bachelor's degree, or an advanced professional degree)?
    3. What kind of program do you need to complete to pursue the appropriate training to be competitive for each field (certificate, AA/AS, AA-T/AS-T and/or transfer)? Is this program offered at Gavilan College? If not, where is my program offered, and what are their admission criteria?
    4. What majors are you considering at this time, and how do they connect to your future career path?
    5. Explain how these potential majors are a "good fit" for you based on information you have gathered through your career assessment results completed in Unit 2 (character strengths, work values, personality preferences, interests, and skills).
    6. If you plan to transfer, what four-year universities are you considering, and what are their transfer admission requirements?

    The more you know about the requirements necessary to pursue the career field(s) you are considering, the better you can prepare and make yourself a competitive candidate!

    Develop a Skills-Based Educational Plan to Align with Your Academic Plan

    In this section, we have discussed choosing your major and developing your educational plan to satisfy the necessary requirements for a certificate, AA/AS, AA-T/AS-T and/or transfer goal. At this time, you should have a general idea of what requirements are necessary to achieve your academic goal. Now, we want to further develop your plan through incorporating a skills based educational plan. To get a better understanding of what a “Skills Based Educational Plan” is, view the YouTube Video titled “The Insufficient Degree” and start developing your Skills Based Academic Plan.

    A screenshot of "The Sufficient Degree" video
    Figure 4.4 – Watch “The Sufficient Degree” (link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4nwQYuR-JM)

    It is now time to develop your Skills Based Academic Plan. After viewing the YouTube Video above, think of the skill necessary for your desired career goal. Consider the knowledge you will need to know for this particular career and how you can start working on acquiring that knowledge now.

    My Career Goal:

    Knowledge Needed

    Learning Method
       
       
       
       
       

    Take a moment and review the "Counseling Roadmap" illustration on the following page.

    C:\Users\johnson_a\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache\Content.Outlook\AZ5MTFP4\New-couns-150-Map.png
    Figure 4.5 – Counseling roadmap. (Image by Ian Joslin is licensed under CC BY 4.0)

    . Consider connecting with resources and services on campus as recommended below based on where you are in your journey.

    Counseling Roadmap

    Red flag reading, "Start!"

    If you are at the START you will want to:

    • Turn in transcripts from previous colleges/universities
    • Declare your major
    • Apply for financial aid
    • Take your math and English assessments if you have not yet done so

    Green flag reading, "Up to 15 units"

    If you have Up to 15 units you will want to:

    • Meet with an academic advisor to develop a one-semester plan
    • Familiarize yourself with the Library, the Learning Center (TLC) and the Student Center (including the COC Bookstore, Student Health & Wellness Center and the Student Development Office)
    • Consider joining a student club or organization

    Green flag reading, "15 Units or More)

    If you have 15 Units or more you will want to:

    • Meet with a counselor to discuss academic major and goals leading to the development of a comprehensive educational plan
    • Continue to network on campus and build relationships with faculty, staff and peers

    Green flag reading, "45 Units or More"

    If you have 45 units or more you will want to:

    • Review transcripts with a counselor or advisor
    • Connect with the Career Center
    • Participate in an internship
    • Petition for graduation

    Blue flag reading, "Finish!"

    If you are at the FINISH LINE you will want to:

    • Receive and associate degree and/or certificate
    • Enter the workforce or transfer to a four-year institution

    There is a lot of support on campus to help you each step of the way. Take advantage of the resources available to you and ask for help when necessary. For a comprehensive list of campus resources and services, go to: https://www.gavilan.edu/student/

    Remember, you are not alone on this journey!

    This page titled 4.7: Creating Your Educational Plan: Counseling, Program Maps, and my DegreeWorks was last modified on Sat, 27 Jun 2026 00:25:55 GMT and is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Graciela Martinez and Elizabeth Shaker.