Educational Plans

An Educational Plan (Ed Plan) lists all the courses to achieve your academic goal. It helps you to have a clear vision of the courses you need to take and when to take them. 

In creating an Ed plan, your counselor will review with you all courses that need to complete your specific goal. This can include degree and certificate requirements, transfer opportunities, and personal and career development options. Your counselor will work with you to ensure you are taking courses in the correct sequence to meet prerequisites and when they are planned to be offered.

If you have coursework from any other college, official transcripts must be submitted for evaluation to see if and how they will meet requirements at Columbia. Also, if you took AP tests in high school and received a 3 or higher score, submit official College Board transcripts for unit credit at Columbia.

 

Starfish - our tool for Educational Planning

Ed plans are completed in Starfish Degree Planner and are accessible to students 24/7. An 'approved' plan is one that you have worked with a counselor to complete and meets requirements for priority registration. Starfish is the planning tool, and connectColumbia is the class search and registration tool based on what you planned.

Educational Plan Appointments

Given the time involved in good educational planning, a one hour counseling appointment is required. Call the Counseling office at 209-588-5109 to schedule, or current students can use Starfish Counseling Service Calendar to schedule directly with a counselor.

Before you schedule an Ed Plan appointment, make sure you have:

  • A clear educational goal (Interest Areas & Programs of Study)
    • Advising Guides are available for each Program of Study. They provide a list of major requirements and a timely completion plan.
  • If transfer to university is part of your goal, it helps to have an idea of what programs and/or universities you are considering.
  • Submit official transcripts from all other colleges you have attended, AP test scores and/or high school transcripts
  • Review the Columbia College Catalog.
    • Majors offered, and elective choices within major requirements
    • General education options and courses that fulfill those requirements

After completing your Ed Plan with a Counselor you can retrieve a copy by logging into Starfish, and clicking on 'Degree Planner.'

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