Getting Registration Ready

Before you register, it is important to understand the requirements you must complete to earn your degree or certificate. Knowing these requirements will help you choose courses each semester that keep you on track for graduation. The tool to understand your requirements is the Academic Requirements Report (ARR) in LOCUS.

Your ARR is an individualized report that shows:

• Your degree or certificate requirements.

• How completed and in-progress courses apply toward those requirements.

• Which requirements you still need to complete.

• How eligible transfer credits apply to your program.

Review your ARR before registering each semester and use it to identify courses that satisfy your remaining requirements.

1. Log in to LOCUS.

2. Select Academic Progress.

3. Select My Academic Requirements.

4. Review each section of your report.

Tip: If your report feels overwhelming, select “Collapse All” and expand one section at a time.

If you are an undergraduate degree-seeking student, your ARR will include the following sections:

• University Core or IAI General Education Knowledge Areas

  • Courses that fulfill Loyola’s general education requirements

• Mission-Specific Core Knowledge Areas 

  • Philosophy and theology courses that fulfill Loyola’s mission-specific requirements

• Undergraduate Engaged Learning

  • This requirement is fulfilled by completing the CPST 397: Capstone during your final 16-week semester

• General Electives

  • Additional courses you may need to reach the 120 credit hours required for an undergraduate degree

• School of Continuing and Professional Studies Program Requirements: 

  • Four courses, totaling 12 credit hours, required for all SCPS undergraduate degree-seeking students

• Major

  • Courses required for your specific degree program

• Certificate 

  • Courses required to earn a certificate, if applicable.

To be eligible for graduation, you must also: 

• Complete at least 120 total credit hours. This may include Loyola coursework, transfer coursework, and approved nontraditional credit.

• Complete either 45 consecutive graded credit hours or 60 total graded credit hours at Loyola. The latter requirement applies to students who previously attended Loyola and later returned to complete their undergraduate degree.

• Complete at least half of the coursework required for your major at Loyola.

Graduate and certificate-seeking students should refer to the course and credit-hour requirements listed for their specific program.

Each section of your ARR displays the current status of a requirement:

• Satisfied: You have completed the requirement based on the courses and credits currently listed in your academic record.

• Not Satisfied: You still need to complete one or more courses or credits. Expand the section to review what is needed to complete the requirement.

Your ARR may also include in-progress courses, such as courses you are currently taking or are registered to take in an upcoming term. Review these courses carefully to confirm how they are expected to apply toward your degree requirements.

Tip: Expand each requirement area to view completed coursework, eligible course options, and any remaining requirements.

Watch the video below to learn how to navigate and interpret your ARR in LOCUS:

Understanding Your ARR (8:51) 

When planning your schedule:

1. Identify the requirement sections marked Not Satisfied.

2. Expand each section to review the remaining courses or credits. 

3. Determine which eligible courses are offered in the upcoming semester.

4. Check for prerequisites and other enrollment requirements.

5. Choose courses that support your academic plan and anticipated graduation timeline.

Important: Earning the required number of credit hours does not automatically mean that you have completed all degree requirements. For example, an undergraduate student may have earned 120 credit hours but still needs to complete a required University Core, SCPS, or major course.

If a course does not appear where you expect it to, you may not need to take an additional course.  Transfer credit, course substitutions, and other approved exceptions may still need to be reviewed or added to your academic record.

Contact our advising team if:

• A transfer course is missing or applied to the wrong requirement.

• An approved course substitution does not appear.

• A completed course is not fulfilling the expected requirement.

• You are unsure which courses to take next.

• Your program or degree information appears incorrect.

If you have questions about how a requirement is being fulfilled, consult the advising team before registering for an additional course.

For more help using LOCUS, review Loyola’s Registration Guide. You may also consult the SCPS Academic Regulations for information about academic requirements and policies.

The SCPS course schedules provide the information you need to select courses and plan your progress toward graduation.

View the SCPS Course Schedules

The webpage includes a PDF schedule for each semester. These schedules list important course details, including:

• Four-digit enrollment numbers

• Meeting dates and times

• Eight-week session dates and 16-week session dates

• Course formats, such as synchronous or asynchronous

• Any required online or on-campus meetings

After opening the schedule for your intended semester, identify courses that fulfill the remaining requirements listed in your ARR.

In the example below, a new student selected CPST 200: Introduction to Degree Completion because it must be completed during the student’s first SCPS session. The student also selected the major requirement CPST 310: Accounting Principles & Applications for the Fall I session. When registering in LOCUS, the student will use the four-digit enrollment number listed after each course’s section number.

The schedule also shows how each course is delivered:

• CPST 200 is synchronous because it includes three required live meetings during the eight-week session.

• CPST 310 is asynchronous, meaning it does not have scheduled live class meetings.

• CPST 265: Special Topics—Art History includes required meeting information that is clearly listed in the schedule.

Important: All courses begin on the first day of their designated eight-week session, even if the first scheduled meeting occurs later. Be sure to access your course and review its materials at the beginning of the session.