Catalog Year
About Catalog Year
A catalog year defines which degree requirements a student will follow, which spans over a cycle beginning in fall, continues to spring, and completes at the end of the summer term. Once a student is admitted to the university, their catalog year is established within that cycle. For example, if a student starts at KU in Summer 2023, their catalog year is 2022-2023.
To view the degree requirements for the current catalog, view the academic catalog online. Former catalog years are available in the archived catalogs.
Students are required to remain in one catalog year across all degree plans, which include majors, minors, and certificates. The catalog year also determines which general education requirements are assigned to students.
- Incoming Fall 2024 students will follow the 2024-2025 catalog year, which includes the KU Core 34 general education requirements.
- Students who follow the 2023-2024 catalog year and prior are assigned the KU Core general education requirements.
How to Change a Catalog Year
If a student wishes to add a major, minor, and/or certificate in a future catalog year, they must submit a request to opt forward into a newer catalog year. If approved, this will adjust the degree requirements for any major, minor, and/or certificate on their degree plan to align with the catalog year. Once a student opts forward, they are not able to reverse their decision and move back to a former catalog year.
Before submitting a change of catalog year form, students must do the following:
- Schedule a meeting with their academic advisor(s) to discuss the impact of this change on their current degree plan. If a student is active in multiple schools, including majors and minors, they should meet with each advisor.
- If a student is following the 2023-2024 catalog year or prior, and wishes to move to the 2024-2025 catalog year or after, they must review the KU Core 34 general education requirements.
Catalog FAQs
If you want to add a major and/or minor that's offered in a newer catalog year, then all of your major and/or minor degree requirements will be moved to the new catalog year, including general education requirements. You are strongly encouraged to discuss how this change might impact your progress toward completing your degree with your academic advisor.
If you are currently following the KU Core general education requirements (catalog year prior to Fall 2024) and you would like to add a major that exists for the first time in the Fall 2024 catalog, then you will need to follow the new general education model of the KU Core 34. Any KU Core courses will be plugged into the new Core 34 requirements individually as courses apply differently under the new Core 34 model.
You may be required to take additional courses to fulfill Core 34 requirements as part of your new degree requirements. It is important to discuss how this change may impact your degree and general education requirements with your academic advisor since updating the catalog year cannot be reversed.
No, you can only opt forward to the most recent catalog year. In addition, there is no option to revert to a prior catalog year. You must have a clear understanding of the impacts on your current degree requirements and that changing your catalog year may delay your progress toward graduation.
No, your catalog year does not change based upon your admission to a new school. Your degree requirements will be what exists in the catalog year you are following at the university. If you would like to change your catalog year, you must submit the Change of Catalog Year form that is processed by the Office of the University Registrar.
If you choose to update your catalog year, this means the degree requirements for any major(s), minor(s), and/or certificate(s) on your student record must also change to the new catalog degree requirements. This may also change the general education requirements depending on which catalog year you started in at KU, and the catalog year you wish to opt in to:
- If you are in a catalog year year prior to Fall 2024, you are currently following the KU Core general education requirements. By opting into a catalog year of Fall 2024 or after, then your general education requirements will shift to the new KU Core 34 requirements.
- If you are in a catalog year beginning Fall 2024 or after, then you are following the KU Core 34 general education requirements.
Since updating a catalog year will change your degree requirements and potentially your general education requirements, it may delay your progress toward graduation.
The academic catalog is the official record of degree requirements for the university. The catalog for the current academic year is available to view online. If you are searching for prior catalog years, they can be found in the catalog archives.