Comprehensive Academic Tracking System (CATS)

Please read below for information on the LSU Compressive Academic Tracking System (CATS). University College has also developed the following video explanations for your reference:

What is cats?

The Comprehensive Academic Tracking System (CATS) is designed to help students reach academic success at LSU and ensure progression toward graduation. CATS provides feedback on a student’s progress in a major, helping them to find the best academic path to complete their degree. By assessing students’ progress toward degree completion, CATS will identify students not meeting critical requirements for their major. This affords the University the opportunity to provide additional academic counseling and advising resources to assist students.

What is a recommended path?

Each LSU major has a Recommended Path, designed by the LSU departmental faculty, which is the optimal path for graduation in four years. Recommended paths are available in the LSU General Catalog on the respective degree program pages.  

What are cats critical requirements?

Each major’s Recommended Path outlines critical requirements (courses and GPAs) that students must reach in order to meet minimum academic progress in their chosen program. Recommended paths outlining critical requirements are available in the LSU General Catalog on the respective degree program pages.  

How does cats evaluate student progress?

The CATS system evaluates student completion of critical requirements twice each fall and spring semester to determine if the student is making minimal academic progress toward their declared degree program. See “When does CATS Evaluate Progress” for more information on the expected timeline. 

Students not meeting minimum academic progress will receive a CATS hold which will prevent current schedule adjustments and registration for future semesters. Students in this situation will receive an email notification from the Office of the University Registrar via their myLSU account and are directed toward their myLSU desktop and the CATS Status Application. University College students will receive supplemental notification from their respective advising office with further instructions regarding their CATS status.

Students meeting critical requirements will not receive a hold and will not be notified of their CATS status via email. 

How are students informed if they receive a cats hold?

Students not meeting minimum academic progress will receive a CATS hold (midterm and or end of semester) which will prevent current schedule adjustments and registration for future semesters. Students in this situation will receive an email notification from the Office of the University Registrar via their myLSU account and are directed toward their myLSU desktop and the CATS Status Application

University College students will receive supplemental notification from their respective advising office with further instructions regarding their CATS status and how to resolve their hold. 

When does cats evaluate student progress?

The CATS system evaluates student completion of critical requirements twice each fall and spring semester to determine if the student is making minimal academic progress toward their declared degree program. 

Cats Mid-Semester Assessment 

The CATS mid-semester assessment occurs prior to course scheduling for the upcoming semester and determines if students are enrolled in the critical courses required for the current semester.  

Students meeting critical requirements at the mid-term assessment will not receive an email notification. 

Students not meeting CATS requirements at the mid-term assessment will receive an email notification from the Office of the University Registrar and are directed toward their myLSU desktop and the CATS Status Application. A hold is placed on the student’s registration which will prevent them from making any schedule adjustments for the current semester or registering for future semesters. University College students will receive supplemental email notification from their respective advising office with further instructions regarding their CATS mid-term hold status and how to resolve this hold. 

Cats End of Semester Assessment

The CATS end of semester assessment occurs after the posting of final grades in a fall or spring semester and determines if students successfully completed courses and earned the needed GPA for the current semester according to their major specific CATS critical requirements.  

Students meeting critical requirements at the mid-term assessment will not receive an email notification. 

Students not meeting CATS requirements at the mid-term assessment will receive email notification from the Office of the University Registrar and are directed toward their myLSU desktop and the CATS Status Application. A hold is placed on the student’s registration which will prevent them from making any schedule adjustments for the current semester or registering for future semesters. 

  • Students not meeting minimum academic progress for the first time must connect with an academic counselor to review their hold status and possible routes to meet minimum academic progress in the next semester.
  • Student’s not meeting minimum academic progress for two consecutive semesters, must either change majors or appeal to their intended senior college to request to continue in their current major.  If a two times CATS appeal is denied a new major must be selected. Meet with an academic counselor to discuss major options.

University College students will receive supplemental email notification from their respective advising office with further instructions regarding their CATS end of semester hold status and how to resolve this hold.