Graduate Degree Certification Tool

This Python-based tool automates the certification process for graduate degree transcripts by parsing official PDF records and verifying whether students meet programmatic graduation requirements.

Written by Robert Fisher, 060525

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Features

• Extracts and parses multi-column academic transcripts in PDF format
• Dynamically adapts to two-column transcript PDF layouts of any size
• Identifies semester, course codes, course titles, credits, grades, and classifications
• Categorizes courses into Core, Elective, and Research types using customizable rules
• Supports transfer credits (grade "T") from other institutions when appearing just before the graduate record
• Flags non-whitelisted courses from external departments
• Excludes any courses numbered below a specified threshold (e.g., 400-level minimum)
• Limits the number of applied credits from specific course types (e.g., Research or 400-level)
• Verifies minimum total credit requirements
• Generates detailed certification .csv files and a master tracking summary
• Outputs results clearly to both terminal and csv files

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Certification Criteria (Customizable)

By default, a student transcript is certified if all of the following are met:

1. Core Credits: Minimum number of credits in core departmental coursework (e.g., ≥15 credits)
2. Research Credit Cap: No more than 6 credits from Research courses are applied toward the total
3. 400-Level Credit Cap: No more than 6 credits from 400-level courses (if allowed)
4. Graduate Credit Requirement: A minimum of 30 credits from valid graduate-level courses
5. Valid Courses Only: All non-departmental courses must be explicitly whitelisted; others are excluded

These thresholds can be customized in the script's logic for use in any academic unit or graduate program.

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Transfer Credits

The tool supports transfer credits from other institutions. Transfer credits are detected when they appear immediately before the "Beginning of Graduate Record" marker in the transcript, introduced by a line such as:

Transfer Credit from Swiss Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich 

Transfer courses have a grade of "T" (no GPA impact) and follow the format:

PHY 412 Elec & Magnt Fields II 3.00 3.00 T 0.000

These credits are:

• Included in the total credit count for degree certification
• Marked with "(Transfer)" suffix in the output CSV
• Classified as Core, Elective, or Research based on course code (same rules as regular courses)

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Usage

Command-Line

python3 degree_certify.py transcript1.pdf transcript2.pdf transcript3.pdf

• Pass one or more transcript PDF files as input.
• Outputs will be saved in the output/ directory:
  • One .csv per student summarizing coursework and graduation checks
  • One cumulative certification_summary.csv listing all certification outcomes

Options

python3 degree_certify.py --output-dir custom_output transcript.pdf

• --output-dir: Specify a custom output directory (default: output/)

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Requirements

• Python 3.7 or higher
• pdfplumber
• pandas
• reportlab (for test suite only)

Install dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

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Example Terminal Output

Prepared by: Robert Fisher
Student Name: Albert Einstein
Student ID: 3141592654
Certification PASSED. CSV saved to: output/aeinstein_ms_phy_track.csv

Course Record:
 Semester | Course Code | Title                         | Credits | Classification | Grade
----------|-------------|-------------------------------|---------|----------------|-------
   F23    | ABC 543     | Quantum Mechanics             |   3.00  | Core           | B-
   S24    | ABC 690     | Graduate Thesis               |   6.00  | Research       | A+
...

Graduation Requirements:
 Requirement                          | Value | Status
-------------------------------------|-------|---------
 ≥15 Core Credits                    |   18  | Verified
 ≤6 Research Credits Applied         |    6  | Verified
 ≤6 400-Level Credits Applied        |    3  | Verified
 ≥30 Total Credits                   |   33  | Verified

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File Structure

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├── degree_certify.py              # Main certification script
├── generate_test_transcripts.py   # Generates synthetic test PDFs
├── run_tests.py                   # Test runner and validator
├── requirements.txt               # Python dependencies
├── .github/workflows/test.yml     # CI/CD workflow
├── output/                        # Production certification output
├── tests/                         # Generated test transcripts (gitignored)
├── test_output/                   # Test certification output (gitignored)
└── README.md                      # This file

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Testing

The project includes a comprehensive test suite with synthetic transcripts covering all certification scenarios.

Running Tests Locally

python generate_test_transcripts.py   # Generate 8 synthetic PDF transcripts
python run_tests.py                   # Run certification and validate results

Test Cases

Test	Description	Expected
pass_standard.pdf	Full undergrad + grad record	PASS
pass_grad_only.pdf	Graduate record only	PASS
pass_with_transfer.pdf	Includes transfer credits	PASS
pass_excess_research.pdf	9 research credits (6 applied)	PASS
fail_insufficient_core.pdf	Only 12 core credits	FAIL
fail_insufficient_total.pdf	Only 27 total credits	FAIL
fail_excess_400level.pdf	9 400-level credits	FAIL
fail_invalid_course.pdf	Non-whitelisted BIO 520	FAIL

Continuous Integration

Tests run automatically on push and pull request via GitHub Actions. The badge at the top of this README shows the current test status.

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Customization

To adapt this tool for another department or set of rules:

• Modify the parsing of the transcript file for other institutions as necessary
• Update the RESEARCH_COURSES and NON_CORE_ELECTIVE sets in the script
• Adjust credit thresholds and classification logic as needed
• Consider modularizing the logic if using in multiple programs

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License

MIT License. See LICENSE for terms.