General Graduation Requirements
Bachelor Degree Requirements
All candidates for Bachelor degrees must meet the following requirements:
- Complete a minimum of 120 semester hours of credit
- Complete all program requirements for the Bachelor degree
- Satisfactorily complete at least 25 percent of the Bachelor degree requirements at PCC
- Online courses with registrations through the home college will be included in residency hours
- Complete all major and degree-related courses with a grade of “C” or better
- Earn a cumulative grade point average of 2.000
- Be classified as a degree-seeking student
Associate Degree Requirements
All candidates for Associate degrees must meet the following requirements:
- Complete a minimum of 60 semester hours of credit
- Complete all program requirements for the Associate degree
- Satisfactorily complete at least 25 percent of the Associate degree requirements at PCC
- Online courses with registrations through the home college will be included in residency hours
- Complete all major and degree-related courses with a grade of “C” or better
- Earn a cumulative grade point average of 2.000
- Be classified as a degree-seeking student
Certificate Requirements
All candidates for certificates must meet the following requirements:
- At least 25 percent of credits must be completed in residence
- Complete all major and certificate-related courses with a grade of “C” or better
- Earn a GPA of 2.000 or higher for all certificate courses
- Be classified as a certificate-seeking student
Multiple Academic Degrees
To earn multiple academic degrees, Associate of Arts, Associate of Science or Associate of General Studies at PCC, a student must complete a minimum of an additional 15 credits of coursework which have not been applied to any previously awarded degree. The additional coursework for each successive degree must be above and beyond the original 60 credits required for the first academic degree. These 15 credit hours must all apply toward the additional degree and must be completed through PCC. This includes the degrees with designation.
Graduation Honors
Graduation honors are awarded to students who complete the requirements for a Bachelor Degree, or for an Associate Degree and earn a 3.5 or better cumulative grade point average. Only college-level courses completed at the institution will be included in the GPA calculation. Students must earn at least 15 graded credits at PCC. The three (3) levels of recognition are defined as follows and will be posted on the student’s transcript:
- Summa cum laude (“with highest honor”)
- Magna cum laude (“with great honor”)
- Cum laude (“with honor”)
|
- 4.00 cumulative GPA
- 3.750 to 3.999 cumulative GPA
- 3.500 to 3.749 cumulative GPA
|
Honors recognition at the commencement ceremony is based on the GPA through the prior fall semester.
Academic Recognition
If you are enrolled in 12 or more graded credit hours and earn a term grade point average of 3.500 or higher, you will be placed on one of the following lists. Graded credits are those classes set-up with the A-F grade mode. Classes that are graded with Pass/Fail grade mode are not counted in the 12 or more graded credits requirement. Selection for this honor will be recorded on your permanent transcript.
- President’s List
- Vice President’s List
- Dean’s List
|
- 4.000 Term GPA
- 3.750 to 3.999 Term GPA
- 3.500 to 3.749 Term GPA
|
Preparing for Graduation
To be considered a candidate for graduation, you must complete the following steps by the deadline date of the semester you plan to graduate. Dates are posted on the Graduation Planning Sheet form.
- Verify that your program of study is listed correctly on your Degree Check. If it is not correct, you must complete a Change of Major form available on the myPCC Portal.
- Verify that transfer and prior learning credit have been posted on your transcript.
- Verify with your faculty advisor or department chair that previously requested course substitutions have been approved.
- Review your DegreeCheck audit - if all your classes show as ‘Complete’ (green checkmark) or ‘Complete Except for Classes in Progress’ (blue half moon), YOU’RE READY!!
- Complete a Graduation Planning Sheet
Once you have completed the Graduation Planning Sheet, it is your responsibility to notify your faculty advisor or department chair immediately of any changes to your plan. When you finish completing the classes required for your declared program of study, your degree/certificate will be awarded and the program from which you graduated will be closed in your student records. If you intend to continue to take classes at PCC after graduating, it is your responsibility to ensure that your new program of study is correctly listed in your student records.
You may complete your graduation requirements any time during a term; however, if you plan to attend the commencement ceremony, your graduation planning sheet needs to be completed by March 1. You should anticipate at least a six-to eight-week delay following the submission of final grades before we verify your graduation status, post it on your transcript, and mail your diploma. The officially recognized graduation date posted on your transcript is the last day of the term as listed in the PCC Academic Calendar.
PCC has one formal graduation ceremony for all three terms. This ceremony is held once each year in the spring semester. Please refer to the Commencement section below for more information.
Catalog Requirements
You may graduate using the requirements of this catalog; you may also choose to graduate under the requirements of the catalog with which you started your degree. You may also choose to graduate under the requirements of a later catalog provided you are enrolled for college credit each semester on a continuous basis in the same program (summer sessions excluded), and provided you complete your graduation requirements within a period of five years. If you change your major, you must follow the requirements of the catalog in effect at the time of the change. Any exceptions to this policy must have prior approval from the appropriate academic dean. Should enrollment be interrupted, students will be subject to the requirements of the catalog of record at the time of reentry to PCC.
Commencement
PCC holds its commencement ceremony once each year at the end of spring semester. You are eligible to participate in commencement if you:
- are a graduation candidate
- are a graduation candidate for the spring semester
- graduated the preceding fall semester
- will be graduating at the end of the following summer session
PCC surveys graduates annually to ask for feedback about their experiences. We take the input very seriously, and our graduates’ opinions are important to us. Not only can they help us to improve and refine our programs and services, they can also benefit current and future students. Topics include questions including but not limited to program of study, courses, current or future career plans, and ability to transfer successfully. The results are used to improve the academic programs and services that we offer for the next class of PCC graduates.
|