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Policy Statement

��ɫ��Ƶnical Community College provides educational opportunities for students to acquire relevant credentials, successfully transfer to other institutions of higher education, and secure meaningful employment. Students earn associate degrees, diplomas, and certificates upon satisfactory completion of all requirements for curriculum program completion and graduation.

Procedure

Associate Degree Requirements – The college awards eight associate degrees: the Associate in Arts, the Associate in Science, the Associate in Fine Arts, the Associate in Engineering, the Associate in Applied Science, the Associate in General Education, the Associate in Arts Teacher Preparation, the Associate in Science Teacher Preparation. The requirements for degrees are as follows:

A.  Associate in Arts (AA) Degree and Associate in Science (AS) Degree (two-year degrees designed for transfer to baccalaureate degree programs)

1. Official copies of any high school verification documents (transcript or copy of diploma) and/or college transcripts used for program admission or course credit, on file in the student's record at ��ɫ��Ƶ.
2. Completion of the required program courses totaling a minimum of sixty (60) semester hours of credit.  
3. Completion of a minimum of fifteen (15) semester hours of credit within the degree program (25 percent of the total) earned in residence at ��ɫ��Ƶ.  
4. A program Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 or higher.
    

Note: The (2014 CAA) between the governing boards of the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) and the University of North Carolina (UNC GA) enables graduates who are admitted to constituent transfer institutions to transfer with junior status. To be eligible for the transfer with junior status under the 2014 CAA, the student must graduate from the community college with an AA or AS degree and have a program GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale and a grade of "C" or better in all courses that satisfy the degree. Students who do not complete the degree are eligible to transfer credits on a course-by-course basis.

B.  Associate in Fine Arts (AFA) Degree

1. Official copies of any high school verification documents (transcript or copy of diploma) and/or college transcripts used for program admission or course credit, on file in the student's record at ��ɫ��Ƶ.
2. Completion of the required program courses totaling a minimum of sixty (60) semester hours of credit.
3. Completion of a minimum of fifteen (15) semester hours of credit within the degree program (25 percent of the total) earned in residence at ��ɫ��Ƶ.
4. A program GPA of 2.0 or higher.
    

Note: The 2017 between the NCCCS and seven Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)-granting institutions in the UNC system guarantees that students who follow the 60-hour AFA Plan of Study will meet the entrance requirements to these BFA programs. Because visual arts program admissions are competitive, no student is guaranteed admission to a visual arts program. In addition to meeting entrance requirements, transfer students may also be required to submit a portfolio of their creative work, depending on the portfolio requirements for each institution. A student who completes the AFA with a GPA of at least 2.0 and a grade of “C” or better in the courses listed in the AFA Plan of Study will have fulfilled the BFA program entry requirements, and all Universal General Education Transfer Courses will transfer with course equivalency to fulfill General Education requirements for the BFA.

C.  Associate in Engineering (AE) Degree

1. Official copies of any high school verification documents (transcript or copy of diploma) and/or college transcripts used for program admission or course credit, on file in the student's record at ��ɫ��Ƶ.
2. Completion of the required program courses totaling a minimum of sixty (60) semester hours of credit.
3. Completion of a minimum of fifteen (15) semester hours of credit within the degree program (25 percent of the total) earned in residence at ��ɫ��Ƶ.
4. A program GPA of 2.5 or higher.
    

Note: The 2015 between the NCCCS and the five UNC system schools that offer the Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) guarantees that students who follow the AE Plan of Study will meet the entrance requirements at all North Carolina public BSE programs; however, admission to those programs is competitive and not guaranteed.  To be eligible for transfer of credits from the AE program to a BSE program, students must earn a “C” or better in each course and a program GPA of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale.

D.  Associate in Arts in Teacher Preparation (AATP) and Associate in Science in Teacher Preparation (ASTP) Degrees

1. Official copies of any high school verification documents (transcript or copy of diploma) and/or college transcripts used for program admission or course credit, on file in the student's record at ��ɫ��Ƶ.
2. Completion of the required program courses totaling a minimum of sixty (60) semester hours of credit.
3. Completion of a minimum of fifteen (15) semester hours of credit within the degree program (25 percent of the total) earned in residence at ��ɫ��Ƶ.
4. A program GPA of 2.7 or higher.
    

Note: Articulation of credits for the AATP and ASTP is governed by the 2021 between the NCCCS and UNC System Educator Preparation Programs. A parallel with NC Independent Colleges and Universities extends this agreement to signatory independent four-year institutions. These two agreements guarantee that students who follow the AATP/ASTP plan of study, earn a GPA of at least 2.7 and a grade of C or better in all courses, and meet the receiving institutions’ requirement for admission to Educator Preparation programs will have fulfilled the senior institutions’ lower division general education requirements. Admission to an education program is not guaranteed.

E.  Associate in Applied Science (AAS) Degree

1. Official copies of any high school verification documents (transcript or copy of diploma) and/or college transcripts used for program admission or course credit, on file in the student's record at ��ɫ��Ƶ.
2. Completion of a minimum of sixty-four (64) semester hours of credit (or a greater number if specified by the program of study), including the required general education courses.
3. Completion of a minimum of sixteen (16) semester hours of credit within the degree program (at least 25 percent of the total) earned in residence at ��ɫ��Ƶ.
4. A program GPA of 2.0 or higher.
5. Specified programs may require a grade of no less than “C” in some courses as designated in the appropriate program handbook.
    

F.  Associate in General Education (AGE) Degree

1. Official copies of any high school verification documents (transcript or copy of diploma) and/or college transcripts used for program admission or course credit, on file in the student's record at ��ɫ��Ƶ.
2. Completion of a minimum of sixty-four (64) semester hours of credit, as approved by the program director and academic advisors, including any required general education courses, with at least 25 percent of the total earned in residence at ��ɫ��Ƶ.
3. An overall GPA of 2.0 or higher.
    

Diploma Requirements

The college awards diplomas upon completion of a minimum of thirty-six (36) semester hours of credit (a greater number may be specified by the program of study) of required courses in the student's program of study, including general education requirements. The requirements for diplomas are as follows:

1. Official copies of any high school verification documents (transcript or copy of diploma) and/or college transcripts used for program admission or course credit, on file in the student's record at ��ɫ��Ƶ.
2. Completion of the required courses in the student's program of study, including any required general education courses.
3. Completion of a minimum of nine (9) – twelve (12) semester hours of credit within the diploma program (25 percent of the total) earned in residence at ��ɫ��Ƶ.
4. A program GPA of 2.0 or higher.
5. Specified programs may require a grade of no less than “C” in some courses as designated in the appropriate program handbook.
    

Certificate Requirements

Certificates are awarded for programs of study requiring a minimum of twelve (12) semester hours of credit to a maximum of eighteen (18) semester hours of credit. The requirements for certificates are as follows:

1. Official copies of any high school verification documents (transcript or copy of diploma) and/or college transcripts used for program admission or course credit, on file in the student's record at ��ɫ��Ƶ (when this is a certification requirement).
2. Completion of the required courses in the student's program of study.
3. Completion of a minimum of three (3) – five (5) semester hours of credit within the certificate program (at least 25 percent of the total) earned in residence at ��ɫ��Ƶ.
4. A program GPA of 2.0 or higher.
5. Specified programs may require a grade of no less than “C” in some courses as designated in the appropriate program handbook.
    

Changes in Program Completion Requirements

The college reserves the right to change the requirements for completing a degree, diploma, or certificate program when it is in the best interest of the enrolled students or the academic program. When such changes occur, the college will honor the original program completion requirements for up to four (4) years for students enrolled in the program at the time of the change. Students may fulfill either the original requirements or the changed requirements. However, when a student ceases continuous enrollment, the requirements for program completion will be based on those requirements in effect when the student re-enrolls in the program, not those in effect when the student originally entered the program. Exceptions to this catalog year change must be made with the approval of the vice president for student learning and instructional services. Students who change their academic program are also admitted to the new program under the current plan of study.

Graduation

Students seeking to graduate with a degree, diploma, or certificate must apply for graduation through the Graduation Overview section in  one semester before their anticipated date of graduation. For example, students should apply for graduation when they register for fall semester if they plan to graduate at the end of spring semester. In order for an earned degree, diploma, or certificate to be noted on a transcript, a graduation application must be submitted. Students who have applied for graduation are eligible to participate in the annual commencement ceremony.  

Students should contact Admissions, Records, and Registration (Phail Wynn, Jr. Student Services Center (Building 10), room 10-201, Main Campus; 919-536-7200, ext. 1804) for more information about graduation audit and diploma requests.

Administrative Graduation

After graduation applications are processed at the end of each term, the Admissions, Records, and Registration office will identify any additional students who have satisfied any program completion requirements. Any student who has completed program requirements may then be administratively graduated, and the earned credential will be noted on the student’s transcript. The student will also receive communications from Admissions, Records, and Registration with details on how to obtain a printed diploma and how to participate in the annual commencement ceremony. 

Definitions

Continuous Enrollment – Students are considered continuously enrolled if they register for and attend courses or prerequisites creditable toward a degree, diploma, or certificate. The student must attend credit coursework in a following consecutive semester after the initial enrollment semester (attendance is required in the following fall or spring semester or following spring or fall semester).  

Graduation Application – Form submitted to Admissions, Records, and Registration via Self-Service that initiates a review of a student’s academic record to determine if program completion requirements for the identified academic program have been satisfied.