A.      Associate in Arts Degree and Associate in Applied Science Degree

Requirements include:

1.	completion of at least 60 semester hours of credit, depending on the major selected, with a minimum of a “C” (2.0 quality point) average;
2.	a minimum of 15 semester hours of credit of the 60 mentioned above must be completed at Howard Community College.  The college, to insure the quality of its programs, reserves the right to determine which courses students must undertake to successfully complete a specific degree program;
3.	completion of the requirements of an approved curriculum in the college catalogue; and
4.	the recommendation of the faculty.

The Associate in Arts degree includes a 36-credit general education core and the Associate in Applied Science degree includes a 20-credit general education core.  The general education core includes courses in writing, literature, fine arts, humanities, mathematics, science, history, social sciences, and interdisciplinary and emerging issues.

B.      Certificate of Proficiency

A certificate of proficiency is awarded to full-time or part-time students who have concentrated their study in a specialized subject matter area and have satisfied the following requirements:

1.	completion of the approved curriculum in the college catalogue;
2.	achievement of a minimum of a “C” (2.0 quality point) average in the instructional program;
3.	a minimum of 25 percent of the credit hours must be completed at Howard Community College; and
4.	the recommendation of the faculty.

C.      Letter of Recognition

A letter of recognition is awarded to full-time or part-time students who have completed a designated group of courses, totaling fewer than 12 credits.

D.      Graduation Petitions

Students who anticipate completing the requirements for an Associate in Arts degree, Associate in Applied Science degree or a certificate are responsible for filing a graduation petition with the office of records and registration and for paying the graduation fee.  The petition includes an audit of the student’s completion of degree requirements.  Therefore, the petition must be signed by an advisor.  The deadlines for submitting graduation petitions are:  May graduation - March 15; December graduation - October 15.

To be awarded a degree or certificate from Howard Community College, students must:

1.	achieve the minimum of a 2.0 or greater quality point average for all coursework taken at HCC;
2.	complete all the requirements of an approved curriculum in the college catalogue;
3.	be in good academic and financial standing with the college;
4.	have their graduation petitions reviewed and cleared by the office of records and registration.

Students who do not complete degree or certificate requirements for the semester in which they first applied for graduation may petition for graduation at a later date.

A graduation ceremony is held in May each year.  Students who completed degree or certificate requirements the previous December, as well as those who complete their requirements in May, are invited to participate.

All graduation candidates may be required to take an Academic Profile Outcome Assessment Examination prior to the date of graduation.  The scores on the exam will be used for statistical purposes measuring student progress.  The scores will not be a part of a student’s record.

E.       Graduation with Honors

Students who have maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or above will be graduated with honors.  Those students with a grade point average of 3.75 or above will be graduated with high honors.

Policy Manual Review/Revision:  7/1/00
President’s Office Review:  9/1/04