At Howard Community College (HCC), the associate of arts, associate of applied science, associate of arts in teaching, and associate of science in engineering degree requirements include:

• completion of at least 60 credit hours, depending on the major selected, with a minimum of a “C” average (2.0 cumulative grade point average);
• a minimum of 15 of the 60 required credit hours must be completed at Howard Community College. The college, to ensure the quality of its programs, reserves the right to determine the courses students must take to successfully complete a specific degree program;
• completion of the requirements of an approved curriculum in the college catalog;
• the recommendation of the faculty; and
• approval by the board of trustees.

The associate of arts, associate of arts in teaching, and associate of science in engineering degrees require the completion of 30-credit general education core and the associate of applied science degree includes a 20-credit general education core. The general education core includes courses in writing, literature, arts, humanities, mathematics, science, history, social and behavioral sciences, and interdisciplinary and emerging issues.

Certificate

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

• completion of the approved curriculum in the college catalog;
• achievement of a minimum of a “C” average (2.0 cumulative grade point average) in the instructional program;
• completion of a minimum of 25 percent of the credit hours at Howard Community College;
• recommendation of the faculty; and
• approval by the board of trustees.

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 credit hours.

Graduation Applications

Students who anticipate completing the requirements for an associate of arts degree, associate of applied science degree, associate of arts in teaching degree, associate of science in engineering degree, or a certificate are responsible for filing a graduation application with the office of records, registration, and veterans’ affairs. The application to graduate form is available on the records, registration, and veterans’ affairs web page and in the offices of records, registration, and veterans’ affairs and admissions and advising. The graduation application must be preliminarily reviewed and signed by an academic advisor, and include an audit of the student’s completion of degree requirements, prior to submission to the office of records, registration, and veterans’ affairs for final review and graduation clearance.

A graduation ceremony is held in May each year. Students who complete degree or certificate requirements and all other requirements listed below prior to the May ceremony, as well as those who need to complete up to two courses during the subsequent summer term, may participate in the spring ceremony. Students must fill out a graduation application form for each degree requested.

The college has three degree graduation dates and one commencement ceremony. The deadlines for submitting graduation applications are:

*Graduation application deadlines are subject to change. Students are encouraged to consult with the office of records, registration, and veterans’ affairs’ web page or the office of admissions and advising’s web page at the start of each academic year for the petition deadlines.

**Students who will graduate in the summer, but would like to participate in the May commencement ceremony must submit graduation applications by April 15.

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

• achieve the minimum of a 2.0 or greater grade point average for all coursework taken at HCC;
• complete all the requirements of an approved curriculum in the college catalog;
• be in good academic and financial standing with the college;
• have their graduation applications reviewed and initially cleared by an academic advisor; and
• submit a graduation application for final clearance to the office of records, registration, and veterans’ affairs.

After the final clearance process, students are notified of the status of their graduation through HCC student email.  Diplomas and certificates are mailed to all candidates who have fulfilled the requirements of their programs.

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

Graduation candidates may be required to take a general education 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 or used for graduation clearance.

Graduation with Honors

Students who have maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or above will graduate with honors. Those students with a grade point average of 3.75 or above will graduate with high honors. Those who have a 4.0 grade point average will graduate with highest honors.

Other Graduation Distinctions

Students who successfully complete all requirements of special programs such as (but not limited to) the Frederick K. Schoenbrodt Honors Program, Silas Craft Collegians Program, James W. Rouse Scholars Program, and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society will have that distinction recognized upon graduation.

Policy Manual Review/Revision: 02/08/13