Graduation Procedure

An associate degree or certificate is awarded upon completion of the program requirements as outlined in the catalog. The procedures for graduating students are as follows:

1. Any student who believes that they have met or will meet the degree requirements for graduation must complete a petition to graduate form. Priority filing date is October 1 for December graduation, and March 1 for May and August graduation. Students who complete degree requirements in December and those anticipating completion in August are invited to participate in the May commencement. Petitions are available in the Forms and Documents tab of iConnect. Late petitions are accepted until the day of graduation.

2. In determining program grade point average (GPA) for graduation, in the case of repeated courses, the higher grade will be applied. In rare cases, students may appeal to substitute a course taken later to satisfy graduation requirements including:

• A course that is no longer offered and therefore cannot be repeated,

• Achievement of the minimum 2.0 graduation requirement with the substitution of the later course, or

• Usage of the later course in the satisfaction of a selective program requirement.

Course substitution requests are facilitated by Academic Advisors or the Records Office and must be approved by the Division Dean.

3. All degree requirements, including transfer credits, degree substitutions, and other necessary documentation, must be completed and accepted by the College no later than April 1 for May and August graduation and November 1 for December graduation. The only exceptions to this rule are courses the student is planning to complete in the summer session and courses in which the student is currently enrolled at MWCC. The degree or certificate will be awarded at the end of the term when required credits have been earned. All grade changes must be fully approved and received by the Records Office no later than the day of graduation to be considered for graduation for that term (spring semester for May graduation, summer semester for August graduation, and fall semester for December graduation). Students who earn incomplete grades required for completion of their program of study will not graduate in that term, unless the approved grade change is received by the date of graduation for that term. In such cases, the student must complete a new petition to graduate when the incomplete grade is submitted with a passing grade.

There is a $25 diploma replacement fee.

Students not completing all requirements at the end of the academic year may choose to enroll at another accredited institution and transfer these credits to MWCC for application to the degree. With this option, the degree will be awarded after the official transcript showing the final grade for the class is submitted and evaluated by the Records Office. Students must meet the residency requirements (see below).

Graduation Requirements

MWCC offers the Associate of Arts and the Associate of Science degrees as well as a variety of certificates. The Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree designed for transfer to a Bachelor degree shall be granted to students who have satisfactorily completed the requirements of a college-designed, and Department of Higher Education approved, program of collegiate-level courses of which at least 34 credits (for non-STEM transfer programs) or 28 credits (for STEM transfer programs) have been drawn from the field of liberal arts and sciences. See the General Education Core Curriculum for the definition of the 34 credit non-STEM transfer core and the 28 credit STEM Transfer Core.

The Associate of Science degree designed for career programs shall be granted to students who have satisfactorily completed the requirements of a college-designed, and Department of Higher Education approved, program of collegiate-level courses of which at least 21 credits shall be drawn from the field of general education outside the field of specialization. See the General Education Core Curriculum for the definition of the 21 credit Career Core.

Graduation Residency and GPA Requirements: To be eligible to receive an associate degree, students must complete all the requirements of one of the college’s degree programs with a minimum of 50% of program requirements in residency and with a program and overall cumulative GPA of not less than 2.0. For example, if a student is pursing a degree that requires 60 credits, a minimum of 30 credits must earned at MWCC.  The following types of credits are included as transfer credits and will not meet the residency requirement: credits transferred in from another institution, credit for prior learning, CLEP exams, articulated credits from non-credit work, licenses, high school articulation agreements and challenge exams. Students may petition the dean of their program to accept more than 50%.  Students earning a certificate must complete all requirements with a minimum program and overall cumulative grade point average of 2.0. In addition, students in a certificate program must earn a minimum of 15 credits in residence at MWCC.