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Graduation Requirements

General Information

A student who intends to graduate from Southeastern Community College must file a Request to Graduate application. This application should be completed when registering for the last anticipated semester of classes. Under Self-Serve on Hawknet please click on the Graduation overview tab. Degree, diploma and certificate requirements stated in the Southeastern Community College catalog at the time of a student's initial enrollment will remain in effect for that student until graduation. If changes occur in graduation requirements subsequent to initial enrollment, the student may elect to graduate under the most recent degree or diploma requirements. The ability to graduate under the requirements of an older catalog is subject to a five-year limitation. The final determination of graduation requirements rests with the Registrar.

It is the responsibility of the student to know and observe the requirements of their curriculum and the rules governing academic work. Although a Student Success Advocate will attempt to help the student make informed decisions, the final responsibility for meeting the requirements for graduation rests with the student.

Graduation from Southeastern Community College shall be certified by the issuance of a degree, diploma, or certificate. No student shall be issued an award who has not earned a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 in their program at SCC.

If a student receives information from a Student Success Advocate which may have an impact upon the student's graduation requirements or application of credits toward graduation, the student is advised to secure the information in writing. It is further advised that this documentation be retained by the student.

Commencement

Commencement is an integral part of a student's experience in college. SCC's commencement is held at the conclusion of the spring semester for any student of the college who has completed all the necessary requirements for a degree, diploma, or a certificate. Additionally, any student of Southeastern Community College is eligible to participate in commencement if there is a clear indication made to the Registrar by the student at the beginning of the spring semester that necessary requirements will be completed prior to the beginning of the next fall semester.

Graduation with Honors

Qualifying students are recognized as meeting the requirements of Graduation with Honors at commencement ceremonies. To qualify for this recognition, a student's cumulative grade point average must be 3.75 or above as of the end of the fall semester. A minimum of 15 semester hours must have been completed at Southeastern Community College. A student with a GPA below 3.75, but above a 3.50, may qualify at the end of the spring semester if they receive spring grades which are high enough to raise their GPA to 3.75 or above at the end of the spring semester. It is the responsibility of the student to notify the Registrar of this possible last-minute designation.

Assessment Philosophy

Assessing student academic achievement at Southeastern Community College is a process of documenting student learning within the domain of general education requirements and within career education programs that go beyond traditional course grades. The purpose of assessment is to promote and document continuous educational improvement throughout the institution. The data gathered will be used to make adjustments within courses and/or programs when deemed necessary. Assessment data will also provide valuable information for use in the college's strategic planning and program review processes. The assessment of students' knowledge of course content, general education and career education objectives will also allow the college to become more articulate in its communication efforts with internal and external constituents regarding how well the college is accomplishing its mission and goals/objectives.

General Education Statement

The goal of Southeastern Community College is to instill within its degree graduates a body of knowledge, skills, and attitudes upon which they can build to be contributing members of society. To accomplish this, associate degree requirements are established which meet a diversity of interests associated with comprehensive community college students. Southeastern Community College requires that the Associate of Arts (AA) degree and the Associate of Science (AS) degree includes courses in the following areas:

  • Communication
  • Social Science
  • Humanities
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Cultural Awareness

SCC is committed to ensuring that students graduating with associate degrees have attained skills in the following areas:

  • Communication
  • Civic Awareness
  • Critical Thinking
  • Cultural Awareness
  • Quantitative & Scientific Reasoning

The College Experience Course Policy

SCC requires first time degree-seeking students to take SDV-108 The College Experience during their first semester. This course is required for graduation. Exceptions to this requirement include:

  • Transfer students with an official transcript(s) from a previous institution(s) who have earned a minimum of 24 credits with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher (cumulative GPA encompasses all attempted credits, not just those earned).
  • Transfer students with an official transcript from a previous institution who have taken a similar course with a grade of C- or better.
  • Students who were previously enrolled at SCC (excluding high school concurrent enrollment) who have earned a minimum of 12 credits with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.

General Education Requirement Groups:

Communication

  • ENG English
  • SPC Speech

Humanities

  • ART Art
  • LIT Literature
  • Foreign Language — FLS Spanish, FLR Russian
  • HIS History
  • HUM Humanities; MUS, MUA Music
  • PHI Philosophy
  • DRA Drama
  • REL Religion

Social Sciences

  • ECN Economics
  • GEO Geography
  • HIS History
  • POL Political Science
  • PSY Psychology
  • SOC Sociology

Math and Science

  • MAT Mathematics
  • BIO Biology
  • CHM Chemistry
  • ENV Environmental Science
  • PHY Physics
  • PHS Physical Science

Cultural Awareness

  • ART Art
  • DRA Drama
  • ENG English;FLS Foreign Language Spanish
  • HIS History; HUM Humanities
  • MUS Music
  • PHI Philosophy
  • REL Religion
  • SOC Sociology

Credit earned toward satisfaction of one group requirement may not be applied toward satisfaction of a second group requirement.

Academic Awards

Requirements for each of the college's curriculum must be satisfactorily completed prior to an individual being eligible to receive an award from SCC. One of the following will be awarded to a student who completes the specified requirements:

  • Associate of Arts degree
  • Associate of Science degree
  • Associate of Applied Science degree
  • Diploma
  • Certificate

Associate of Arts Degree

The Associate of Arts degree is primarily intended for those students who plan to transfer to a four-year college or university. A transfer student should always consult with the four-year institution to determine application of particular courses toward his/her degree objectives. All candidates for the Associate of Arts Degree must meet the following requirements: 

  1. Earn a minimum of 15 of the last 20 semester hours of credit in resident classes at Southeastern Community College. (If a student completed at least 30 credit hours at SCC and then transfers to another college, the student is eligible to transfer up to 30 credit hours back from that college to earn this degree under the Reverse Credit Transfer Program.)
  2. Earn a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 at SCC.
  3. All general education group requirements necessary for the associate of arts degree must be selected from transfer course offerings.
  4. Each of the following minimum general education group requirements must be met:
SDV-108 1 credit hr.
Communication (ENG-105, ENG-106, and SPC-101 or SPC-112) 9 credit hrs.
Humanities* 9 credit hrs.
Social Sciences* 12 credit hrs.
Science & Mathematics* 10 credit hrs.
Cultural Awareness 3 credit hrs.
Electives* 16 credit hrs.
Minimum Total: 60 credit hrs.

* Select courses from at least two different disciplines in this area. In the Science and Mathematics group, at least one lab science and one mathematics course must be taken.

Associate of Science Degree

The Associate of Science degree is primarily intended for those students who plan to transfer to a four-year college or university. A transfer student should consult with the four-year institution to determine application of particular courses toward their degree objectives. All candidates for the Associate of Science degree must meet the following requirements:

  1. Earn a minimum of 15 of their final 20 semester hours of credit in resident classes at SCC. (If a student completed at least 30 credit hours at SCC and then transfers to another college, the student is eligible to transfer up to 30 credit hours back from that college to earn this degree under the Reverse Credit Transfer Program.)
  2. Earn a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 at SCC.
  3. All general education group requirements and specialty area requirements necessary for the Associate of Science degree must be selected from transfer course offerings.
  4. Each of the following minimum general education group requirements must be met:
SDV-108 1 credit hr.
Communication (ENG-105, ENG-106 and SPC-101 or SPC-112) 9 credit hrs.
Humanities* 6 credit hrs.
Social Sciences* 6 credit hrs.
Science & Mathematics* 20 credit hrs.
Cultural Awareness 3 credit hrs.
Electives* 15 credit hrs.
Minimum Total: 60 credit hrs.

* Select courses from at least two different disciplines in this area. In the Science and Mathematics group, at least one lab science and one mathematics course must be taken.

Associate of Applied Science Degree

The Associate of Applied Science degree is intended for those students who are enrolled in a two-year career education program which prepares the student with the skills and competencies necessary to enter the workforce upon degree completion. The standard length of all career education curricula leading to an Associate of Applied Science degree is a minimum of four semesters. All candidates for the Associate of Applied Science Degree must meet the following requirements:

  1. Earn a minimum of 15 of the last 20 semester hours of credit in resident classes at SCC. If a student completed at least 30 credit hours at SCC and then transfers to another college, the student is eligible to transfer up to 30 credit hours back from that college to earn this degree under the Reverse Credit Transfer program.
  2. Earn a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 in the AAS degree curriculum at SCC.
  3. General education courses required for the associate of applied science degree must be selected from courses listed in the approved program curriculum. A minimum of 15 semester hours of general education requirements must be taken with at least one course from each of the three areas: Communication; Social Sciences and/or Humanities; Mathematics and/or Science.
  4. Satisfactory completion of all core and general education requirements as specified for the curriculum selected. The standard length of all career education curricula leading to an associate of applied science degree is a minimum of four semesters.

Diploma

The diploma shall be awarded to a student who has satisfactorily completed an approved Career and Technical Education program. A diploma may be a component of, and apply toward, subsequent completion of an AAS. All candidates for a diploma must meet the following requirements:

  1. Earn a minimum of ten of the last 13 semester hours of credit in resident classes at SCC.
  2. Earn a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 at SCC in the diploma curriculum.
  3. General education courses and elective credits required for a diploma are listed in the approved curriculum for that diploma.
  4. Satisfactory completion of all general education and core requirements as specified for the diploma program.

Certificate

A certificate of completion may be awarded to a student who has satisfactorily completed a course of study prescribed by the institution that is designed to prepare students for entry-level employment. The certificate may be a component of, and apply towards, subsequent completion of a diploma or AAS. All candidates for a Certificate must meet the following requirements:

  1. All requirements must be met through earned SCC credits or through approved action by the registrar.
  2. Earn a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 in the certificate curriculum at SCC.
  3. General education courses, if required, are listed in the approved curriculum for that certificate.
  4. Satisfactory completion of all core, general education and/or elective requirements as specified for the certificate program.
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