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Graduation

Wytheville Community College has one formal graduation exercise in May for students completing certificate, diploma, and degree programs. All graduating students completing their programs in the spring are expected to attend graduation unless officially excused by the college President. Prospective graduates must file an application for graduation by the published deadline with the Student Services Office during the semester of program completion so that requirements for graduation can be verified and diplomas ordered.

Download the Application for Graduation (PDF)

Students are not permitted to participate in a graduation ceremony scheduled prior to the completion of study in a program; instead, they will be eligible to participate in the next scheduled graduation after completion of program requirements.

Outcomes and Assessments

Students may be required to complete testing, survey, questionnaire or other assessment activities designed to measure general education achievement and/or achievement in selected major areas prior to graduation, for the purpose of evaluation of academic programs. No minimum score or level of achievement is required for graduation. Assessment results will remain confidential and will be used for the sole purpose of improvement of the College.

Graduation Honors

Students who have completed the requirements in the curriculum are eligible for graduation honors according to their cumulative grade point average. The honors, based on scholastic achievement, are as follows:

Degrees and Certificates

Wytheville Community College offers the following degrees or certificates for students who successfully complete approved programs:

• Associate in Arts and Sciences (A.A.&S.) is awarded to students majoring in a specialized curriculum and who may transfer to four-year colleges or universities after completing their community college programs.
• Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree is awarded to students majoring in occupational-technical curricula and who may plan to obtain full-time jobs immediately after graduation from the college.
• Certificate is awarded to students who complete one of the approved non-degree curricula which are usually less than two years in length.

Associate Degree/Diploma Requirements

To be awarded an associate degree or diploma from the College, students must:

• Have fulfilled all course and credit hour requirements of their curricula as outlined in the College catalog/student handbook. At least 25% of the credits must be acquired at the College awarding the associate degree/diploma.
• Have been certified for graduation by the Registrar.
• Have earned a grade point average of at least 2.0 in all studies attempted which are applicable toward graduation in their curricula.
• Have filed an application for graduation in the Student Services Office by the publicized deadline.
• Have resolved all financial obligations to the College and returned all library and other College materials.
• Have met the College's computer competency requirement. Beginning with graduates in the year 2000, all graduates of programs containing 45 or more credits must meet the College's computer competency requirement. Students who have passed both ITE 115, Basic Computer Applications & Concepts (or equivalent), and SDV 100, College Success Skills, automatically meet the requirement. Others may meet the requirement by demonstrating competency through completing program course activities approved by the Institutional Effectiveness Committee or through passing the College's computer competency test

Certificate Requirement

To be eligible for graduation with a certificate from the College, a student must:

• Have fulfilled all of the course and credit hour requirements of the curriculum specified in the College catalog/student handbook with a minimum of 25% of the credits having been acquired at the College awarding the certificate.
• Have been certified for graduation by an appropriate College official.
• Have earned a grade point average of at least 2.0 in all studies which are applicable toward graduation in the student's curriculum.
• Have filed an application for graduation in the Student Services Office by the publicized deadline.
• Have resolved all financial obligations to the College and returned all library and other College materials.
• Have met the College's computer competency requirement. All graduates of programs containing 45 or more credits must meet the College's computer competency requirement. Students who have passed both ITE 115, Basic Computer Applications and Concepts (or equivalent), and SDV 100, College Success Skills, automatically meet the requirement. Others may meet the requirement by demonstrating competency through completing program course activities approved by the Institutional Effectiveness Committee or through passing the College's computer competency test.

Upon recommendation of the instructional division and the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development, students who pursue a degree program but are unable to complete the requirements may be issued a certificate, provided the portion of study completed is equivalent to an approved certificate program offered at the College. If an approved certificate in a student’s area of study is not offered at the College, an Award of Completion may be granted, which specifies instructional hours completed.

Career Studies Certificate Requirement

To be eligible to receive a career studies certificate from the College, a student must:

• Have fulfilled all of the course and credit hour requirements of the certificate as specified in the College catalog with a minimum of 25% of the credits having been acquired at the College awarding the career studies certificate.
• Have been certified and recommended for completion by the Registrar.
• Have earned a grade point average of at least 2.0 in all studies which are applicable toward completion of the student's career studies certificate.
• Have filed an application for certificate completion in the Student Services Office. Due to the short duration of these programs and the absence of general education requirements from most, successful completion of career studies certificate requirements does not entitle a student to participate in or be recognized during the annual College graduation exercises. Special recognition programs may be held for completers of career studies programs.
• Have resolved all financial, library, and other obligations to the College