Graduation Requirements:
A student must:
- Satisfy course requirements by completing at least 25% of the semester credit hours in a degree, diploma or certificate program through instruction offered by the institution awarding the degree.
- Be enrolled at MCC during the term for which program requirements are completed. This requirement may be waived with the approval of the Vice President of Instruction and Student Services, in consultation with the appropriate instructor.
- Complete the prescribed courses to meet the minimum number of credit hours required for a degree, diploma, or certificate as defined by the catalog during which the student declared the program as their major or secondary major. If there is an interruption in attendance greater than three consecutive semester, one calendar year, the student returns under the current catalog’s requirements set for their program.
- Possess a program GPA of at least 2.00. Some programs may require a final grade of a “C” or better in specific courses or all courses to be counted.
- Student must be in good financial standing at MCC.
Graduation Applications and Information
Applications for graduation are required to be completed and turned into the Registrar within the first two months of the students anticipated graduation date. If the student anticipates completing their program during the summer and application should be completed in the Spring semester. Graduation applications may be found at www.montgomery.edu/graduation/.
Approved Graduation Regalia
For students planning to walk in the MCC Graduation ceremony, a Graduation fee must be paid to the Business Office to receive the degree, cap, gown, and tassel. Students who have participated in an MCC approved club or organization may wear additional cords and/or stoles approved by the Registrar’s Office/Dean of Student Services:
- Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society cords and/or stole
- Forestry cords
- Veterans cords
- Leadership medallions provided by the MCC club advisor
For questions pertaining to approved regalia, please contact the Registrar’s Office. Not adhering to the approved regalia could result in the removal of the items and or dismissal from the graduation ceremony.
Academic Standards of Progress
Each student is expected to maintain satisfactory academic progress toward a degree, diploma or certificate. At the end of each term, a student’s term and cumulative GPA are reviewed. Special standards of progress for Associate Degree Nursing, Dental Assisting, Medical Assisting, and Practical Nursing students are published in the respective handbooks for these majors. Special standards are also in place for the Gunsmithing program; the standards are published in the program handbook. Standards for students enrolled in any of these programs supersede standards for students enrolled in other programs at MCC.
The GPA is computed by dividing the total quality points earned by the total credit hours attempted. To satisfy graduation requirements, a 2.00 program GPA is required for all degree, diploma, and certificate programs. When a student’s term GPA falls below 2.0, the appropriate action(s), as described below, will be taken.
If a student’s term GPA falls below 2.0, the student will be placed on academic alert. Academic alert is a non-punitive intervention that serves to alert the student, the counselors, and instructors to potential academic issues. Students on academic alert must discuss their academic status with their faculty advisor or other designated college staff member. If the term GPA improves at the end of the next term, the student returns to a good standing status.
A student whose term GPA remains below a 2.0 for two consecutive terms will be placed on academic probation. Students on academic probation are required to consult with the MCC Counselor or other designated college representative and may be required to reduce their course load, repeat courses, or register for foundational studies classes to strengthen their educational background. Students failing to see a counselor or designated college representative by the end of the term in which they are notified of probationary status will not be allowed to reenroll for the next term. Students may remove themselves from academic probation by reestablishing the minimum GPA standing for credit hours attempted.
A student whose term GPA remains below a 2.0 for a third consecutive term will be placed on academic suspension for one term. Students on suspension may register for Continuing Education courses, but may not register for curriculum courses during the suspension period unless approved by the MCC Counselor after consultation with the student’s program advisor. At the discretion of the Counselor and with concurrence of the advisor, students may request a waiver of the one-termsuspension to continue their studies. The Counselor and advisor will review the reasons for the request and determine if a waiver is justified. Suspended students who request and receive approval to register must adhere to the requirements established by the Counselor. For pay purposes, veterans and financial aid recipients may not be continued in certified status beyond one term while below the standards of progress required to graduate without special counseling and approval. The Counselor and the student’s academic advisor will determine specific guidelines for the removal of academic deficiencies and the conditions for the student to continue his/her program of study.
Students who wish to appeal the suspension status may do so by submitting a written request to the Vice President of Instruction and Student Services. The appeal should include a realistic plan for working toward achieving good academic standing, recognition of the issues that may have led to the student’s academic struggles, and a strategy to resolve those issues. The Vice President and a team of other involved college staff (counselor, academic advisor, program head, etc.) will review the appeal and notify the student of their decision.
After the suspension period has ended, the student may once again enroll in curriculum courses at the college. The re-admitted student will continue to be on academic probation until his/her cumulative GPA has improved to the required level. Upon their return, students must take the appropriate course work determined by the counselor and academic advisor and may be subject to dismissal for one academic year for that particular program of study if they fail to meet the conditions stipulated. Entry into another program of study during a suspension period may be approved only by the MCC Counselor. No student may be reinstated from academic suspension more than twice over any consecutive three-year period in the same program of study. Students who are suspended for disciplinary reasons must have approval from the Vice President of Instruction and Student Services, depending upon the nature of the disciplinary issue, to reenroll.
Each student enrolled in a curriculum program that leads to a certificate, diploma, or degree is eligible for placement on Academic Honors lists when they meet the specified grade requirements. Special credit students are not eligible.
President’s List: The President’s List is composed of students who are enrolled for at least 12 semester hours credit, excluding developmental studies hours and proficiency hours, and earn a GPA of 4.00 for the term with no incomplete grades.
Dean’s List: The Dean’s List is composed of students who are enrolled for at least 12 semester hours credit, excluding developmental studies hours and proficiency hours, and earn a GPA of at least 3.00 for the term with no incomplete grades and no grade lower than a B.
Honors List: The Honors List is composed of students who are enrolled for 6-11 semester hours credit, excluding developmental studies hours and proficiency hours, and earn a GPA of at least 3.00 for the term with no incomplete grades and no grade lower than a B.