Program requirements
The program requirements that students must meet to graduate with a certain degree or certificate are stipulated in the College catalog at mccneb.smartcatalogIQ.com. Catalog effective dates begin with the start of fall quarter and run through the end of the next summer quarter. Specifically:
- The effective catalog year for students is determined by the quarter in which they first attend MCC, not the date of their enrollment or registration.
- Students are held to the requirements in the catalog year in which they first attend unless they opt to meet the requirements in a later catalog in a year in which they attend.
- All requirements must be completed within four years of the initial or chosen catalog year. Those not completing within four years must select a later catalog in a year in which they attended and meet the requirements listed in that catalog.
Final grades for those graduating must be verified in the system to be considered for graduation requirements. Students who are retaking courses that they are using to complete their program of study requirements must receive a final grade in those courses before they may be considered as having fulfilled graduation requirements. Students cannot be processed through the system until this occurs.
To graduate with honors, students must earn a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or above in their program of study.
Eligibility
Students who wish to graduate with the following degrees or certificates must meet the following eligibility requirements:
Degrees: Associate in Applied Science, Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, or Associate in Science in Nursing
To apply and be eligible for graduation with an associate degree, students must have:
- earned a GPA of at least 2.00 in all studies that are applicable toward graduation from a program of study and be in good academic standing;
- successfully completed all program requirements encompassing a minimum of 96.0 credit hours as outlined in the College catalog; program requirements include successful completion of a minimum of 24.0 credit hours in residence at MCC or enrollment in an approved statewide initiative program with MCC designated as the home institution;
- resolved all College financial obligations and returned all library and College materials; and
- completed an online graduation application form in the My Services student portal and submitted it by the deadline date.
Certificates of Achievement
To be eligible for graduation with a certificate of achievement, students must have:
- earned a GPA of at least 2.0 in all studies attempted and applicable toward graduation from a program of study and be in good academic standing;
- successfully completed all course requirements of a program of study encompassing a minimum of 48.0 credit hours as outlined in the College catalog with a minimum of 15.0 credit hours in residence at MCC;
- resolved all College financial obligations and returned all library and College materials; and
- completed an online graduation application form in the My Services student portal and submitted it to the Records office.
Career Certificates
Designed for the person seeking job-relevant career development, career certificate modules represent a structured sequence of courses that may be completed in a relatively short period. Career certificates range from a minimum of 24.0 quarter hours to a maximum of 36.0 quarter hours.
At least two-thirds of the credits leading to the career certificate must be completed at MCC, and a grade of C or better in all courses required for the certificate is required as well as to be in good academic standing.
Graduation application
All students must submit a graduation application to receive a degree or certificate. A separate application must be submitted for each degree or certificate that a student anticipates receiving.
The application for graduation can be found on the My Services student portal under Academic Profile and must be submitted online. Deadlines to file a graduation application are as follows:
Fall quarter – Nov. 1
Winter quarter – Feb. 1
Spring quarter – April 1
Summer quarter – July 1
At MCC, degrees and certificates are awarded at the end of each quarter and denote the completion of a program of study. Degrees and certificates are mailed approximately four to six weeks after the end of each quarter to qualifying students.
The MCC Commencement Ceremony is held annually to recognize students who have graduated or will graduate during the current academic year (fall, winter, spring, and summer quarters).
Career certificate recipients are not eligible to participate in the annual Commencement Ceremony.