Graduation

Graduation Requirements

All students expecting to meet graduation requirements for a degree or diploma must present a Graduation Application to the Director of Records and Registration during final semester registration and fulfill financial obligations to the College prior to graduation. Graduating students are required to meet program requirements specified in the semester based curriculum standard.

1. Courses taken more than seven (7) years prior to graduation may not be applicable to certain majors. Final action is taken by the Vice President for Academic and Student Success and validation of competencies may be required by oral or written tests and/or demonstration of skills.
2. Students must have a program grade point average of not less than 2.0 to graduate.
3. To qualify for any degree or diploma a student must take 30 semester hours credit at Western Piedmont Community College, including the final 10 semester hours credit. In addition, 50 percent of the total semester hour’s credit listed in the Core or Required Major Hours category of the program of study must be taken at WPCC.  
4. In no case shall the combined total of any transfer credit hours, credit by examinations, credit for external examinations, or course substitutions represent more than one-half of the specified number of hours required for the degree or diploma toward which students are applying those credits.  Students transferring credit from an out of state institution should note that only may only be allowed to transfer 14 semester hours of credit toward their program requirements. 
5. To qualify for any certificate, a student must complete 50 percent of the total semester hours credit of the program at WPCC. Certificates of the same disciplined degree or diploma will not be awarded during the graduating semester or after.
6. To qualify for an Associate Degree or diploma, students must complete an approved curriculum: 
   
   1. For the Associate in Arts (AA), the Associate in Science (AS), the Associate in Fine Arts (AFA), or the Associate in General Education (AGE) Degree, the total semester hours credit required is 60-64.
   2. For the Associate in Applied Science Degree (AAS) or a diploma, the specific curriculum standard for the program must be followed.
7. Students applying for graduation shall meet the program requirements of the catalog in effect during the year of their original attendance in that program (as long the student remains consistently enrolled) or the catalog in effect during the year of their graduation from that program.

Degrees and diplomas are awarded during the Spring Graduation Ceremony. Permission to graduate in absentia must be obtained from the Dean of Student Services. Graduation fees will not be refunded. Exceptions to the stated graduation requirements may be authorized in extenuating circumstances. For consideration, a student petition must be completed and submitted to the Office of the Director of Records and Registration for processing.

Five graduation marshals are selected for each ceremony, a Chief Marshal, two Faculty Marshals and two Student Marshals. The Chief Marshal is the previous year Excellence in Teaching Recipient; the Student Marshals are the top two juniors enrolled in Burke Middle College. Selection for the Faculty Marshals is made on the basis of the highest grade point average, non-graduating student, of classes earned at Western Piedmont Community College. All efforts are made to select a freshman and a sophomore student.

Students who are candidates for any degree cannot be eligible for the Associate in General Education  degree or General Occupational Technology degree.

Applying for Graduation

All students expecting to meet graduation requirements for a degree or diploma must submit an application for graduation to the Director of Records and Registration during his/her final semester registration.

1. Complete the Curriculum Graduation Application and make an appointment with the Academic Advisor for review.

2. Return the Graduation Application and completed program evaluation, signed by student and Academic Advisor to Student Services in Hildebrand Hall.

3. A preliminary graduation audit will be conducted by the Director of Records and Registration. Notifications of program completion, or program deficiencies will be mailed to the student. If there are program deficiencies, the Academic Advisor will also be notified.

4. Pay the $30.00 graduation fee to the Business Office as outlined in the graduation notification letter. If receiving more than one degree/diploma, please add an additional $10.00 for each additional degree.

Graduation Applications are processed at the end of each semester. The Commencement Ceremony is scheduled one time a year at the end of the spring semester. All graduating students are welcome to participate in this ceremony.

Graduation Application due dates are published on the Current Student page of the WPCC webpage and in Moodle. Students who fail to meet the due date of the Graduation Application as outlined or who submit an incomplete Graduation Application may not be eligible for graduation in the term of program completion or may not be eligible to participate in the spring Commencement Ceremony.

Contact the Academic Records & Graduation Specialist at (828) 448-6049 with any questions.

Consistent Enrollment

Students are considered consistently enrolled unless there is a non-enrollment period of two consecutive semesters. Students who have been inconsistently enrolled will be required to complete a new application and possibly update their residency status through the North Carolina Residency Determination Service.

Physical Education Requirement

AA, AFA, AS, and AGE programs require 2 semester hours credit of physical education. Physical Education classes may not be audited.

Reverse Transfer

Western Piedmont Community College participates in the North Carolina Community Colleges Reverse Transfer initiative.  Students eligible for degree review are those currently enrolled, as well as future transfer students at participating universities, who transferred from one of the participating community colleges.  For more information, please contact the Director of Records and Registration.