3.40 Graduation/Program Completion
Related Minnesota State Board Policy: Board Policy 3.36, Academic Programs
Related Minnesota State Board Procedure: System Procedure 3.36.1, Academic Programs
Purpose: To ensure students successfully complete all requirements for a degree or certificate in compliance with Minnesota State and Normandale Community College policies and procedures.
Part 1: Definitions
Subpart A: Awards. Normandale awards certificates and degrees in accordance with Normandale Policy 3.36, Academic Programs, and Procedure 3.36.1, Academic Programs.
Subpart B: Commencement. The annual ceremony honoring students who have completed a degree or certificate.
Subpart C: Date of Graduation. The date a student’s award has been conferred.
Subpart D: Grade point average. The grade point average (GPA) is the system of recording academic achievement determined in accordance with Policy 3.9, Grading.
Subpart E: Residency. Credits completed at Normandale, including those awarded through internal prior learning assessment.
Subpart F: Graduation Application. A form a student submits to indicate their intent to graduate.
Subpart G: Program of Study. Required coursework in a major or certificate program.
Part 2: Grade Point Average
Subpart A. Normandale GPA. Students must earn a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00 in all college-level courses attempted at Normandale as reflected on the student’s degree audit report.
Subpart B. Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MnTC) GPA. For programs that include the full MnTC, students must earn a minimum 2.00 grade point average in coursework used to satisfy the requirements of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum. This GPA is calculated with both Normandale and transfer coursework and reflected on the student’s degree audit report. When a student’s MnTC GPA is below 2.00, courses that are not needed to fulfill a Goal Area requirement or the 40-credit minimum can be excluded from the GPA calculation.
Subpart C. Program GPA Students must earn a minimum GPA of 2.00 in coursework used to satisfy the requirements of the student’s program of study. This GPA is calculated on both
Normandale and transfer coursework. When a student’s program GPA is below 2.00, courses that are not needed to fulfill program requirements can be excluded from the GPA calculation.
Subpart D. Honors. Students who earn a cumulative college-level GPA of 3.00 to 3.49 will be awarded honors at graduation. Students who earn a cumulative college-level GPA of 3.50-4.00 earning a Normandale degree will be awarded high honors at graduation. The honors designation is reflected on the student’s transcript.
Part 3: Residency
Subpart A. A student seeking a certificate at Normandale must complete 2/3 of the required credits at Normandale.
Subpart B. A student seeking a degree at Normandale must complete at least 15 of the required credits at Normandale.
Part 4: Graduation Application
Subpart A: The student shall apply for their degree, certificate or major. Students are encouraged to submit their graduation application as soon as they register for their final degree requirements and before their final semester begins to allow them to adjust their schedule, if necessary. Early application also ensures the student receives valuable communication about diplomas and commencement. The final deadline to apply for a degree, certificate, or major is 30 days after the semester end date.
Subpart B: Students shall submit one application per program.
Part 5: Automatic Awarding
Subpart A: Normandale reserves the right to confer awards without a student’s graduation application. When the college determines a student has met the academic requirements for their degree or certificate, the college will notify the student of the completed credential and provide the student an opportunity to opt out of conferral.
Part 6: Date of Graduation
Subpart A: The student’s date of graduation/certificate completion shall be the last day of the semester in which the student has completed all program requirements, which includes submitting a graduation application, by the deadline specified in Part 4, Subpart A.
Subpart B: A student may defer their date of graduation to a future term upon request.
Subpart C: The college reserves the right to retroactively award a degree or certificate under special circumstances deemed appropriate by the president or designee.
Subpart D: Additional awards. Per Normandale Policy 3.36 and Procedure 3.36.1, Academic Programs, a student can earn only one degree of its type (AA, AFA, AS, AAS). The student can earn multiple majors under the same degree type (e.g. computer science and business majors under the AS degree) either concurrently or subsequently when 9 unique credits exist between the two majors. The student can earn any number of certificates.
Part 7: Commencement
Subpart A: Graduates of the current academic year will be invited to participate in the annual commencement ceremony, hosted following spring semester for the prior fall's graduates and eligible certificate earners and for the spring degree and eligible certificate candidates. Summer graduation candidates who have already registered for their final degree/certificate requirements are also invited to participate in commencement. An eligible certificate is a program that consists of 9 or more credits. A student who has previously earned a degree and subsequently completes an additional major under the same degree is not eligible to participate in commencement.
Policy History:
Department Owner: VP of Academic Affairs
Date of Adoption: 2024
Date of Implementation:
Date and Subject of Revisions:
Next Review Date (4 years): 2028