College Catalog (2011-2012)

2011-2012 College Catalog: Graduation

TMCC offers four degrees: associate of arts, associate of science, associate of applied science and associate of general studies. Additionally, the college offers a certificate of achievement. Students are encouraged to read the information on each degree before making their educational decisions. Counselors and advisers are available to assist individuals who want more information on college programs.

Preparation for Graduation

Students are urged to meet with a counselor or adviser each semester for help in course selection and schedule planning and to evaluate progress toward graduation. Students with credits from other institutions should submit official transcripts to the admissions and records office for evaluation and request an academic advisement report as soon as possible after matriculating at TMCC.

Requirements for Graduation

Students wishing to obtain a degree or certificate of achievement from TMCC must have satisfied all the following requirements.

  1. Filed an application for graduation. Each student seeking an associate degree or certificate of achievement is required to submit a completed application for graduation to the admissions and records office. Deadline dates for filing these applications are
    • fall semester, November 1
    • spring semester, April 1
    • summer session, June 1
    Applications submitted after the deadline will be considered for the next semester. The date of graduation that will appear on the student's diploma/certificate and permanent academic record is the last month of the semester in which the application for graduation is approved.
  2. Completed 15 semester credits within TMCC. All graduates must have a minimum of 15 credits in residence or through distance education at TMCC for each degree pursued. Only classroom instruction is applicable. Challenge examinations, nontraditional credit, etc., do not count as resident credit. This applies to all associate degrees and certificates of achievement.
  3. Maintained a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00. The grade point average for graduation must be at least 2.00. This grade point average is calculated by combining the grade point average of all courses taken at TMCC and the grade point average of those transfer courses used to fulfill the degree requirements. A student must also have a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 for all coursework at TMCC.
  4. Met all financial and library obligations. Students will not be issued a degree or certificate of achievement if they have not met all their financial and library obligations to the Nevada System of Higher Education. If students have an outstanding debt, they may pay it at the controller's office. Library obligations can be cleared through the library.
  5. Completed the curriculum requirements for the degree or certificate. Students may elect to graduate under the degree requirements for the year in which they initially enrolled at TMCC in other than workforce development and continuing education courses (unless these courses are used toward their degree); the requirements for the year in which they officially declared a major at the admissions and records office; or the requirements for the year in which they will graduate as long as the course catalog selected is no more than six years old. If a degree or emphasis is offered for the first time after a student has enrolled, the student may choose the course catalog year in which the degree or emphasis was first offered. Students may not use a combination of course catalogs for graduation. Summer session is included in the previous course catalog year, i.e., summer 2011 would be under the 2010-2011 course catalog. If students interrupt their college studies for more than two consecutive semesters, including summer session, the college encourages them to meet the requirements of the course catalog year under which they will complete the requirements for the degree. Some programs require students to be graduated under the current course catalog, e.g., health sciences.

Dual Degrees

Students may earn two degrees subsequently or simultaneously, provided they satisfy the following requirements.

  1. File a separate application for graduation.
  2. Complete the curriculum requirements for each degree.
  3. Completed 15 semester credits within TMCC. All graduates must have a minimum of 15 credits in residence or through distance education at TMCC for each degree pursued. Only classroom instruction is applicable. Challenge examinations, nontraditional credit, etc., do not count as resident credit. This applies to all associate degrees and certificates of achievement.
  4. Satisfy all additional requirements for both degrees.

Meet with an advisor for requirements for credits in residence for students earning more than one certificate of achievement.

Commencement

All graduating students are encouraged to participate in commencement exercises held at the close of the spring semester each year. At that time, all associate degrees and certificates of achievement are conferred upon the fall, spring and summer graduates for the year.

Graduation Rates

The Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act requires that TMCC make available to current and prospective students the persistence and graduation rates of first-time full-time, degree-seeking students. The average percentage of first-time, full-time students who graduate within three years of matriculating is 13 percent and 19 percent have transferred to another institution.

Since the majority of our students are not full time (only 31 percent take 12 or more credits a semester) and we know that graduation is not the only measure of success for our students, these rates do not necessarily reflect the success of all of our students.