General Requirements for Graduation—All Degree and Certificate Programs
1. High School Graduation
The candidate for a degree or certificate shall have earned a high school diploma or a state equivalency certificate or have been granted a waiver of this requirement by the College president.
2. Degree Candidacy
The candidate shall be enrolled in a planned program of study designated as leading to an associate degree or certificate. The outlines of these planned programs appear elsewhere in this catalog.
3. Fundamental Proficiency
The candidate for a degree or certificate must have passed either the Basic Skills Assessment in English and mathematics, or the recommended developmental coursework.
4. Good Standing
The candidate for a degree or certificate shall have earned a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of not less than 2.0.
5. Credits in Residency
A candidate for a degree or certificate must have completed at least 25 percent of the minimum credit requirements for the degree or certificate through coursework at Quinebaug Valley Community College.
6. Graduation Paper Requirement
Every student receiving an associate degree from Quinebaug Valley Community College must complete a research paper of 10 pages minimum plus bibliography. It must be written under the supervision of a faculty member; it may be written in a course, rewritten from a course requirement, or developed independently of course work. To qualify, a paper must achieve a B level and satisfy the requirements of the field in which it is submitted, with appropriate research and documentation, and it must communicate clearly and effectively, not being marred by errors in language. The student should choose a supervisor before the semester of graduation and should inform him or her of graduation deadlines, allowing ample time for revision of the paper. Full descriptions of the requirement are available in the Learning and Student Development Office, and resources for faculty and students concerning the paper are available in the Library and the Learning Center.
7. Application to Graduate
The candidate for a degree or certificate shall have filed an application for graduation with the Learning and Student Development Office not later than March 1 of the year in which graduation is expected. The professional staff of Quinebaug Valley Community College also requires that a candidate who is fulfilling part of the degree requirements with credit from another institution shall have filed appropriate transcripts reflecting all credits not in progress no later than February 1. Final transcripts reflecting credits earned shall be filed with the Records Office at least five (5) working days before graduation.
8. Financial Responsibilities
The candidate for a degree or certificate shall have fulfilled all financial obligations to the College.
9. Second Degree
A student may earn a second degree at QVCC. To earn a second degree, a student must:
- meet all degree requirements for the second curriculum
AND
- ensure that at least 25% of the courses used to satisfy requirements of the second curriculum are unique to the second curriculum. That is to say, 25% of the courses required for the second degree must be taken over and above the courses used toward the first degree.
Completion of a second option does not constitute a second degree.
10. Additional Degrees
Requests for additional degrees beyond the second require prior approval from the dean of learning and student development. Students who receive approval must then complete all program requirements, including earning at least 25 percent of the minimum requirements for the new curriculum at the College through which the degree is to be conferred.