INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS -- Graduation Requirements

Associate Degree Requirements
To be eligible for graduation with an associate degree (A.A.A., A.A.S., A.A, or A.S.) from the College, you must:

1. Have been admitted to a curriculum (declared a major).

2. Have fulfilled all of the course work and credit hour requirements of the curriculum as outlined in the College Catalog. The catalog to be used to determine graduation requirements is the one in effect at the time of your admission to a curriculum from which you are graduating, or any subsequent catalog of your choice from an academic year in which you attended NOVA. The catalog to be used in certifying your graduation shall have been in effect no more than seven years prior to the semester of graduation.

3. Have been recommended for graduation by the appropriate instructional authority in your curriculum.

4. Have taken at least 25% of the credit required in the curriculum at NOVA.

5. Have completed the general education requirements for an associate degree.

6. Have earned a grade point average of at least 2.00 in courses attempted that are applicable toward graduation in the curriculum.

7. Have applied for graduation online on or before the dates published in the Schedule of Classes for each semester. Please note, graduation applications are only valid for one semester.

8. Have resolved all financial obligations to the College and returned all materials, including library books.

Multiple Degrees

If you wish to earn a degree, diploma, certificate, or career studies certificate in addition to any other degree, diploma, certificate, or career studies certificate, you must (1) complete all requirements of both programs, and (2) the awards must differ from one another by at least 25% of the credits.

Certificate Requirements
To be eligible for graduation with a certificate or a career studies certificate from the College you must:

1. Have been admitted (declared a major) to a curriculum.

2. Have fulfilled all of the course requirements of the curriculum as outlined in the College Catalog. This includes achieving a passing grade in each course in the curriculum. The catalog to be used to determine graduation requirements is the one in effect at the time of your admission to a curriculum from which you are graduating, or any subsequent catalog of your choice from an academic year in which you attended NOVA. The catalog to be used in certifying your graduation shall have been in effect no more than seven years prior to the semester of your graduation.

3. Have been recommended for graduation by the appropriate authority in the curriculum.

4. Have completed at least 25% of the credits for the certificate at NOVA.

5. Have earned a grade point average of at least 2.00 in all courses attempted that are applicable toward graduation in the curriculum.

6. Have applied for graduation online on or before the dates published in the Schedule of Classes for each semester.

7. Have resolved all financial obligations to the College and returned all materials, including library books.

8. Have completed an SDV course if you are enrolled in a certificate or career studies certificate of more than 15 credits.

Certificate of Completion
If you successfully complete a program of instruction that does not lead to a certificate or an associate degree, you may be awarded a Certificate of Completion. These are also given for non-credit courses at the College.

Graduation Honors
Students attending NOVA for a minimum of 30 credit hours in degree programs are eligible for graduation honors. Those attending NOVA for a minimum of 50% of the credit hours in their certificate program are eligible for graduation honors. You must apply online for graduation to be eligible for graduation honors. Graduation honors are determined by your cumulative grade point average at the completion of the semester for which you are certified for graduation.

Appropriate honors are based on scholastic achievements and recorded on the degree or certificate as follows:

Cumulative Grade Point Average / Honor
3.20 / Cum Laude (with honor)
3.50 / Magna Cum Laude (with high honor)
3.80 / Summa Cum Laude (with highest honor)

Graduation Rates
Many students attending Northern Virginia Community College do not plan to graduate with an associate degree or certificate, but enroll for the purpose of improving job skills, taking credits for transfer to another college, or for some specialized need or personal satisfaction. Determining graduation rates, given students' varied objectives is difficult; however, if you are a prospective or enrolled student who would like to know more about the enrollments and completion rates for a particular curriculum, the College may be able to provide such information to you. Requests for enrollment and graduation data may be directed to the campus dean of students or the associate vice president of the Office of Institutional Research. Typically, the best available data will be provided within 30 working days of the request. You may also visit the College Office of Institutional Research’s Web site at http://www.nvcc.edu/oir/.

Issuing of Diplomas
Diplomas are issued at the end of each term after final verification of grades and completion of requirements. Your diploma will be mailed to the address you entered in your online graduation application. You will receive only one diploma for each degree or certificate you earn.  If you complete additional course work after the awarding of a degree, it will affect the cumulative and plan grade point averages (GPAs), but not the GPAs entered when the degree was awarded. The updated grades and GPAs will be reflected on your transcript but will not have any bearing on the diploma.  The College will reissue diplomas in cases of natural disaster (such as fire or tornado) or printing error. Diplomas will not be reissued for name changes.

Participation in the Commencement Ceremony
Students are eligible to participate in the commencement ceremony if they completed their program requirements during or prior to the current academic year. For Spring 2010 commencement this means students who complete program requirements in Spring 2010 or any prior semester may participate. Participation in the commencement ceremony is not an indication that you have graduated.  You must successfully complete the program requirements to graduate from NOVA.