Graduation

Wytheville Community College has formal graduation exercises in May for students completing a career studies certificate, certificate, diploma, and degree programs. All graduating students completing their programs in the spring are encouraged to attend graduation. Students are permitted to participate in the Spring graduation ceremony if they have completed a program of study the previous fall, at the end of spring semester or if they will complete their program during the summer term. Prospective graduates must consult with their faculty advisor and apply to graduate by the published deadline so that their requirements for graduation can be verified and diplomas ordered. 

Applying for Graduation

 1.  Students applying for graduation MUST first speak with their faculty advisor to ensure their degree requirements are complete and determine their eligibility for graduation. The student and advisor should review the student’s advising report to determine if/when the student should apply for graduation.

 2.  Students should be enrolled for their last semester of courses before submitting the graduation application.

 3.  Students must apply for graduation through the myWCC  Portal. Once students log-in to their account, they will visit the Student Center, where they can review their academic requirements and complete and submit their application via the Apply for Graduation link. 

 4.  Students will receive an immediate confirmation of the application submission, however this is not a guarantee of graduation or program completion. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm with his or her advisor that program requirements have been met.  

 5.  Final responsibility for completing degree requirements rests with the student. Students who apply for graduation but do not complete the requirements must submit another graduation application for a later semester. Students may graduate after fall, spring, or summer semesters, but there is only one ceremony each year in May. 

 6.  Students will receive information regarding the graduation ceremony at a later date. All information regarding graduation will be sent to the student’s VCCS email account. Any questions regarding graduation should be sent via email to graduation@wcc.gmgmuhendislik.com.

* NOTE: WCC reserves the right to graduate students who have completed all requirements for a career studies certificate, certificate, and/or associate degree without a submitted graduation application, however students may not receive a printed diploma if an application is not submitted.

Application Deadlines

Outcomes and Assessments

Students may be required to complete testing, survey, questionnaire or other assessment activities designed to measure general education achievement and/or achievement in selected major areas prior to graduation, for the purpose of evaluation of academic programs. No minimum score or level of achievement is required for graduation. Assessment results will remain confidential and will be used for the sole purpose of improvement of the College.

Graduation Honors

Students who have completed the requirements in the curriculum are eligible for graduation honors according to their cumulative grade point average. The honors, based on scholastic achievement, are as follows:

Degrees and Certificates

Wytheville Community College offers the following degrees or certificates for students who successfully complete approved programs:

• Associate in Arts and Sciences (A.A.&S.) is awarded to students majoring in a specialized curriculum and who may transfer to four-year colleges or universities after completing their community college programs.
• Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree is awarded to students majoring in occupational-technical curricula and who may plan to obtain full-time jobs immediately after graduation from the college.
• Certificate is awarded to students who complete one of the approved non-degree curricula which are usually less than two years in length.

Associate Degree/Diploma Requirements

To be awarded an associate degree or diploma from the College, students must:

1. Have fulfilled all course and credit hour requirements of their curricula as outlined in the college catalog/student handbook. At least 25% of the credits must be acquired at the college awarding the associate degree/diploma/certificate.
2. Have earned a grade point average of at least 2.0 in all studies attempted which are applicable toward graduation in their curricula.
3. Have filed a completed application for graduation with the student's Academic Advisor by the publicized deadline.
4. Have resolved all financial obligations to the college and returned all library and other college materials.
5. Have met the college's computer competency requirements. All graduates of programs containing 45 or more credits must meet the college's computer competency requirement. Students who have passed both ITE 115, Introduction to Computer Applications and Concepts (or equivalent), and SDV 100 (or 101, 104, 108), Student Success, automatically meet the requirement. Others may meet the requirement by demonstrating competency through completing program course activities approved by the Institutional Effectiveness Committee or through passing the college's computer competency test.
6. Have been certified by an appropriate college official as meeting all of the above requirements for graduation.

Upon recommendation of the instructional division and the Vice President of Academics and Institutional Advancement, students who pursue a degree program but are unable to complete the requirements may be issued a certificate, provided the portion of study completed is equivalent to an approved certificate program offered at the College. If an approved certificate in a student’s area of study is not offered at the College, an Award of Completion may be granted, which specifies instructional hours completed.

Career Studies Certificate Requirement

To be eligible to receive a career studies certificate from the College, a student must:

1. Have fulfilled all course and credit hour requirements of their curricula as outlined in the college catalog/student handbook. At least 25% of the credits must be acquired at the college awarding the associate degree/diploma/certificate.
2. Have earned a grade point average of at least 2.0 in all studies attempted which are applicable toward graduation in their curricula.
3. Have filed a completed application for graduation with the student's Academic Advisor by the publicized deadline.
4. Have resolved all financial obligations to the college and returned all library and other college materials.
5. Have been certified by an appropriate college official as meeting all of the above requirements for graduation.