Graduation Requirements

A student pursuing a certificate or degree needs to declare a degree intent with an academic advisor. The declared degree intent is then posted to the student’s file. Completed degrees and certificates will be posted to transcripts three to six weeks after each semester.

A student who files an Application for Graduation by the appropriate deadline and is approved for graduation will be invited to participate in the Commencement Ceremony in May. 

Students must complete an application for graduation with their academic advisor and have their application submitted to the Records and Registration Office during the semester in which the student expects to complete the requirements for their degree or certificate. 

• October 15 for Fall graduation
• February 15 for Spring graduation
• July 1 for Summer graduation

Exception: if a student taking classes in the spring semester plans to complete their degree or certificate requirements during the upcoming summer semester, they may participate in the Commencement Ceremony the following spring by submitting their graduation application by the spring deadline.

A student who is late in filing an Application for Graduation may participate in the Commencement Ceremony the following year by sending a notification to the Records and Registration Office by the following spring deadline (email: evaluations@npc.edu). See the academic calendar for graduation application due dates www.npc.edu/academic-calendar.

A student must remove any indebtedness to the college and resolve any outstanding holds on their account prior to the Application for Graduation deadline. Upon verification of completed degree or certificate requirements, NPC may automatically award degrees or certificates for students without a graduation application. NOTE: Automatic awards are not guaranteed and are dependent on verification.

To obtain the Associate of Arts, Associate of Arts in Early Childhood, Associate of Arts in Elementary Education, Associate of Business, Associate of Science, Associate of General Studies, Associate of Applied Science, or the Bachelor of Arts, Elementary Education (BAEE)  (*Pending HLC Approval), Bachelor of Applied Science, Early Childhood Education, or Bachelor of Applied Management (BAM) (*Pending HLC Approval) degrees from NPC, the candidate must:

1. Satisfy the degree requirements as published in the applicable NPC catalog prior to the date of graduation on which the degree is to be awarded. All petitions for degree requirement waivers must be submitted and approved prior to the Application for Graduation deadline.
2. File an Application for Graduation with the Records and Registration Office by the deadline date.
3. Be credited with not fewer than 60 applicable semester credits for Associate Degrees, and 120 applicable credits for Bachelor’s Degrees (except for the AAS LPN to RN degree where 57 credits are required). No course numbered below the 100 level can be used to satisfy the requirements for any degree.
4. Have a cumulative grade-point average of 2.0 or better in courses taken at NPC. No ‘D’ credit will be allowed in the AA, AAEC, AAEE, ABus, AS, or BAEE (*Pending HLC Approval), BAS-ECE, or BAM (*Pending HLC Approval) degrees. For AGS or AAS degrees, (except for degrees with explicit requirements - refer to specific degree and certificate requirements for more details) no more than nine units of ‘D’ credit will be allowed and only in unrestricted electives.
5. Have no more than 12 credits of ‘P’ grade applied toward graduation credit for the AAS and AGS degree requirements. No ‘P’ credit will be allowed in the AA, AAEC, AAEE, ABus, AS, or BAEE (*Pending HLC Approval), BAS-ECE, or BAM (*Pending HLC Approval) degrees. (Except for degrees with explicit requirements - refer to specific degree and certificate requirements for more details). Additional ‘P’ grades may only be applied toward a degree as allowed by the college for extenuating circumstances.
6. Have a minimum of 16 semester credits in residence at NPC for Associate Degrees, and 30 credits in residence for Bachelor’s Degrees that apply toward the degree being pursued and meet the requirements for the applicable NPC catalog (see “Applicable Catalog”). Credits obtained by assessment may not be used toward the residency requirement.

Certificate of Applied Science (CAS)

A Certificate of Applied Science will be awarded to students who have completed an approved vocational program with all courses successfully completed with a grade of ‘C’ or better to indicate the achievement of technical skills and competence in a specific area of endeavor.

The candidate for the Certificate of Applied Science must:

1. Satisfy the certificate requirements as published in the applicable NPC catalog prior to the date of graduation at which the certificate is to be awarded. All petitions for degree requirement waivers must be submitted and approved prior to the Application for Graduation deadline listed here.
2. File an Application for Graduation with the Records and Registration Office by the deadline listed here;
3. Have a minimum of 12 semester credits in residence at NPC that apply toward the certificate being pursued and meet the requirements for the applicable NPC Catalog (see “Applicable Catalog” for additional details). Credits obtained by assessment may not be used toward the residency requirement.

Certificate of Proficiency (CP)

Certificates of Proficiency are approved programs that indicate specific vocational competencies. Any number of certificates may be awarded to a student who completes the requirements. A formal certificate will be sent to the applicant once the completion of requirements is certified. Normally these students do not attend commencement ceremonies. An exception is made for those students who complete a Certificate of Proficiency of 32 credits or more in two semesters.

Certificates of Proficiency will be awarded when the student:

1. Satisfies the requirements for the certificate as published in the applicable NPC catalog;
2. Files an Application for Graduation with the Records and Registration Office by the deadline listed here;
3. Completes successfully, with a grade of ‘C’ or better, all courses to indicate the achievement of technical skills and competence in a specific area of endeavor;
4. Has a minimum of 75 percent of the credits required for the certificate in residence at NPC. Credits obtained by assessment cannot be used toward the residency requirement.

Applicable Catalog

Students maintaining continuous enrollment at any public Arizona community college or university may graduate according to the requirements of the catalog in effect at the time of initial enrollment or according to the requirements of any single catalog in effect during subsequent terms of continuous enrollment. A student may maintain continuous enrollment whether attending a single public community college or university in Arizona or transferring among public institutions in Arizona while pursuing his or her degrees.

Students working towards degrees no longer in the current catalog must complete all required coursework by the Sunset Date of the Teach-out Plan. Teach-out Plans are only available to students who have maintained continuous enrollment, and who had the specific degree intent on file prior to elimination or modification of the program of study from the catalog.

Students transferring among Arizona public higher education institutions must meet the admission, residency and all curricular and academic requirements of the degree-granting institution.

1. A semester in which a student earns course credit is counted toward continuous enrollment. Noncredit courses, audited courses, failed courses or courses from which the student withdraws do not count toward the determination of continuous enrollment for catalog purposes.
2. Students who do not meet the minimum enrollment standard stipulated in number 1 during three consecutive semesters (fall/spring/fall or spring/fall/spring) and the intervening summer term* at any public Arizona community college or university are no longer considered continuously enrolled. These students must meet requirements of the public Arizona community college or university catalog in effect at the time they are readmitted or of any single catalog in effect during subsequent terms of continuous enrollment after readmission.
   *Students are not obligated to enroll and earn course credit during summer terms, but summer enrollment may be used to maintain continuous enrollment status.
3. Students admitted or readmitted to a public Arizona community college or university during a summer term must follow the degree or certificate requirements of the catalog in effect the following fall semester or of any single catalog in effect during subsequent terms of continuous enrollment.
4. In areas of study in which the subject matter changes rapidly, material in courses taken long before graduation may become obsolete or irrelevant. Course work that is more than eight years old is applicable to completion of degree requirements at the discretion of the student’s major department. Departments may accept such course work, reject it or request that the student revalidate its substance. The eight-year limit on course work applies except when program accreditation agencies limit the life of course work to less than eight years. Departments may also require students to satisfy current major requirements rather than major requirements in earlier catalogs, when completing earlier requirements is no longer possible or educationally sound.
5. Enrollment by Arizona community college students in nontransferable courses still constitutes enrollment for purposes of determining whether the student has been continuously enrolled. For example, if a student takes two semesters of cooperative education classes, which are not transferable to the university but constitute continuous enrollment at the community college, the university should consider it continuous enrollment.
6. Exceptions made by an institution apply only to the institution that made the exception. For example, if the community college departments accepted credit which was more than eight years old, the university department to which the student transfers has the right and the obligation to reevaluate any credit which is more than eight years old.
7. Inquiries about these guidelines should be directed to the student’s academic adviser.

Degree Exclusions and Exceptions

Students who have completed an Associate of Arts, Associate of Arts in Early Childhood, Associate of Arts in Elementary Education, Associate of Business or an Associate of Science degree or higher degree (BS, BA, etc.), will not be awarded an Associate of General Studies. Students completing a transfer degree may complete a different transfer degree as long as they complete 12 additional credits transferable to all three Arizona state universities; these courses must meet the requirements of the major they will be pursuing at the state university and all applicable language requirements. 

Students who complete an AAS degree offered by NPC may complete an AA, AAEC, AAEE, AS, ABus, or AGS degree. For each degree students must complete 12 additional credits transferable to all three Arizona state universities. Students must meet all requirements specific to the degree they wish to earn.

A student may earn any number of CAS or AAS degrees; however, students must earn a minimum of nine additional credits that apply to each new area of specialization.

Due to Arizona State Board of Nursing requirements, nursing students must complete all general education requirements for the Certificate of Applied Science Practical Nursing and the Associate of Applied Science Registered Nursing.

Credits and degrees over eight years in age are subject to review prior to acceptance toward the prerequisites and/or degree requirements in some NPC programs, except when program accreditation agencies limit the life of course work to less than eight years.

Petitions for Exceptions

Students seeking exceptions to degree requirements should meet with an academic adviser for assistance in completing the petition forms. These forms, accompanied by supporting information such as copies of transcripts, course descriptions, and articulation rules, are forwarded to the Dean responsible for the degree program being petitioned. The Dean makes a recommendation and forwards the paperwork to the Director of Enrollment Services for review, then to the Vice President for Learning and Student Services for a final decision and distribution of the copies of the petition form. For acceptance of courses over eight years old, students should work with an academic adviser to follow the petition process. Courses petitioned based solely on the age of the course, require only adviser and dean approval before being sent to the Director of Enrollment Services for processing.

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