General Academic Policies

Class Standing
For the purposes of records and reporting, students are classified as freshmen if they have completed 25 credit hours or less, sophomores if they have completed 26 credit hours or more.

Graduation Credential Requirements
To receive an associate degree, diploma, or certificate at Muskegon Community College, a student must meet the following requirements:

1. All candidates must maintain a cumulative 2.0 grade point average. Health programs may have a different GPA requirement.

2. A minimum Muskegon Community College credit requirement (Residency Requirement).
   1. Associate Degrees - A student must complete not less than 30 credit hours or the last 15 credit hours at Muskegon Community College in order to receive an associate degree.
   1. Diplomas - A student must complete 26 credit hours at Muskegon Community College in order to receive a diploma.
   2. Certificates - A student must complete 6 credit hours at Muskegon Community College in order to receive a certificate.

3. Students returning to Muskegon Community College after a three (3) year absence or longer will be under the requirements of the current catalog.

Any exceptions to these graduation requirements must be brought before the Petitions Committee with the full concurrence of the department(s) involved.

Associate in Science and Arts Degree Requirements
The Associate in Science and Arts (ASA) Degree is primarily a transfer-oriented degree. In order to receive the degree, each student must complete a minimum of 62 credit hours of course work and meet all of the program requirements as listed in the Muskegon Community College catalog.

Associate in Applied Science Degree Requirements
The Associate in Applied Science (AAS) Degree is awarded for successful completion of an occupationally oriented curriculum. It may also be used as a transfer degree to certain baccalaureate programs. Please note, developmental credits can not be used toward graduation.

Candidates for this degree must complete a minimum of 62 credit hours of course work and all course requirements for a specific associate in applied science program as outlined in the Muskegon Community College catalog.

Graduation requirements for the associate degree may include two credits in physical education. Refer to program pages for specific courses which will fulfill graduation requirements.

The maximum number of cooperative internship credit hours that may be applied toward an associate degree is 12 and many programs permit even fewer.

Program Evaluation (Degree Audit)
My Progress is a tool in Student Planning that shows the requirements for students’ academic program as outlined in the catalog for the year they were admitted and their progress toward completing those requirements. The audit shows both the courses transferred in from other institutions and courses completed at Muskegon Community College. It includes their grades and GPA.

Under My Progress in Student Planning, students may select “view a new program” to compare their academic record/progress to any program they might indicate, without changing their academic program. This can be a very helpful tool for students considering a change of program, but does not know how their record might apply to the requirements of the new program.

Students are encouraged to review My Progress in Student Planning by logging into MyMCC. My Progress is the primary tool used during counseling/advising and in preparing for graduation.

Application for Graduation
To graduate from Muskegon Community College with a degree or a certificate, you begin the process by completing an Application for Graduation online in Student Planning. You must have completed at least 47 credit hours if you are applying for an associates degree. The application deadline dates are as follows:

Fall Semester Graduation...................................November 1
Winter Semester Graduation....................................March 1
Summer Semester Graduation ....................................June 1

The graduation audit will be based on the requirements in effect at the time of the student’s initial enrollment, unless updated catalog requirements are specifically requested. (Students may not apply for graduation under requirements that were printed for a year they were not in attendance at the College.) Students returning to Muskegon Community College after an absence of THREE YEARS OR LONGER will be under the requirements of the current catalog.

When your Application for Graduation is complete, a review of your academic record will be conducted by the Office of the Registrar to determine if graduation requirements have been met. You will be notified through MCC email.

Students are not eligible for graduation until all delinquent tuition, fees, and fines have been paid. The student is responsible for meeting all graduation requirements.

Multiple Degrees
You may earn and be awarded two or more degrees (and/or certificates), provided that all academic requirements for the degrees have been met. A graduation audit will be conducted for each degree requested. Multiple diplomas or certificates will be awarded when appropriate.

President’s List - The names of those students who have completed 12 credit hours with a 4.0 grade point average in any semester are published by the College, subject to permission of the student. Those so recognized are designated as President’s List Students.

Dean’s List - The names of those students who have completed 12 credit hours with a 3.5 grade point average or higher in any semester are published by the College, subject to permission of the student. Those so recognized are designated as Dean’s List Students.

Academic Honors List - The names of those students who have completed at least 6 credit hours and fewer than 12 credit hours with a 3.5 grade point average or higher in any semester are published by the College, subject to permission of the student. Those so recognized are designated as Academic Honors List Students.

Academic Forgiveness
(Re-evaluation of Grades for An Entire Semester) The College permits students within specific and defined guidelines to petition for Academic Forgiveness for an entire semester by submitting a “Performance Agreement” form. You must see a counselor to discuss and initiate the agreement.

Students granted academic forgiveness will have their cumulative grade point averages recalculated. While the forgiven grades will continue to appear on the official transcript, they will be noted on the transcript as forgiven.

Repeated Courses
The Muskegon Community College Course Repeat Rule was developed to provide fair access to classes. It allows the student to repeat the course once. Instructor permission is required to take a course more than twice.

To repeat a course, a student must register for and pay all necessary fees. Each grade received will appear on a student’s record, but only the last grade awarded is used in computing a GPA. Keep in mind that if you retake a class and receive a lower grade, the last grade is still the one that counts. When transferring to another college or university, you may be held accountable for all attempts and grades associated with a course taken at Muskegon Community College.

Substitution Waiver
A substitution waiver is the substitution of a required course in a degree or certificate with an alternate course. Substitution waivers do not reduce the total number of credit hours required in a degree or certificate or in general education requirements. Course substitution waivers are granted for a specific degree or certificate and a specific catalog year. The granted substitution waiver will not automatically apply toward other degrees and certificates you are pursuing.

You may request a substitution waiver by contacting an academic counselor.

Grading System
Final grades are posted on your academic record and can be found through the MyMCC under your Planning & Registration, Student Planning & Registration, click on the Academics tab, and then choose Grades.

Quantitative Grade Values

Non-quantitative Grades (not computed)
P ........................................................................Pass
NP ...............................................................No Pass
W........................................................... Withdrawal
WI ...........................................Withdrawal—Illness
WM.....................Withdrawal—Military Activated
CS.............................................Community Service
AU...................................................................Audit
I..............................................................Incomplete

Pass/No Pass - These grades are not optional but a standard grading system for particular courses.

“Incomplete” Policy - When you are unable to complete all of the required work for a course because of illness or other unpredictable circumstances, you may request an Incomplete (I) grade. When requested by the student, the instructor’s judgment will determine whether the incomplete grade will be assigned. If the instructor does not deem the circumstances to be appropriate for an Incomplete (I), you may elect to withdraw from the course according to the withdrawal policy.

Although shorter time periods may be assigned on a case-by-case basis, “I” grades must be completed within one year of the official occurrence of the grade.

Once you complete the necessary requirements for the class, a Change of Grade Form must be submitted for you by the instructor to receive a grade greater than an “E.” Any “I” (incomplete) grades that are not changed within one year of the official occurrence of the grade will default to an “E.”

Grade Point Average (GPA) - Each letter grade has a point value as indicated above. The number of grade points earned for each course is found by multiplying the credit value of the course by the point value of the final grade. For example, a student with a final grade of “B” in Political Science (PSCI) 111 would earn 12 grade points, since a “B” has a point value of 3, and Political Science 111 is a 4-credit course.

The semester grade point average is calculated by adding the total points for all courses and dividing by the total number of credit hours taken during the semester.

Example:

35 Grade Points divided by 14 Credits equals 2.50 Grade Point Average (GPA)
(35 ÷ 14 = 2.50)

The cumulative grade point average is found by dividing the total of all points earned in all semesters by all credits taken to date.

Academic Load - Students are not permitted to enroll for more than 18 credit hours without the approval of a counselor.