Graduation

Requirements for Graduation

A high school diploma or GED is required for graduation from all associate degree programs. All candidates for associate degrees, diplomas or certificates must meet the following requirements:

  1. Satisfactory completion of all courses specified by the curriculum outline based on the student’s date of enrollment or date of most recent curriculum change. If the student does not attend for more than one year, he/she must satisfy the catalog requirements in effect at the date of his/her re-enrollment to the college. (Substitutions for specified courses may be made by the department head.)
  2. At least one-fourth of total program credits must have been earned through instruction at Piedmont Technical College.
  3. The student must have a program grade point average of 2.0 or higher.
  4. Students must earn between 60 and 84 credit hours to graduate with an associate degree, between 40 and 52 credit hours for diploma programs and between 8 and 40 credit hours for certificate programs. To graduate in two (2) years, a full-time student needs to complete four (4) to six (6) courses per term and three (3) to four (4) courses during the summer term. Students who complete fewer courses per term may not graduate at the scheduled time.

Once the above requirements have been met for the student’s declared major, all fees satisfied, and the student completes the graduation application, Piedmont Technical College will award the certificate, diploma or degree following the term of completion.

Students who do not apply to graduate during the term in which all program courses have been completed may still be awarded the completed certificate, diploma, or degree but will not be eligible to participate in the graduation ceremony of the term of completion or any future ceremonies unless an additional eligible certificate, diploma, or degree is earned.

Ceremony Participation

Only students completing a certificate, diploma or degree program consisting of 30 hours or more are eligible to participate in the graduation ceremony.

Graduation is held in the James Medford Family Event Center on the Lex Walters Campus-Greenwood. Each student is allotted a designated number of tickets for guests to attend based upon the number of anticipated graduates and the capacity of the building. Fire code regulations dictate that everyone in attendance must have a ticket to enter the building. This includes infants and small children.

Course Substitution

Curriculum department heads, in consultation with the Registrar, have the right to authorize course substitutions for those prescribed in the standard course outlines. Such substitutions may be necessary because:

  • Course numbers change;
  • Content of another course is deemed equivalent; or
  • The curriculum department head determines that it will meet the student’s educational objective.

Transfer Back/Degree Completion Option

The Transfer Back/Degree Completion Option is available to students who will transfer to another college before completing degrees, diplomas, or certificates at Piedmont Technical College. Participants can transfer appropriate credits back to PTC (official college transcripts required) to complete their programs of study. See the Student Records Office or your Academic Advisor for program details.

Graduation Honors

Students who graduate with 30 hours or more in certificate, diploma, or degree programs with cumulative program GPAs within the scale listed will be honored during commencement exercises. All honor graduates will wear the gold tassel, will have an honor seal affixed to their diplomas and will have their honor designation printed in the graduation bulletin. The student earning the highest GPA from each of the seven counties of Piedmont Technical College’s service area will also be presented a County Award plaque to honor his/her accomplishment. Only students receiving diplomas and associate degrees are eligible for the county awards.

The honor designations for graduation are:

  • Cum Laude: 3.50-3.74 Cumulative Program GPA
  • Magna Cum Laude: 3.75-3.99 Cumulative Program GPA
  • Summa Cum Laude: 4.00 Cumulative Program GPA

Graduation honors are based on the previous semester’s grades.