Apr 24, 2024  
2020-2021 Academic Catalog 
    
2020-2021 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Graduation Information



Application for Graduation

Candidates for graduation can apply online through ROAR or an application can be obtained from Student Services (248 Hardway Hall, Locust Avenue Campus; studentservices@pierpont.edu). Visit https://pierpont.edu/graduation for graduation deadlines and information. Commencement is held once a year in the spring (May). Graduates from the current spring term and previous summer and fall terms are invited to participate.

English Performance

All students who are candidates for degrees must attain a grade of “C” or above in required English courses for graduation. Required courses vary (

 ,  ,  ) depending on the program of study.

GPA

All students must have a GPA of 2.0 or better (institutional and cumulative) to graduate and meet all program course requirements and institutional requirements.

Graduation with Honors

Candidates for graduation with an associate or CAS degree who maintain an overall grade point average 3.4 or better will receive the designation of “With Honors” on their diplomas and “Honors” on the Commencement program. For spring graduates, winter GPAs are evaluated for the Commencement program.

Minimum Residence Requirements

For an associate degree at least one semester’s work (at least 15 credit hours) and at least 8 of the last 15 hours in residence are required. For the certificate degree at least eight semester hours work in residence are required.

Transient Credit

Regularly enrolled students who complete work at another accredited institution on a transient basis must secure the written permission of the Registrar before attempting such course work.  This ensures the tranferability of the course and the specific articulation of the course.

Transcripts

Students are entitled to official transcripts of their record as long as all financial and credential requirements are met. Transcripts can be requested electronically through ROAR or via the Registrar webpage.  The cost for each transcript is $7.00, and can be delivered PDF or hard copy.  Please note that the PDF delivery option is immediate, while the hard copy option must be mailed or picked up in Student Services (HB 248, Locust Avenue Campus).

Credit Hour Definition

Consistent with the U.S. Department of Education and the Carnegie Unit definition, a credit hour is minimally defined as “an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks (or the equivalent amount of work)”.

For lecture courses, 1-credit hour is no less than 1 contact hour and a minimum of 2 hours of out of class work per week for 15 weeks (or equivalent). For laboratory courses, 1 credit hour is no less than 2 contact hours and a minimum of one hour of out of class work each week for 15 weeks (or equivalent). Practicums and Internships are generally 40 to 80 contact hours/credit hour depending on the field of study.

For on the job training, no less than 160 - 200 hours is equivalent to 1 credit hour depending on the degree of study.

A contact hour is 50 minutes in class being equal to one (1) hour of credit. Distance education courses contain an equivalent amount of work that would be provided in a face-to-face course and are expected to meet the standards listed above.

Program Designations & Requirements

Pierpont is approved to offer Associate of Arts, Associate of Applied Science, or Associate of Fine Arts, and Associate of Science degree programs. Associate degrees may be granted upon successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of credit. A Certificate of Applied Science degree may be granted upon successful completion of at least 30 semester hours of credit.