Degree Requirements

The Board of Trustees grants the Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, Associate of Applied Science, and Associate of General Studies degrees.  Requirements for the degrees include the successful completion of a minimum of 64 credit hours and a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.  To be eligible for graduation, students must have earned at least 15 of their last 24 semester hours from NCCC.  Requirements for graduation may be completed during any semester.  Any change in graduation requirements must be approved by the chief academic officer.

Remedial and developmental courses (those with course numbers lower than 100) will not count toward the 64 credit hours required for the associate degrees.

All students who plan to graduate at the conclusion of any given semester must file an Intent to Graduate form at the time they enroll for their final semester so that their records may be checked to ensure that all graduation requirements have been met. 

Candidates for the Associate of Applied Science in Nursing have additional requirements for graduation.  See the AAS in Nursing program sheet for more information.

Students choosing to graduate under the Kansas Transfer Articulation Agreement must meet additional course requirements in completing the AS and AA Degrees.

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Certificate Requirements

All students who plan to receive a certificate at the conclusion of any semester for Practical Nursing, Medical Assistant, Medical Coding, Medical Transcription, Business, Industrial Engineering Technology, or Industrial Trades must file an Intent to Receive Certificate form at the time they enroll for their final semester so that their records may be checked to ensure that all certificate requirements have been met.

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Catalog Compliance

Students have six years to complete their associate degree or certificate requirements under the NCCC catalog that was in use at the time of their first date of attendance.  Students have the option of following the degree requirement of any subsequent catalog in place after they begin their studies at NCCC.  The 2008-2010 catalog will expire at the end of the 2016 summer session.

 For example, students who take their first college course in the fall 2008 semester will have six years to complete their degrees under this catalog or no later than fall 2014.  Students beginning their college enrollment in the fall 2010 semester under this six year provision will have until the summer of 2016 to complete their degrees under this catalog.

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Degrees Offered

Associate of Applied Science (AAS) Degree:

The Associate of Applied Science degree is designed for individuals who wish to begin a career upon graduation.  Students completing this program will receive an Associate of Applied Science degree and a two-year certificate in the occupational specialty.

Specialization and Related Courses/Competencies 42-48 hours
Specialization courses/competencies from major technical specialty

Related courses/competencies from the following: interpersonal skills (employability skills), courses from other disciplines

Computer Literacy Proficiency 1-3 hours

Note:  A test-out option is available which forgives the requirement but does NOT replace the needed credit hours

General Education Courses/Competencies 12-25 hours
A.    English Composition I and Interpersonal Communication – required
B.    Other general education courses selected from: math and science, social or behavioral science, arts and humanities, or physical education

First Year Seminar (or approved substitute) 1 hour
(May be waived for transfer students with 15+ hours)

Other Requirements
A.    Pre- and post-assessments are required by NCCC
B.    Fifteen (15) of the last 24 credit hours must be in residence at NCCC
C.    Total of 64 credit hours
D.    Cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher

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Associate of Arts (AA) Degree

The Associate of Arts degree is designed for students planning to transfer to a four-year college or university to pursue a bachelor’s degree in a liberal arts field.

Communications 9 hours
English Composition I, English Composition II, Speech

Computer Literacy Proficiency 3 hours

Note:  A test-out option is available which forgives the requirement but does NOT replace the needed credit hours

Science and Mathematics 11-13 hours
A.    Two science courses with one course having a lab component; additionally, one of the science courses must be considered a biological science and the other must be considered a physical science; and  
B.    One mathematics course, including College Algebra or a higher level math course

Social and Behavioral Sciences 9 hours

General Psychology and six credit hours from two of the following areas: economics, geography, political science, psychology, and/or sociology

Arts and Humanities 12 hours
Choose from at least three areas: art*, music and theatre*, history, language, literature, or philosophy (*performance/participation classes do not meet this requirement)

Physical Education 1 hour
Lifetime Fitness

First Year Seminar (or approved substitute) 1 hour
(May be waived for transfer students with 15+ hours)

Appropriate Field of Study 16-18 hours
Appropriate field of study in liberal arts.  For example:  study in English, fine arts, education, history, humanities, language, music, social science, or general liberal arts.

Other Requirements
A.    Pre- and post-assessments are required by NCCC
B.    Fifteen (15) of the last twenty-four (24) credit hours must be in residence at NCCC
C.    Total of sixty-four (64) credit hours
D.    Cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher

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Associate of General Studies (AGS) Degree

The Associate of General Studies degree is a terminal two-year degree designed for individuals who do not plan to transfer.

Communications 6 hours
English Composition I required, plus English Composition II or Fundamentals of Speech or Interpersonal Communications

Computer Literacy Proficiency 1-3 hours
Note:  A test-out option is available which forgives the requirement but does NOT replace the needed credit hours

Science and Mathematics 8-10 hours
One biological or physical science and lab, and one mathematics including Intermediate Algebra or a higher level math course

Social and Behavioral Sciences 9 hours

Arts and Humanities 9 hours

Physical Education 1 hour
Lifetime Fitness

First Year Seminar (or approved substitute) 1 hour
(May be waived for transfer students with 15+ hours)

The remaining credits may be selected from various program emphasis areas recommended by the student’s academic advisor.  25-29 hours.

Other Requirements
A.    Pre- and post-assessments are required by NCCC
B.    Fifteen (15) of the last 24 credit hours must be in residence at NCCC
C.    Total of 64 credit hours
D.    Cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher

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Associate of Science (AS) Degree

The Associate of Science degree is designed for students planning to transfer to a four-year college or university to pursue a bachelor’s degree in business, education, engineering, mathematics, social or behavioral science, biological science, or related technologies.

Communications 9 hours

English Composition I, English Composition II, Fundamentals of Speech

Computer Literacy Proficiency 3 hours
Note:  A test-out option is available which forgives the requirement but does NOT replace the needed credit hours

Science and Mathematics 13-15 hours
A.    Two science courses with both having a lab component; additionally, one of the science courses must be considered a biological science and the other must be considered a physical science; and
B.    One mathematics including College Algebra or a higher level math course

Social and Behavioral Sciences 9 hours
General Psychology and six credit hours from two of the following areas:  Economics, geography, political science, psychology, and/or sociology

Arts and Humanities 9 hours
Choose from three areas: art, history, drama, language, literature, music and humanities (performance/participation classes do not meet this requirement)

Physical Education 1 hour
Lifetime Fitness

First Year Seminar (or approved substitute) 1 hour
(May be waived for transfer students with 15+ hours)

Appropriate Field of Study 17-19 hours
A program of study in business, education, engineering, mathematics, social or behavioral science, natural science, or related technologies.

Other Requirements
A.    Pre- and post-assessments are required by NCCC
B.    Fifteen (15) of the last 24 credit hours must be in residence at NCCC
C.    Total of 64 credit hours
D.    Cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher
 

Degree Revocation Policy

It is the policy of NCCC that a degree may be revoked when it is demonstrated by clear and convincing evidence that:

1.     A degree has been erroneously conferred when all requirements had not been satisfied at the time the degree was granted.
2.     A degree has been erroneously conferred as a result of an act of academic dishonesty.

The president of the College is charged with developing procedures to implement this Degree Revocation Policy and will develop such procedures including the appropriate levels of procedural due process extended to the degree recipient.