Graduation

Eligibility Requirements

• Unit Requirements: Associate degrees require a minimum of 60 degree-applicable units, including General Education, major requirements, and electives. Associate Degrees for Transfer also require 60 CSU-applicable units in addition to the General Education, major requirements, and electives. Certificates of Achievement require a minimum of 12 major-applicable units.
• Units in Residence at VVC: At least 12 units of coursework must be taken at Victor Valley College.
• GPA Requirements: A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required in degree-applicable coursework. All courses in the major must be completed with a "C" or better.

Major Requirements

• Major requirements for all degrees and Certificates of Achievement may be found in the Academic Programs Website.

Transfer Credits & Test Scores

• Coursework from regionally accredited colleges and universities is accepted by VVC to fulfill degree and certificate requirements.
• Advanced Placement and CLEP scores can be accepted for credit, with some limitations. Test scores must be submitted directly from the testing center to VVC.
• Official college transcripts and test scores sent directly by the institution are required. VVC does not accept student-provided documents-unless they are in a sealed Official envelope.

Graduation Steps

• Ensure you have submitted official transcripts and relevant test scores from all institutions attended to the Admissions and Records Office. Note that all transcripts from other schools must be Official.
• Make an appointment with a counselor to see if you are eligible to graduate. 
• Once you determine you are eligible, complete and submit your graduation application as noted below.
• You may apply for any degree or certificate for which you qualify (no limit).

How to Apply

Complete and submit the graduation petition for your degree or major. 

• Associate Degree: Submit the Graduation/Associate Degree Application (login required)
• CSUGE Certification: Submit the CSU General Education Certification Application (login required)
• IGETC Certification: Submit the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum Application (login required)
• Certificates: Submit the Certificate Application (login required)

Students must apply for graduation by the deadline dates to obtain an Associate Degree. DEGREES ARE NOT AUTOMATICALLY ISSUED.

Deadlines to Apply

The deadline to Apply for Graduation is the last day of the term prior to the term in which you expect to graduate. Examples: Apply by the end of Fall semester to graduate in Spring.  Apply by the end of Spring semester to graduate in Summer.  Apply by the end of the Summer term to graduate in Fall.  There is no graduation in Winter.

The filing periods for graduation are as follows:

• Spring 2022 (June) - March 4, 2022
• Summer 2022 (August) - June 24, 2022
• Fall 2022 (December) - September 2, 2022

For Spring graduation candidates, please be advised that participation in the ceremony does not guarantee official graduation. Final evaluation for Spring candidates are not completed until grades have been verified for the Spring semester.

Once You Petition

• You will receive an email on the status of your petition within 8 weeks after submitting it to the Admissions Office.
• If found eligible, your petition will be re-evaluated once official grades are posted at the end of the term. This process can take up to 5 weeks. 
• You will be provided with instructions on how to participate in our annual Commencement Ceremony a couple months ahead of the event. In order to participate in the ceremony, you must submit the graduation petition by the petitioning deadline.

Graduating with Honors

Students completing associate degree programs with prescribed cumulative grade point averages are recognized as honor graduates at the college commencement exercises. These honor graduates are eligible to wear honor cords at graduation.

All lower division, degree-applicable courses, units, and grades earned by students at VVC and other colleges and universities are included in calculating grade point averages for graduation and academic honors.

• Highest Honors: 3.90 - 4.0 GPA
• High Honors: 3.75 to 3.89 GPA
• Academic Distinction: 3.50 to 3.74 GPA
• Graduation honors will be annotated on your VVC transcript and your diploma. 

Transcripts & Diplomas

• Transcripts: Once the Admissions & Records Office has verified you completed all degree/certificate requirements, your official Santa Victor Valley College transcripts will be annotated with the degree/certificate and major you completed. This annotation will appear on all transcripts we generate.
• Diplomas: Will be mailed to you within 12-16 weeks after the appropriate filing period. Only one diploma (per major) will be provided to you at no cost. If you graduated with more than one major, you will receive a separate diploma for each major. It will also state if you graduated with honors.
• Duplicate Diplomas: Duplicate diplomas may be ordered directly from the Admissions & Records Office by completing the Diploma/Certificate  Replacement Order Form at a cost of $15 each.

Commencement

Who May Participate

• Students who were granted a degree from Summer and/or Fall preceding the graduation ceremony.
• Students who have petitioned for the Spring semester who are designated as eligible or eligible pending.