Graduation Requirements

  1. Students may choose a curriculum not more than two academic years prior to their graduation. Students must satisfy all academic requirements within their curriculum. The College reserves the right to change and amend curricula in order to offer relevant technical content. Division Deans may grant appropriate course substitutions to accommodate students in unusual situations. Students who leave the college and then return may be subject to different requirements.
  2. Transfer credit, proficiency credit, and credit for experience should be processed before the term of the student’s graduation.
  3. Students must meet the following requirements:
    1. Final cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher. (In some cases additional requirements may exist such as division-specific “C” grade policies. See individual programs).
    2. At least 20 applicable credits earned at Rhodes State College.
    3. Completion of a Graduation Application by the deadline (see chart).  Filing the Graduation Application will initiate a review of the student’s records and identification of any missing requirements. Upon completion of requirements, the student will receive information about commencement.  Students who applied but did not meet all graduation requirements must submit a new application for graduation for the term in which they fulfill all their graduation requirements successfully.

Commencement

Attendance at commencement is an opportunity for students to celebrate their accomplishments with family, friends, and the College community.  The commencement ceremony is held at the end of the Spring term. Students graduating at any point in the academic year are encouraged to return to participate.

Students who have not met all graduation requirements may request to walk during the commencement ceremony.  No diploma will be awarded until all graduation requirements are met.  The student's official transcript will not reflect graduation or degree completion until all requirements are met.  All requests to walk prior to degree completion must meet the guidelines below and are approved by the Division Dean.  

Students in the Division of Health Sciences and Public Service

In accordance with the progression accreditation requirement within the Division of Health Sciences, a student must have all graduation requirements in process as of the Spring term to participate in commencement.

Students in the Division of Technology and Liberal Studies

  1. No more than two courses to meet the degree requirements remain.
  2. The student must have a minimum 2.0 GPA, as required for graduation, at the time of the commencement ceremony.    
  3. The student is registered for the remaining course(s) needed to complete the degree requirements in the subsequent Summer term AND has made payment arrangements for the course(s) either with Financial Aid or the Business Office.

Graduation Application Deadlines are as Follows:

Summer Graduation (August) February 15
Fall Graduation (December) June 15
Spring Graduation (May) September 15

If the date falls on Saturday/Sunday, the deadline is the next working day.

Dates are subject to change.

Certificates

Students may earn one of the many certificates appearing in the catalog if 30% of the courses listed in the certificate are taken from Rhodes State. Course work leading to the certificate may be transferred from other institutions as long as credits do not exceed 30% of the courses in the certificate.  Students must receive a grade of "C" or better for all courses required for the certificate. Exceptions may be granted at the discretion of the Division Dean.   Students should work with their academic advisor for awarding and receiving any certificates.

Transcripts

Rhodes State College and the National Student Clearinghouse have partnered allowing students to order their transcripts from the College’s website for a processing fee for each transcript requested.  Students can choose to receive an electronic PDF or printed via USPS.