Oct 12, 2024  
2022-2023 Catalog 
    
2022-2023 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Graduation



This section provides information about the graduation process, how Alumni can stay in touch after graduation, and how the CMC Career Services page can provide you with basic tools and resources to help you achieve your career goals.

Graduation Requirements

Graduation requirements for each degree and certificate program are outlined in the Bachelor, Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, Associate of General Studies, Associate of Applied Sciences and Certificates of Occupational Proficiency sections of this catalog.

You must successfully complete all course requirements for graduation. Check Student Planning in Basecamp to make sure you are on track to graduate.

The current catalog at the time you begin a program will be used to establish graduation requirements. See the Continuous Enrollment & Catalog In Force Requirement  section of this catalog for more information.

You may meet graduation requirements by combining:

  • Colorado Mountain College courses
  • Credit awarded through Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) 
  • Transfer credit

Each program requires that a minimum number of credits must be earned at CMC. The minimum earned credit requirements are as follows*:

  • Bachelor: 30 credit minimum from CMC 
  • Associate: 15 credit minimum from CMC  
  • Certificate: 10 credit minimum from CMC. For those certificates requiring a total of 10 credits or less, all classes must be taken at Colorado Mountain College. 

*Awarded or PLA credit may not be used to fulfill this requirement.

Other graduation requirements include the following:

  • Students must have a minimum 2.0 GPA.
  • No more than 20% of courses can be pass/fail grades.
  • Up to 50% of courses can be awarded through PLA.

Incomplete grades are not accepted as successfully completed courses. You will not be able to graduate until incomplete courses are completed satisfactorily.

NOTE: For Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees, no more than six credits of work experience, internship, special topics (courses numbered 1075 or 2075), and/or cooperative education may be applied toward graduation. These degrees must fulfill guaranteed transfer requirements, and these credits are not considered transferable to a four-year college. See the Transfer  section for more information.

Petition to Graduate

CMC does not automatically issue a diploma or enter your completed degree or certificate on your transcript. You must submit a Petition to Graduate in order for CMC to record your completed degree. Plan ahead!

Once you have 15 credits (or less) remaining of your associate or bachelor’s program, and you plan to complete your degree in the following semester, you become eligible to submit a Petition to Graduate to your College Counselor/Advisor. If you are pursuing a certificate, please check with your College Counselor/Advisor to determine your time frame for completion and submission deadline.

Process For Submitting a Petition to Graduate

  • You should discuss your intent to graduate with your College Counselor/Advisor before completing a Petition to Graduate.
  • There is no fee for petitioning to graduate and receiving a degree or diploma.
  • A separate Petition to Graduate must be completed for each degree or certificate.
  • All financial obligations to Colorado Mountain College must be cleared prior to graduation.
  • If you do not graduate when intended, it will be necessary to complete a new Petition to Graduate.
  • You may choose a preferred name to be printed on your diploma, there is the option to specify this on your Petition to Graduate. Please note that your official transcripts will always use your legal name.

Commencement Ceremony

Commencement ceremonies are traditionally held in May at the end of the spring semester. Please contact your College Counselor/Advisor for more information about participating in this ceremony. If you are graduating in the summer or fall, please contact your College Counselor/Advisor to determine if your campus holds an additional ceremony.

Earning Additional CMC Degrees

If you already have an associate degree from Colorado Mountain College, you must earn at least 15 additional credits, not already applied to the first degree(s), and fulfill the degree requirements of subsequent degree(s). If you already have a bachelor’s degree from Colorado Mountain College, you must earn at least 30 additional credits, not already applied to the first degree(s), and fulfill the degree requirements of the subsequent degree(s).

Graduating from Discontinued Programs

Colorado Mountain College will not award a degree or certificate for a program that is completed more than 24 months after the program is discontinued by the college. Students must maintain contact with their College Counselor/Advisor for information concerning deadlines.

Transfer Back Agreement

You may choose to graduate with a degree from Colorado Mountain College after transferring to another institution. This requires a Transfer Back Agreement and authorization from CMC’s Registrar. The Transfer Back Agreement must be approved prior to taking a class(es) at another institution.

To be eligible, you must have earned a minimum of 45 credit hours at CMC for an associate. For a bachelor’s degree, you must have earned a minimum of 90 credit hours at CMC. The Transfer Back Agreement details the remaining courses you intend to take at another institution and how they will transfer back as equivalent courses at CMC. It also specifies the catalog in force for graduation requirements and sets a time frame in which the courses must be completed.

You will also be required to submit a Petition to Graduate. See above for more information.

Alumni - Staying in Touch

The inspiring scenery of the Colorado mountains and the experiences you will have at Colorado Mountain College stay with you long after you graduate; so will many of your friendships formed here.

Among the ways you can stay involved with CMC classmates, friends, instructors and the college are:

For additional information about Alumni opportunities and resources, contact the Colorado Mountain College Foundation office at (970) 947-8378, or cmcfoundation@coloradomtn.edu.

Career Services After Graduation

Graduates continue to have access to CareerConnect, the online career management platform, to support their job-seeking efforts. For more resources to assist you in planning for the future, please see the Career Services page.