Dec 05, 2024  
2024-2025 Catalog 
    
2024-2025 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. You should meet regularly with your Student Success Team and 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: nine credit minimum from CMC. For those certificates requiring a total of nine credits or less, 50% of the 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 cumulative 2.0 GPA.
  • No more than 20% of courses taken at CMC can be pass/fail grades.
  • Up to 75% 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.

For additional requirements, please see the About Our Degrees  section in this catalog. 

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 Student Success Team. If you are pursuing a certificate, please check with your Student Success Team 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 Student Success Team before completing a Petition to Graduate.
  • There is no fee for petitioning to graduate and receiving a degree or diploma.
  • All financial obligations to Colorado Mountain College must be cleared prior to graduation.
  • If you do not graduate when intended, it may be necessary to complete a new Petition to Graduate.
  • You may choose a chosen name to be printed on your diploma, and 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 Student Success Team for more information about participating in this ceremony. If you are graduating in the summer or fall, please contact your Student Success Team 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). 

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 unless approved by the vice president of academic affairs. Students must maintain contact with their Student Success Team 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.

Students may use the online Transfer Credit Database to see how transfer credits may be applied at CMC; however, a Transfer Back Agreement guarantees how they will transfer back as equivalent courses at CMC.

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

Degree Completion After the Fact

If a student completed a program in a previous semester but did not petition to graduate and subsequently wants the credential, we will honor the catalog under which it was completed. If it was completed within five years of the current semester, the credential will be awarded, and the diploma will be issued with the next commencement. If the program was completed over five years ago, we will still honor the catalog under which it was completed, and an additional statement indicating the term and year the program was completed will be added to the transcript. The credential will be awarded, and the diploma will be issued with the next commencement. A completed Petition to Graduate will be needed from the student to process the request. 

Alumni - Staying in Touch

The experiences you will have at Colorado Mountain College stay with you long after you graduate, and so will many of your friendships formed here.

CMC is proud to host an Alumni Association, which provides an opportunity for you to stay connected and involved with CMC classmates, friends, instructors, and the College. You may join the CMC Alumni Association by registering online. It’s free to join, and upon receiving your information, you’ll receive news and updates about CMC, along with event notices and invitations to CMC events.

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

Career Services After Graduation

Congratulations! Now that you are an alum of Colorado Mountain College, you still have access to Handshake, the number one college-to-career job platform to help support your job search. For more resources or if you need assistance, please see the Career Services page, or you can email careerservices@coloradomtn.edu.