Degree Requirements

Application for Graduation

The graduation application is filed with the Registrar’s Office, and it is the student’s responsibility to file the completed form to be fully eligible for graduation. Students contact the Office of the Registrar for applications, and the dates for filing the applications for May, August, or December graduations are published by the Registrar’s Office in the semester schedule.

Certificate & Degree Fee

Full-time students are charged a $15 Registration Fee per semester which covers unlimited degrees/certificates. Only students participating in the graduation ceremony receive a diploma folder. This fee also covers the cost of the cap and gown.

Degrees and Certificates Granted

CCC grants four degrees: Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, Associate of General Studies, and Associate of Applied Science, in addition to Technical Certificates.

The intent of the Associate of Arts Degree and Associate of Science Degree is to enable students to satisfy freshman- and sophomore-level program requirements for the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Science degrees offered by four-year universities. The Associate of Applied Science Degree is intended to prepare students for employment upon satisfactory completion of the degree. The Associate of Applied Science Degree and the Associate of General Studies Degree do not meet the state transfer and articulation agreement requirements.

Developmental courses with numbers below 100 do not count toward degree requirements. Courses that are repeated only count one time to meet degree requirements. A maximum of three credit hours from workshops will count toward graduation. CCC has designated specific courses that fulfill degree requirements as General Education courses. Students must complete at least 15 credit hours with CCC.

In compliance with the minimum requirements of the Kansas Board of Regents, CCC has established the following criteria:

SStandard Degree Requirements: AA, AS, AGS, and AAS.

• Successful completion (a passing grade) of 62 semester credit hours (repeated courses count only once);
• A grade point average of 2.00.

Some courses taken under the current curriculum restrictions may not be acceptable to all institutions. Other courses may transfer as electives only, not fulfill requirements directly specified in the degree program.

Certificates

The certificate programs are designed to provide students with the necessary skills to be successfully employed. A grade point average of 2.0 is required. Developmental courses do not count toward fulfilling certificate requirements. Repeated courses only count once toward requirements, and specific program requirements must be completed.

Associate of Arts Degree

Standard Degree Requirements

1. General Education Requirements
   1. six credit hours in written communication (English Comp I and English Comp II)
   2. three credit hours in oral communication
   3. seven credit hours in a laboratory science class and mathematics
   4. six credit hours in social and behavioral sciences
   5. six credit hours in arts and humanities
   6. one credit hour in health/physical education (100 level or above).
2. An additional nine credit hours of general education courses in written and oral communication, social and behavioral sciences, and arts and humanities. The program of study is transferable and equivalent to the freshman- and sophomore-level requirements for a Bachelor of Arts Degree.
3. Minimum of 62 credit hours is required for graduation.

Associate of Science Degree

Standard Degree Requirements

1. General Education Requirements
   1. six credit hours in written communication (English Comp I and English Comp II)
   2. three credit hours in oral communication
   3. eight credit hours in mathematics and a laboratory science class
   4. six credit hours in social and behavioral sciences
   5. six credit hours in arts and humanities
   6. one credit hour in health/physical education (100 level or above).
2. An additional 22 credit hours of transferable courses in science, mathematics, business, computer, agriculture, or related technologies as designated by the program of study. The program of study is transferable and equivalent to the freshman- and sophomore-level requirements for a Bachelor of Science degree.
3. A minimum of 62 credit hours is required for graduation.

Associate of General Studies Degree

Standard Degree Requirements

1. General Education Requirements
   1. six credit hours in written/oral communication (3 hours must be written communication.)
   2. seven credit hours in a laboratory science class and mathematics
   3. six credit hours in social and behavioral sciences
   4. six credit hours in arts and humanities
   5. six additional credit hours in general education
2. Granted to those who successfully complete programs with an emphasis on a broad range of knowledge, and at least 32 semester credit hours in a program of college-level work are required.
3. A minimum of 62 credit hours is required for graduation.

Associate of Applied Science Degree

Associate of Applied Science Degree means a degree defined by the Kansas Board of Regents. This degree is granted to those who successfully complete programs emphasizing preparation in the applied arts and sciences for careers, typically at the technical or semi-professional level. This is a degree in which not less than 15 semester credit hours in general education and not less than 30 semester credit hours in specialized preparation are required. Selected courses may transfer to a college or university upon validation of applicable coursework.

Kansas Board of Regents Transfer and Articulation Policy

Transfer is recognized as a crucial element within a seamless educational system. The purpose of this policy is to promote seamlessness in the public postsecondary education system in Kansas. A seamless educational system offers the best resources to provide a high-quality education for every student. It empowers and encourages students to reach their maximum potential through lifelong learning.
Kansas Board of Regents Transfer and Articulation Page
Kansas Board of Regents - Systemwide Transfer Courses

General Transfer Provisions

1. Each Kansas public postsecondary educational institution shall establish its residency requirements, graduation requirements, and any admission requirements to professional or specific programs.
   1. Admission to an institution shall not equate with admission to a professional school or a specific program.
   2. Except as provided in paragraph f. iii., students must complete all graduation requirements of the receiving institution.
   3. Depending on program requirements, Students with a completed Associate degree who transfer into a professional school or specialty program may need more than two academic years of coursework to complete the baccalaureate degree.
2. Requirements for transfer of credits between and among Kansas public postsecondary educational institutions include the following:
   1. Transfer coursework must be transcripted in credit hours.
   2. Students transferring to Kansas public universities with a completed AA or AS degree shall be given junior standing.
3. Transfer of general education credit to and among Kansas public universities, including state universities and Washburn University, shall follow the requirements below.
   Although the following distribution of courses does not necessarily correspond to the General Education requirements for the Bachelor’s degree at any Kansas public university, it shall be accepted as having satisfied the General Education requirements for the bachelor’s degree of all Kansas public universities.
   A minimum of 45 credit hours of General Education with distribution in the following fields shall be required. General Education hours totaling less than 45 shall be accepted, but transfer students must complete the remainder of this requirement before graduation from the receiving institution, which may require an additional semester(s).
   1. 12 hours of General Education courses, including 6 hours of English Comp
      3 hours of Public Speaking or Speech Communication
      3 hours of college-level Mathematics; College Algebra, and/or Statistics will be required of transfer students where the curriculum of the receiving institution requires it
   2. 12 hours of Humanities courses from at least three of the following disciplines:
      Art*
      Theater*
      Music*
      Philosophy/Religion
      History**
      Literature
      Modern Languages
   3. 12 hours of Social and Behavioral Science courses from at least three of the following disciplines:
      Sociology
      Psychology
      Political Science
      Economics
      Geography
      Anthropology
      ​History**
   4. 9 hours of Natural and Physical Science courses from at least two disciplines (lecture with lab)

*Performance courses are excluded.
**The receiving institution will determine whether history courses are accepted as humanities or social sciences.

4. Many Board-approved system-wide transfer courses meet general education requirements at Kansas’s public postsecondary educational institutions.
5. Although a transfer general education curriculum has yet to be established for associate degrees, the transfer curriculum is assumed to be a subset of the curriculum in paragraph f. iii. above.
6. Public universities may develop program-to-program articulation agreements for the AAS degree.
7. Completed technical programs (non-degree) and completed AAS degrees shall transfer according to option (1) or (2) below:
   1. As a block to articulated programs at community colleges, technical colleges, and universities with program-to-program articulation agreements.
   2. On a course-by-course basis
      1. General education courses may be transferred according to paragraphs d.vi, f. iii, and f. v above.
      2. Substantially equivalent courses may be transferred course-by-course basis according to paragraph d.v. above.
      3. Other courses may be transferred as electives according to paragraph d. vii, above.
      4. Students who intend to transfer are responsible for becoming acquainted with the program and degree requirements of the institution to which they expect to transfer.

Transfer of Credit

Advisors, the Transfer & Articulation Specialist, and Student Services personnel communicate with other colleges and universities to ensure students do not lose credits when transferring. Under typical circumstances, students experience little or no difficulty in transferring all earned credits, particularly when transferring to a Kansas college or university.

Check the website www.colbycc.edu for “Transfer Equivalencies.”

Reverse Transfer Agreements

Reverse transfer is an essential element of a seamless educational system. The state universities, community colleges, and technical colleges work together, through the System Council of Presidents and System Council of Chief Academic Officers, to develop processes to assist students in completing coursework for and attaining all certificates and degrees for which they are eligible. Within your first year, if a student transfers coursework from a community college or technical college to a public university, they will be notified if they are eligible to be considered for Reverse Transfer. Students are eligible if they have completed 45 credit hours at one or more colleges and consent to release their academic records. If a student gives consent (also known as “opting in”), their academic records will be evaluated for degree completion, and their degree will be conferred based upon a satisfactory evaluation. Opting in is the first step.

Transfer Checklist

• Make sure your Academic Advisor and the Registrar are aware of any collegelevel coursework you have already completed. Have the previous college send the Registrar an official transcript.
• If you haven’t already met and visited with an Academic Advisor, do so.
• Research the different types of degrees Colby offers and how they will transfer.
• Know the requirements to graduate from Colby with an Associate degree.
• Research the specific degree requirements for the career field you have chosen.
• Begin researching transfer schools. Consider which degrees they offer and how much tuition is. Will you be considered an out-of-state student and have higher tuition?
• Does the potential transfer school have a Transfer and Articulation agreement with Colby Community College?
• Request information from several different potential transfer schools.
• Schedule a visit to your potential transfer schools.
• Choose your transfer school.
• Apply for admission. There will be an application fee. Most schools have online applications. Remember to apply for scholarships as well.
• Send official transcripts directly from each college-level school you have attended.
• Schedule a campus visit.
• Apply for Federal Financial Aid. https://fafsa.ed.gov/
• Education majors must take the P.P.S.T exam. You must pass this exam to be admitted to a Kansas Teacher Education Program. You must register to take the test well in advance.
• After Colby’s spring enrollment, be sure you meet the graduation requirements and apply to graduate before the end of the semester.
• Pre-enroll at your transfer school. Most schools have scheduled transfer enrollment dates. DO NOT MISS THIS DATE! Classes close quickly.
• Finalize housing plans, etc. If you plan to live in the dorms, there may be a deadline to apply for housing.
• Send a final transcript to your transfer school once final grades are posted in May.