Graduation
Graduation at Normandale
Graduation is the completion of all degree requirements as recorded on the official transcript.
Completion Requirements
Normandale's academic awards include the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum certification (MnTC), the Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Science (AS), Associate of Applied Science (AAS) and the Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) degrees, as well as several certificate programs. Once the course work is complete, there are still several requirements before your degree is awarded. The following provides additional information and instructions for each step left between you and your completed degree.
Degree/Program Requirements | Other Requirements
Degree/Program Requirements
| Associate in Arts Degree w/ MnTC Certification |
| The Associate in Arts in Liberal Education degree (AA) is the Liberal Arts or General Education degree of Normandale Community College. The AA degree includes the entire Minnesota Transfer Curriculum used most often by students intending to transfer to four-year colleges and universities. By specific agreement, students who hold the AA degree have satisfied all general education requirements for any of Minnesota's public colleges and universities. |
| Associate of Arts Degree with Emphasis |
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| Associate of Science [AS], Associate of Applied Science [AAS] and Associate of Fine Arts Degrees[AFA] |
| Normandale's career programs prepare students for employment in specific career areas. All career programs combine theory, practical training and experience. They are not governed by upper-division entrance requirements of a college or university but by the demands of the specific occupation. Credits from these programs are accepted at some colleges and universities which offer bachelor's degree programs containing the same or related courses. |
| Minnesota Transfer Curriculum/MnTC |
| Students who do not intend to complete a degree but who complete the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum must submit a MnTC Application for Certification in order for their MnTC completion to be recognized. An application for MnTC Certification is required. Submit your application early in your final semester. There is no fee or deadline. A notation that certifies completion of the MnTC is placed on the student's transcript, but there is no paper certificate or diploma. The Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MnTC) is the result of a collaborative effort by all of the two-year and four-year public colleges and universities in Minnesota to define a common philosophy toward general education. The goal of this effort is to help students transfer their work in general education. Completion of a defined transfer curriculum at one institution enables a student to receive credit for all lower-division general education upon admission to any other MnSCU institution. The University of Minnesota also recognizes the MnTC as fulfilling the lower division general education component of its degree programs; in addition, students in all degree programs must complete a writing intensive set of requirements. |
| Certificate Programs |
| Certificates are offered in several academic areas where a two-year degree is not necessary for employment or for graduates of other college-level programs who need specific education in an additional field. Certificate programs typically require 30 credits. |
Other Requirements
Application | GPA | Residency | Holds & Incompletes | Time Limit | Transferring in Credits | Academic Petitions
Normandale establishes a graduation date for each semester. A student's date of graduation shall be the graduation date established for the term in which all degree requirements have been met. This includes all course and credit requirements as well as the requirements listed below. All requirements must be met within one month of the end of that term. These requirements include:
| Application Requirements |
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| Fees: |
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| Application Status: |
Your degree status will be displayed on your Interactive Degree Audit. To check your status view eServices, Grades and Transcripts, Interactive Degree Audit Report.
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| Re-Applying to Graduate: |
| A student who fails to meet all requirements by the final application deadline or whose application for graduation has been denied (as indicated on your DARS Interactive Degree Audit) must submit a Re-Application for Graduation/Certificate form to reactivate your original application. There is no re-application fee. You can find the Re-Application form as a PDF download on the Forms pageor pick up a copy from Counseling and Advising or Records. |
| GPA Requirements |
| You are required to earn a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00 in all college-level coursework. Pre-college courses (below 1000 level) and transfer courses are not calculated in the GPA requirement for completion. Note that some degree programs, such as health sciences, education and law enforcement require a higher GPA in both Normandale and transfer coursework. |
| Residency Requirements |
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| Resolving Holds and Incompletes |
| Holds: All financial obligations, incomplete grades or other course problems must be cleared within one month following the end of your final semester. Clear any holds you may have on your record; e.g. past due balance, parking fine, overdue library books. Incomplete Grades/Grade Changes: Grade changes, including those for incomplete grades must be submitted by the final application deadline. Applications will be denied for incomplete grades that have not been completed by the graduation term deadline. Students need to submit a Re-Application form for a future graduation term, when they resolve these issues. Courses with an incomplete grade will automatically turn into a grade of ‘F' after one semester unless the instructor submits a grade change. |
| Time Limit |
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Students completing program requirements in four or fewer years may follow either the catalog requirements in effect at the time of their initial enrollment or the requirements of any succeeding catalog in effect during their period of enrollment. Students who take longer than four years to complete program requirements at Normandale may follow any catalog in effect during the four-year period immediately preceding their date of graduation. Note that some degree programs, such as health sciences and computer technology require specific courses to be completed within a specific time frame. |
| Transferring in credits for your Normandale degree |
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A student who wishes to apply transfer credits earned from other accredited institutions to their Normandale degree must submit official transcripts from those institutions, reflecting final grades, by the final application deadline. Review your DARS Interactive Degree Audit to ensure your transfer courses have been added to your record. This helps to ensure your requirements are fulfilled and your transfer courses have been evaluated to count toward your Normandale degree program. If your transfer credits do not appear on your DARS report or need further evaluation, make a ‘transfer credit evaluation' appointment with a member of the Advising and Counseling department. |
| Academic Petitions |
| Academic Petitions are not a common requirement. Petitions are typically submitted for exceptions that impact the student's degree program (such as a course substitution for a degree program requirement). Petitions must be previously approved (recorded on your DARS interactive audit), or in process by the final application deadline. Academic petition forms are from Advising and Counseling or from our Forms page. |