Graduation Requirements

The graduation ceremonies for Oakland Community College students are held annually in the spring. Degrees and certificates are only mailed after the annual commencement ceremony in June. The conferring of Associate degrees and certificates highlight the ceremonies.

All candidates for graduation are encouraged to attend commencement.

Procedure For Graduation

The College catalog is effective at the beginning of the fall semester. The student is expected to follow a program outlined in the catalog in effect at the time of initial program declaration when being evaluated for a degree or certificate.
Program requirements issued in a later catalog which are determined not to be to the detriment of the student while providing the most current degree credentials possible may be substituted for the initial effective catalog. But, only one catalog can be used to provide the program requirements to be considered for graduation eligibility.
After an enrollment break of three or more years, a new effective catalog is established at the time of re-enrollment if the student did not complete all academic requirements before the break.

Graduation Requirements

The requirements for graduation may be completed during any semester, but the degree or certificate can only be conferred upon a duly authorized Award Date.

The graduation ceremonies are held on the principal Award Date in the spring. Secondary Award Dates may authorize the conferring of degrees and certificates ex apparatus.

To be eligible for a diploma or certificate, the student must complete ALL requirements.

  1. Complete all academic requirements of the degree or certificate program sought.
  2. File a properly and completely executed Application for Graduation with an OCC Counselor.   Students not completing academic program requirements within one semester of the semester given on the Application for Graduation must submit a new application and fee.
  3. Fulfill all financial obligations to the College. Financial Aid recipients must clear the Office of Financial Aid's exiting student special requirements. Multiple awards may be issued simultaneously; however, each must meet the eligibility and procedural standards individually including the separate application process.

Graduation Ceremony

All students allowed to participate in the graduation ceremonies must have an approved application for graduation on file in the Office of the Registrar.

Graduation With Honors

Students are eligible to graduate with honors according to the following grade point average requirements:

Summa Cum Laude.............................. 3.86 - 4.00
Magna Cum Laude ............................... 3.66 - 3.85
Cum Laude ............................................ 3.50 - 3.65

Extended Degree Programs

Most degree programs have a minimum of 62 semester hours. Certain program requirements are so extensive that they can only be satisfied with a higher minimum. When a program requires a minimum of 73 or more credit hours, we designate the program as an "Extended Degree" program in recognition of the efforts of students in that program