Eligibility Requirements for Graduation
Students must:
- Successfully complete all requirements for an approved program of study.
- Earn at least one-fourth of the required program credit hours at GTCC.
- Earn at least one-third of the major course work required for graduation at GTCC.
- Complete the last semester of required course work at GTCC.
- Achieve a final program grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0 out of a possible 4.0 on all program courses, including general education requirements.
- Submit an application for graduation.
- Satisfy any outstanding obligations to the college, including tuition, fees, or fines.
A catalog year has a specific set of requirements that were in effect during a given academic year. Catalog years run from the fall semester through the following summer term. Your degree requirements are based on the catalog year when you were admitted to your academic program and began taking courses.
If you do not enroll in courses related to your program for more than three consecutive terms, you must re-enroll and will then be subject to the requirements of the catalog year of your return. This may mean your program requirements change.
You may request a catalog year update from your program chair, faculty advisor, or counselor. In order to remain subject to the requirements of an older catalog year, you must secure approval from your associate dean.
GTCC grants degrees in May, August, and December. Candidates who receive their degrees in August or December are encouraged to participate in the current academic calendar year's ceremony as commencement only takes place in May.
Summer candidates for graduation may participate in the spring ceremony prior to their last term of completion or in the next academic calendar year's ceremony.
To participate in the ceremony prior to completion, candidates must submit an application for graduation and notify the Records Office at least one month prior to commencement to be included in the printed commencement program.
The Records Office will verify that students meet the eligibility to graduate once they have completed summer courses. If a student participates in in commencement in the spring but does not complete their graduation requirements during the summer, the student is not eligible to participate in commencement the following year.
Steps to Graduate
This step will ensure that:
- You have an official high school or equivalent high school diploma on file.
- You have been admitted to the appropriate program and catalog year.
- You have submitted any course substitutions and waivers.
Complete a graduation application and submit it to records@gtcc.edu before the posted deadlines.
- Oct. 31 for fall 2022 graduates
- March 31 for spring and summer graduates.
The Grad Fair is held at Jamestown Campus Store in the Medlin Campus Center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, April 17-18, 2024. Graduation announcements may be purchased during the Grad Fair in the bookstore and online at www.herffjones.com/college/gtcc.
The GTCC class ring vendor, Herff Jones, will be at Grad Fair to assist with rings and diploma frames.
Caps and gowns will be available for pick up during the Grad Fair. Please bring your student ID. When you pick up your regalia, please make sure that the package contains a cap, gown, and tassel.
Complete the graduation survey by Wednesday, May 1, 2024.
The online form can be found at the Federal Student Aid website. Complete the form by Monday, May 6, 2024 if you had a Federal Stafford Loan at any point in your college career. Exit loan counseling is REQUIRED and must be completed to participate in the commencement ceremony, receive your diploma, or send a transcript.
- Go to https://studentaid.gov/exit-counseling/.
- You must have your FSA ID to complete the session.
If you were given permission to take course(s) at another college to complete your graduation requirements, a final, official transcript must be submitted to the Records Office no later than May 6, 2024 for spring graduates and July 23, 2024 for summer graduates.
Log in to Self-Service by Monday, May 6, 2024. Your credential will be mailed to your permanent address approximately two weeks after graduation.
Updates and reminders will be sent to this account.
Additional details about graduation can be found on the graduation web page.
Bring your family and friends! The 2023 GTCC Commencement ceremonies are scheduled for May 9, 2024, at the Greensboro Coliseum. Don't forget to share event streaming information with family and friends who will not be able to attend in-person.
Honors
Gold tassels are provided to diploma and degree graduates who have achieved a 3.5 GPA or higher program average to designate their academic achievement.
Staff at the graduation check-in tables will have a list of graduates who are eligible for a gold tassel during lineup time and will distribute them in exchange for the green ones.
Phi Theta Kappa is the honor society for two-year colleges which promotes scholarship, leadership, service, and fellowship. Membership is open to students who have completed 20 credit hours with a GPA of 3.5 or higher.
NC Global Scholars of Distinction recognizes students who:
- earn a grade of A or B in 15 units of globally intensive coursework,
- complete a minimum of eight hours of international campus activities,
- complete 30 hours of study abroad or domestic intercultural experience in partnership with the World View Program at UNC-Chapel Hill.
The program is open to all curriculum students.
