Graduation Requirements for Associate in Science (A.S.) Degree Programs

To earn an A.S. degree in any A.S. program, students must:

• Declare a program of study and adhere to a particular catalog advising year as assigned by the institution.

• Fulfill all requirements as specified on the program page. This will include completing at least 18 credits of major-specific courses, except for the General Studies major, which will include completing at least 18 credits beyond the general education/MTA curriculum.

• Earn a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0, equivalent to a C or higher.

• Complete the General Education Guidelines for Associate in Science Degree Programs , earning a minimum grade of C or better in each general education course used to fulfill a general education component.

• Earn a minimum grade of C or better for each prerequisite course in the program of study. Review the Course Descriptions   to understand prerequisite requirements.

• Earn a grade of C or better in each internship or capstone course (if applicable to the program requirements).

• Complete a minimum of 60 credit hours, satisfying all course and credit hour requirements in an approved A.S. curriculum.

• Earn a minimum of 30 credits from SMC or the last 15 credits from SMC. A maximum of 13 credits can be earned through SMC’s Achieved Credit by Examination (ACE) process. ACE tests are written by SMC faculty and reflect the content taught in courses. Please know that credit earned by ACE testing may not transfer to other institutions.

• Take additional general elective courses, if needed, in order to reach a minimum of 60 credit hours. This is likely to occur when competency is demonstrated through testing procedures without resulting in credit for core curriculum courses.

• Understand that courses below the 100 level may not be applied toward meeting any A.S. degree requirements.

• Understand that courses above the 100 level and courses deemed as transitional courses (those that are not a part of the curriculum but lead to required courses in the curriculum) may be applied toward meeting graduation requirements. A maximum of 12 credits from transitional courses will count toward graduation requirements.

• Submit a graduation application the semester before the student plans to finish all degree requirements.