Graduation Requirements

It is highly recommended to run a new degree audit every time you register or when changes are made to your record (i.e. course substitutions, transfer work, major changes, certificate change, etc.). This will help you stay on track for graduation requirements!   

Graduation Requirements

Graduation requirements for each degree and certificate program are outlined in Degree and Certificate Information  of the Aims catalog. The catalog that is current at the time you declare a program will be used for your graduation requirements. If you do not maintain continuous enrollment (if you have a break in enrollment of three semesters or longer), you must use the requirements listed in the new catalog in effect at the time you return.

Things to Know Before You Apply:

• Apply after you register for your final semester of classes for the degree and/or certificate that you are applying to complete.
• Summer students may participate in the spring ceremony. Summer students can apply after they register for their spring course work.      
• All course substitutions must be submitted before applying for graduation.
• All degrees and or certificates must be officially declared before applying for graduation.
• If you need to transfer credits from another school, please begin the transfer credit evaluation process no later than 30 business days prior to the end of the semester you plan to graduate. Please visit Transferring Credit to Aims for more information.
• If you are taking a course at another college in the same term you will graduate, please email gradapp@aims.edu with details on what you plan on transferring in your last semester, after you submit your graduation application. Send an official transcript with your final grade as soon as the grade is posted. Please see the posted deadlines below for the date official transcripts must be received each term.  If received after this deadline graduates will be moved to the next term. Please visit Transferring Credit to Aims for more information on how to send official transcripts.

How to Apply:

The preferred method is by submitting an online graduation application or you can print out a Graduation Application and submit it to the Student Enrollment, Records, and Testing Office or email it to gradapp@aims.edu.

• Once your application has been submitted, you will receive a confirmation email that your application was successfully submitted.
• A follow up email will be sent 10-15 business days after the application has been submitted to give a status on your application.
• If there are any outstanding graduation requirements, you and your advisor will receive a detailed email.
• If you need to make any changes to the graduation application after submitted (i.e. change in classes, change of major, change of certificate, change of graduation date, etc.), please email gradapp@aims.edu with your new plans.
• If you graduation application is denied, it will be your responsibility to follow up with your advisor and re-apply when the outstanding requirements have been resolved.

Commencement

Aims holds one Commencement ceremony each year at the end of spring semester. Aims officially graduates students at the end of each semester (fall, spring and summer). However, students who graduate in any of the three terms are invited to participate in the ceremony in the spring. There are no summer or fall ceremonies.  All summer and fall graduates are invited to participate in the annual May ceremony. 

In order to participate in the ceremony you must be on the tentative graduation list prior to the date of the respective commencement ceremony.  If you have not applied for graduation, your name will not appear in the comment program or on any graduation list.  All applications must be submitted and accepted before February 22nd in order to have your name included in the commencement program.  Any applications submitted after February 22nd will not be included in the program, but the student will be able to participate in the ceremony.

Please visit the commencement ceremony website for more information and details about the ceremony and cap and gown rental and pick-up.    

Deadlines for Graduation

Diploma and Official Transcript Release Dates and Information

*Effective Summer 2019 all diplomas will be mailed to students, diplomas will not be available for pick up.   

Summer 2020

• Official transcripts available with degrees and/or certificates on September 14, 2020

• Diplomas mailed to students on September 14, 2020

Fall 2020

• Official transcripts available with degrees and/or certificates on January 25, 2021

• Diplomas mailed to students on February 8, 2021

Spring 2021

• Official transcripts available with degrees and/or certificates on June 14, 2021

• Diplomas mailed to students on June 28, 2021

Summer 2021

• Official transcripts available with degrees and/or certificates on September 13, 2021

• Diplomas mailed to students on September 26, 2021

For more information on how to order your official transcript please visit: https://www.aims.edu/student/sert/transcripts.php

What if I don’t have an active mailing address for my diploma?

If you do not have an active mailing address, your diploma will be held for one year.  If no address is provided after one year, you will be required to re-order your diploma and a fee will be required to re-issue your diploma.  Please contact the records office at 970-339-6404 or email gradapp@aims.edu to provide a current mailing address or to place your re-issue order. 

What if I have a hold on my account at the time the diplomas are mailed?

Your diploma will not be released if you have a hold on your account.  If your hold is released after the diploma release date above, please contact the records office at 970-339-6404 or email gradapp@aims.edu so we can release your diploma.  Diplomas with holds are only held for one year. If the hold is released after one year, you will be required to re-order your diploma and a fee will be required to re-issue your diploma.  Please contact the records office at 970-339-6404 or email gradapp@aims.edu to place your re-issue order. 

Degree Conferral Policy

Academic records will be locked upon degree and certificate conferral. Under no circumstances will changes be made to the academic record after degree or certificate conferral.

When all degree requirements have been completed, a degree or certificate must be awarded and completed in the term that it is brought to the attention of the Records Office.  Students cannot request a delay in awarding a degree once all degree and/or certificate requirements have been satisfied. 

Effective Catalog

The catalog in use during a student’s first enrollment in the College normally is used in determining degree or certificate requirements. The effective catalog may, however, be no more than four years old at the time of graduation. A student may elect to meet the requirements of any subsequent catalog published during the four year period, including the current year. This election should be made well before the student files a graduation application.

A student who has a break in enrollment in the College may be required to meet the program requirements of the catalog in use at the time of readmission due to program changes. Any previously completed course work may be subject to an evaluation of its relevancy to any revised program. If the program in which the student was previously enrolled has been discontinued, or if a public notice of program discontinuance has been given, the student cannot re-enroll in that program.

The College reserves the right to substitute courses for those no longer offered, to modify course content at any time, to approve the substitution of one course for another in any degree or certificate program, or to waive any course prerequisite or corequisite.

Graduation honors recognize outstanding academic achievement throughout a student’s academic career. Honors are based on a student’s cumulative grade point average (GPA) for all grades earned at the 100-level or above at Aims Community College.

 Graduation Honors

• Students graduating with a degree who complete at least thirty letter graded (A-F) credits at Aims Community College, and whose grades qualify, will be granted the following designations:
  • Cum Laude - 3.50 to 3.69 cumulative Aims GPA
  • Magna Cum Laude - 3.70 to 3.99 cumulative Aims GPA
  • Summa Cum Laude - 4.00 cumulative Aims GPA 
• Students graduating with a certificate who complete at least fifteen letter graded (A-F) credits at Aims Community College, and whose grades qualify, will be granted the following designations:
  • Honors - 3.50 to 3.99 cumulative Aims GPA
  • High Honors - 4.00 cumulative Aims GPA

In order to be recognized at the Commencement Ceremony, students must meet the graduation honors GPA requirements at the conclusion of the term immediately preceding the ceremony. Spring enrolled hours will count towards the credit requirements.

Graduates participating at the ceremony will receive gold honor cords. If eligible, gold cords will be included in your regalia when you pick it up at the Bookstore. Graduation honors will be noted in the commencement program by the student’s name.

Graduation honors will be recorded on the academic transcript if a student meets the requirements at the completion of the term for which they are certified for graduation.

Semester Honors

Honors recognition will be given to full-time students who earn a GPA of 3.5 or higher in at least 12 hours of college level courses used to compute the GPA during a semester.

• President’s List is the designation for a term GPA of 4.0 (straight A)
• Dean’s List is the desginatinon for a term GPA of 3.5-3.99.