Mar 29, 2024  
2021 - 2022 Academic Catalog 
    
2021 - 2022 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Requirements for Graduation



Application for Graduation

To be considered as a candidate for a degree or certificate, the student must submit a formal application for graduation. It is the responsibility of the student to make certain that all requirements for graduation are completed.

Graduation exercises are held twice a year at the end of the fall and spring semesters. Application for graduation is made in the Admissions/Records Office in the semester prior to anticipated graduation.

Disclaimer

It is the responsibility of each student to keep apprised of current graduation requirements for a certificate or degree program in which he or she is enrolled.

Catalog Time Restriction

A student must meet the degree or certificate of completion requirements of the catalog under which he/she first entered the College provided the courses are currently being offered. Alternatively, a student may choose to complete under the course requirements in effect during any subsequent year in which he/she is registered, provided the courses are offered.

Panola College expects that a student will normally graduate under the catalog in effect at the time of the most recent admission. For nursing and other specialized programs, the semester of acceptance into the program determines the catalog year. When the elapsed time from initial enrollment to degree/certificate completion is long, individual courses may have been replaced or canceled. Students may consult the new catalog each year to confirm whether their chosen program has been revised or will be replaced or if a new program has been introduced which may be more appropriate for meeting their educational objectives. Students should be aware that the decision to graduate under a more recent catalog may require that additional courses be completed and lengthen the time required for degree completion.

These provisions are subject to the restriction that all requirements must be completed within five years from the date of the catalog chosen and that the courses are currently being offered. A student may choose to complete requirements under the current catalog.

General Requirements for Degrees and Certificates

Graduation requirements change periodically to meet the various needs of transfer universities, business and industry and/or cancellation of courses and programs.

  1. Satisfactory completion of all financial and other obligations to the College.
  2. Fulfillment of Texas Success Initiative (TSI) requirements.
  3. A minimum grade point average of 2.0. Only courses that apply toward an Associate Degree or Certificate of Completion are included in this computation.
  4. Formal application for graduation must be submitted to the Admissions/Records Office during the semester immediately preceding graduation.
  5. If a student changes from a career/technical to an academic program of study while at Panola College, failing grades associated with the earlier course of study will not be computed in the grade point average required for graduation. Passing grades for courses in the previous course of study may be used, if the courses are acceptable as electives.
  6. All candidates for graduation are encouraged to participate in commencement exercises. However, after completion of required coursework, the student’s degree will be reflected on the diploma and official transcript, regardless of participation.

Certificate of Completion

A student who completes a prescribed career/technical education certificate program and satisfies the grade requirements of the particular program will be awarded a Certificate of Completion. In addition, 25 percent of the hours must be taken at Panola College. Requirements must have been completed within five years of the catalog under which a student first entered the College provided the courses are currently being offered.

Associate Degrees

  1. To complete the 60 hours necessary for the degrees of Associate of Arts and Associate of Science, students should follow the Core Curriculum, making additional choices from the suggested programs of study. The student seeking an Associate of Arts degree must elect six to eight hours of foreign language study.
  2. Prescribed requirements for the Associate of Applied Science degree in a specific Career/Technical Education program for which a student is enrolled are set forth in this catalog in the section which lists the courses that the student takes. Adjustments in course requirements for the Associate of Applied Science Degree may be approved by the Vice President of Instruction.
  3. Additional Requirements:
    1. For degree completion, at least 25 percent of the credit semester hours must be earned through instruction completed at Panola College.
    2. A grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 must be earned.
    3. Substitutions may be allowed on application to the Vice President of Instruction.
    4. The student has the ultimate responsibility for selecting and registering for courses meeting the graduation requirements.
  4. A second degree may be conferred. The student must successfully complete all courses required in the second degree plan and submit a formal application for graduation. A minimum of 18 semester credit hours of resident credit beyond the hours for the first degree is required.

Physical Education Requirement

Three semester hours of physical activity are required of all degree-seeking students, unless specifically exempt. Each student should enroll for physical education activity classes until this requirement is met. Those specifically exempt are veterans of the armed forces of the United States, students certified by their physicians as being physically limited, and certain students in Career/Technical programs. Veterans will be awarded two hours of physical education credit with proper documentation. Students who are not specifically exempt may petition the Vice President of Instruction for a waiver of the physical education requirement. When an exemption is granted, approved courses must be substituted to equal or exceed the total number of semester hours which would have been earned in a program by completing the physical activity requirement. Two or more physical activity courses may be scheduled per semester. Each course must be a different activity. A maximum of four physical education activity hours may be counted as credit toward graduation for majors other than kinesiology.

Graduation Honors

Students who complete an Associate degree at Panola College and demonstrate academic excellence will be recognized during commencement exercises. Honors will be noted on the commencement program based on the previous semester’s cumulative GPA. However, the final honors status and designation, which will appear on the college transcript and diploma, will be based on the cumulative GPA at the time of completion of coursework required for the degree.

  • Summa cum laude (with highest praise) 3.90-4.00
  • Magna cum laude (with high praise) 3.75-3.89
  • Cum laude (with praise) 3.50-3.74