Candidates & Requirements

• The Registrar Office will automatically review progress toward completion of your currently declared program of study.  
• You will receive an email approximately 4–6 weeks after the beginning of the semester if you are eligible to graduate from your currently declared program of study.  
  • If you do not receive an auto-graduation email but believe you are eligible to graduate, please contact your advisor to request a Grad Check appointment. 
• You may be awarded a certificate or degree that you have not declared by submitting an Application for Graduation [pdf] for the program of study you wish to have awarded.  You should submit the application within the first 8 weeks of the term that you will complete requirements.
• Applications must be received by April 1 in order for graduates' names to be printed in the publication for the Commencement Ceremony in May, however we will accept a graduation application until the end of the term.

You may still participate in the Commencement Ceremony even if your name is not listed in the publication.

• • Note: If you currently do not allow public access to your directory information you will need to change this setting in your MyPima Graduation Checklist by April 1st in order for your name to be published. 

• We highly recommend that you meet with an Academic Advisor prior to your last semester in order to review your records and ensure all graduation requirements will be met.

To graduate from PCC you are required to:

• complete the general education requirements for your program;
• complete the required program core and support courses;
• earn at least a 'C' in all of your required courses;
• earn a cumulative 2.0 or higher grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale;

Specific requirements for Associate Degrees include:

• Associate degree: complete at least 60 credits at the 100 level or higher. 
• At least 15 credits of the program requirements must be taken at Pima.
• Subsequent Associate Degrees require a minimum of 15 unique credit hours when compared to the previous degree.

Specific requirements for Certificates include:

• Certificate: complete between six and 59 credits of coursework. 
• At least six credits of the program requirements must be taken at Pima.
• Grades of ‘D’ and 'F' do not fulfill requirements for any degrees or certificate programs. 

Catalog of Record

Students maintaining continuous enrollment at any public Arizona community college or university may graduate according to the requirements of the catalog in effect at the time of initial enrollment at Pima or according to the requirements of any catalog in effect during subsequent terms of continuous enrollment.  Students maintain continuous enrollment whether attending a public community college and/or public university in the state of Arizona.  Students must follow a Catalog of Record that complies with Continuous Enrollment rules and is no more than six years old.

Continuous Enrollment rules are detailed here:

• A semester in which a student earns course credit will be counted toward continuous enrollment (noncredit, audited courses, failed courses, or courses from which the student withdraws do not count toward continuous enrollment).

• Failure to enroll in three consecutive regular (fall or spring) semesters breaks continuous enrollment for a student.  Enrollment in the intervening summer terms may be used to maintain continuous enrollment status.

• If continuous enrollment is not maintained, the student must meet the requirements for graduation in the catalog year at the time they re-enroll or any subsequent catalog of continuous enrollment. 

• Students who elect to change their program of study must follow the catalog in effect at the time of the change, or any subsequent catalog of continuous enrollment.