Graduation

Graduation

Congratulations! All your hard work has led you to this point: graduation. Graduation is the process of SCC officially granting you a degree or certificate and sending you a diploma. This is different than Commencement, which is the official ceremony held to celebrate your graduation. In order to officially complete your degree or certificate and receive a diploma, you MUST apply to graduate. If you do not apply to graduate, you will not receive a diploma. The following information provides a step-by-step guide on how to apply for graduation.

Graduation Application Deadlines

If you are currently registered for the last classes needed to complete your degree, submit your application immediately. Do not wait until your classes end to apply.

Spring 2024 Graduates Monday, March 4, 2024

Summer 2024 Graduates Monday, July 1, 2024

Fall 2024 Graduates Monday, October 14, 2024

Who Can Graduate

The Maricopa Community Colleges offer Certificates of Completion as well as Associate Degrees, one of which is conferred on each student who has completed a program of study. These certificates and degrees are:

  • Certificate of Completion (Career Program Specified)
  • Academic Certificate; General Education Certificate
  • Associate in Arts; Associate in Science
  • Associate in Business
  • Associate in General Studies
  • Associate in Transfer Partnership
  • Associate in Applied Science (Career Program Specified)
  • For more details and additional requirements and limitations please review the Catalog.

All students are required to complete the degree and/or certificate requirements as approved by the MCCCD Governing Board. The college reserves the right to make necessary course and program changes in order to meet current educational standards. In addition, students must:

  1. Be credited, in the Office of Admissions and Records, with no fewer than:
    • 60 semester credit units in courses numbered 100 or above for the Associate in Arts degree, Associate in Science degree, Associate in Transfer Partnership degree, and Associate in General Studies degree
    • 60 semester credit units for the Associate in Applied Science degree
    • 62 semester credits for the Associate in Business degrees
    • The minimum total of credit units required for specific certificate programs
    • NOTE: Students not continuously enrolled, as outlined in the Catalog Under Which a Student Graduates policy, must satisfy current graduation requirements.
  2. Have earned a minimum of 12 semester credit units toward the degree or certificate at the college granting the degree or certificate (i.e. at Scottsdale Community College). In cases where the certificate requires fewer than 12 credit units, a minimum of six credit units must be completed at the college awarding the certificate (i.e. Scottsdale Community College).
  3. Have filed an application for the degree or certificate with the Office of Admissions and Records on the date determined by the college/center. NOTE: Associate of Applied Science in Nursing students must apply for graduation from the college where they are completing Block 4 classes.
  4. Have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.000 at the college granting the degree.
  5. Have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.000 in all courses used to fulfill degree requirements. Some specific programs have higher grade requirements, and it is the student's responsibility to be aware of these program requirements.
  6. Have removed, thirty (30) days after the anticipated graduation date, all deficiencies on the record to use those courses toward program completion.
  7. Have removed any indebtedness to any MCCCD college/center.

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 or according to the requirements of any single catalog in effect during subsequent terms of continuous enrollment. Students may maintain continuous enrollment whether attending a single public community college or university in Arizona or transferring among public institutions in Arizona while pursuing their degrees.

In areas of study in which the subject matter changes rapidly, material in courses taken long before graduation may become obsolete or irrelevant. Coursework that is more than eight years old is applicable to completion of degree requirements at the discretion of the student's major department. Departments may accept such coursework, reject it, or request that the student revalidate its substance.

The eight-year limit on coursework applies except when program accreditation agencies limit the life of coursework to less than eight years. Departments may also require students to satisfy current major requirements rather than major requirements in earlier catalogs, when completing earlier requirements is no longer possible or educationally sound. The college reserves the right to make necessary course and program changes in order to meet current educational standards.

Steps to Graduation

Fill out the Request to Graduate form online. Your signature on the Request to Graduate form gives consent to publish your name in the college commencement program.

Ensure that all credits received at other non-Maricopa colleges are part of your SCC student record. Order official transcripts from each non-Maricopa college and have them sent directly to Scottsdale Community College:

  • Scottsdale Community College
  • Admissions, Records, and Registration
  • 9000 E. Chaparral Rd
  • Scottsdale, AZ 85256

Please note: You do not need to request that other Maricopa Community College transcripts be sent to SCC.

Your Advisor will review your graduation request, academic record, and degree completion progress. If all requirements appear to be met, your Advisor will approve your request. However, if your Advisor has any questions or sees any potential deficiencies, s(he) will contact you by email for more information or to request you schedule an appointment. Your application will not be complete until any deficiencies are fixed and your Advisor approves it.

SCC holds one commencement ceremony annually in May. The Commencement Ceremony for Summer 2023, Fall 2023, and Spring 2024 semester graduates will be held on Thursday, May 9, 2024, 7pm at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. You must apply to graduate by the Spring 2024 deadline to guarantee an invitation to the event. Participation in the ceremony is optional, but you still must apply to graduate to receive your diploma.

In some cases, students who may be graduating the summer after the commencement ceremony may be welcome to participate in the ceremony.

Information about Commencement (i.e., deadlines, cap/gown ordering) will be emailed to your Maricopa Student email account as it becomes available. Deadlines will be important to meet, so please watch your account.

Visit the Commencement page for more information. If you have any questions about participating in the ceremony, please email [email protected].

Graduation FAQ

Yes, you can. For Spring 2023 graduates: If you wish to participate in the Commencement ceremony you must submit your graduation application by Monday, April 10, 2023.

Yes. You must apply to graduate regardless of ceremony participation. If you do not apply to graduate you will not receive a diploma.

No, there is no charge to apply to graduate. However, there may be a fee to participate in the commencement ceremony.

At the end of the semester, all graduation applications are reviewed to ensure all academic requirements have been met. Once the review is complete, the award will be posted to your account and will be posted on your official transcript. You will receive an email notification via their Maricopa student email account when this is completed. Your diploma(s) will be printed and mailed 6-8 weeks after the end of the semester. Diplomas are mailed to your home address listed on your Student Center. Be sure your home address in your Student Center is current and accurate.