Graduation Requirements

Application Procedures Associate in Arts degrees are not automatically awarded when the student completes the requirements. The student must file a petition in the Admissions and Records Office according to the following schedule:

Graduation Period Filing Period

Summer
July 1 - August 1

Fall
September 1 - November 1

Spring
February 1 - April 1

Associate in Arts degrees are awarded only after spring graduation, but the graduation date is posted on the student’s trans cript after the graduation period in which the Associate in Arts degree is earned.

Certificate of Achievement application may be made during the semester of completion. Filing deadlines are the same as for graduation, above.

Pre-graduation check: Students who have completed thirty units of college work may request a pre-graduation check.

Golden West College’s AA Degree Has A “New” Look

The Associate in Arts Degree at Golden West College has been updated and revised to meet the changes in Title 5 California Education Code and the recommendations from the California Community College Chancellor’s System Office. The AA Degree student will notice there is now only one Associate Degree rather than 3 different options, but the student will still be able to take a wide variety of courses to attain the AA Degree. If the student has been in continuous attendance at GWC prior to Fall 2008, he/she may continue with the option that was started.

All AA candidates will be required to meet the Graduation Requirements which include completion of 60 units of acceptable course work with an overall GPA of 2.0. At least 12 units of the 60 must be completed at GWC. Courses meeting each area of the General Education Requirements must be satisfied as well as the requirements of Computer Competency and Information Literacy.

The AA Degree candidates must also choose a Major/Area of Emphasis, or complete a minimum 18 unit Certificate of Achievement in Career and Technical Education, or complete the Certificate of Achievement for CSU Breadth designed for students intending to transfer to the CSU system, or complete the Certificate of Achievement for IGETC designed for students intending to transfer to the UC system or students unsure of where they will transfer.

There are important differences between the Major/Area of Emphasis/Certificate options, so it is imperative that all students seeking the AA Degree see a GWC counselor as early as possible and continue seeking counseling advice on an ongoing basis.

The path is far shorter when the road is mapped out in advance.