Graduation Eligibility | Bucks County Community College

Who is eligible to graduate?

To graduate you must:

Fulfill all of the requirements for your degree or certificate program
Have earned at least 60 credits in college level courses
Have a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher
Have completed at least 30 credits here at Bucks
Be active in the degree or certificate program in which you are graduating

Students anticipating graduation will receive an email sent to their Bucks student email account halfway through the term in which they are expected to graduate. The “Notice of Potential Graduation Eligibility” email will contain information on graduation, commencement, cap and gown ordering, and diplomas. Students who believe they are graduating and do not receive the email notification should contact the Registrar’s Office.

Students expecting to earn a degree or certificate, must complete the requirements of that degree or certificate as listed in the college catalog and their progress tab in Student Planning. The waiver or substitution of any course requirements must be exceptional and educationally justifiable. An official waiver or substitution must be approved by the appropriate Academic Department and the Associate Provost, and must be forwarded to the Registrar’s Office prior to the end of the term.

Students earning multiple degrees or certificates, earning a second degree or certificate, or completing a Reverse Transfer must contact the Registrar’s Office to be included in graduation.

Earning Multiple Degrees/Certificates

Students may complete more than one degree program and/or certificate. Please review and follow the guidelines below for completion of multiple degrees and certificates. PLEASE NOTE: Failure to inform the Registrar's Office of your intent to graduate with multiples degrees/certificates may delay graduation from, and granting of, the additional degrees/certificates.

Guidelines for students to earn more than one degree/certificate:

Students may earn only one degree per program/major. For example, a student who graduated from and earned an AA degree in Biology cannot receive an AS degree in Biology.
A second associate degree will require a minimum of 15 credits different from and in addition to those needed to satisfy the first associate degree.
The second associate degree may use common credits. For example, both Liberal Arts: General Emphasis and Communication Studies programs require COMM110 and COMP110. If a student earned the Liberal Arts: General Emphasis degree and is now in the Communication Studies degree program, Communication Studies will use the previously completed COMM110 and COMP110.
Course substitutions in the new/second degree program that are requested in order to allow use of previously completed credits will be allowed only in unusual circumstances, and only with special permission of the Department Dean and the Associate Provost.
Students should not alternate back and forth between degree programs/majors. Students should take courses leading to one degree at a time.
Students receiving financial aid assistance and pursuing a second degree should speak to the Financial Aid Office to understand the ramifications/conditions of satisfactory academic progress and also time, amount limits to grant and loan programs that could affect your eligibility if seeking a second degree.
Students must self-identify as seeking multiple degrees and certificates. Students must notify the Registrar's Office in the beginning of the term they intend to graduate with multiple degrees/certificates or a second degree/certificate. The Registrar will review program completion and notify the student of eligibility to graduate with multiple degrees/certificates.

Graduation Honors

Phi Theta Kappa (International honor society of two-year college) graduates wear gold stoles and tassels
Kappa Beta Delta (Business honor society) graduates wear blue stoles
Veterans wear red, white, and blue cords
Honors @ Bucks program graduates wear white cords
Graduates earning Latin Honors** wear:
- Cum Laude (CGPA of 3.5-3.74) wear royal blue cords
- Magna Cum Laude (CGPA of 3.75 – 3.89) wear silver cords
- Summa Cum Laude (CGPA of 3.9-4.0) wear gold cords

**Final determination of Latin honors designation will be made after review of final grades.

Student Responsibilities

Candidates must return or account for satisfactorily, any items withdrawn from the college library and clear all outstanding financial obligations to the college before graduation. Candidates who graduate, but have an outstanding financial obligation, will not receive their diploma or certificate.