Graduation deadlines approach for students
Graduation applications for students who are completing a degree and/or certificate requirements are due March 1, 2010.
“We do offer two degree types, the Associate in Arts degree and the Associate in Science,” said Jane Rosenkrans, Director of Admissions and Records and Enrollment Services.
There are many degrees available for both the A/A and A/S. Some degrees available for the A/A could be art, journalism, English, general studies and liberal studies to name a few.
In order to get an A/S degree a student could take nursing, theatre technology, business and engineering. The A/A and A/S are both two-year degrees that can be achieved at Saddleback College.
The certificate programs on the other hand helps students in a particular field of study.
These programs are meant to help the students train for the career they want to have. There are many certificate programs that students have to be involved in such as astronomy, biology, business management, environmental studies and more.
In order to be part of these certificate programs, students must take specific courses for that field of study.
Some programs have more courses than others. Each program will be concentrated on the particular field the student chooses.
The school catalog is the best way to find the degrees and certificate programs that are available.
“It’s a contract between the student and the college,” Rosenkrans said, explaining that the catalog is important for students to know what classes are available. If a student wanted to find the class requirements for a particular degree or certificate they could look in the catalog to find it.
Once a student fills out the application for either the degree or certificate they send it in where it is then evaluated.
“The evaluator is going to pull up your records and look at exactly what you’ve taken and what grades you got and then see whether you meet the requirements to get the award. This is how we determine who gets what awards,” Rosenkrans said.
Turning in the application before the deadline is important for students. “The evaluators need to go through and see if students have even taken the right classes,” Rosenkrans said.
There is a deadline so that the evaluators can make sure the student is eligible for the particular degree or certificate before they graduate.
The time in which a student fills out the applications is at the start of their last semester at Saddleback.
If the student knows they are transferring or graduating after the semester they can fill out the applications.
For students who hope to transfer after the semester it is not mandatory to fill out these applications.
Students who are hoping to transfer could be eligible to fill out the applications but it is not necessary.
For more information about degrees and certificates look at the catalog either online or in the bookstore.
To receive a degree or certificate applications go online or visit the Admissions and Records building.