To graduate, students must complete all courses and attain a cumulative Grade Point Average (cGPA) of at least 2.0 within their program. Specific requirements for all degree and certificate programs are available in the catalog. Credits earned in developmental courses are not counted toward graduation requirements. Matriculated students must earn a minimum number of academic credits at the College as follows:
- Degree students must earn 15 credits, of which 8 credits must be in advanced (200-level) courses in the student’s major.
- Certificate students must earn 6 credits or 25% of the credits, whichever is higher
Additional Associate Degrees
Students may earn additional associate degrees either by concurrent completion of the requirements of the several degrees or by subsequent study after the first degree is received.
The requirements for earning additional degrees are as follows:
- Complete all requirements of each program of study, including general education requirements not in common with the additional program(s), and
- Earn a minimum of fifteen (15) additional credits at the college, beyond those required for the first and subsequent degrees, excluding Credit by Examination, Credit for Experiential Learning, College Level Examination Program (CLEP), and Transfer Credit.
Liberal Arts Core Requirements and Program Total Credit Ranges
Per system policy, all associate degree programs require a minimum of 20 credits in the general education (Liberal Arts Core), including at least one course (3 credits or more) in each of the following areas: English Composition, Humanities/Fine Arts/Foreign Language, Quantitative Reasoning/Mathematics, Science, and Social Sciences, with additional requirements defined within each program.
At River Valley Community College, College Composition, mathematics, and laboratory science courses are four (4) credits. Students who transfer in equivalent Liberal Arts Core courses from other accredited institutions may apply those credits toward degree requirements, provided the courses meet the requirements for transfer. In some cases, transferred courses may be three (3) credits rather than four (4), which may result in a lower total number of Liberal Arts Core credits while still fully satisfying course distribution requirements.
Additionally, some elective options allow students to choose from courses with varying credit values, typically three (3) or four (4) credits.
See also Associate Degree Requirements.
As a result, the total number of credits required to complete an associate degree may vary, and total program credits are presented as a range. Total credits may differ based on transferred coursework and elective selections; students who complete all courses at RVCC typically follow the higher end of the range.
This approach ensures that all students meet Liberal Arts Core requirements while providing transparency about how variations in course credit structures may affect total program credits.