General Academic Requirements
In addition to completing a minimum of 61 semester hours of approved coursework and meeting all program requirements, candidates for an associate degree, entering the university in the Fall Semester 1980 or later with freshman standing, also must complete Destination Kent State: First Year Experience (US 10097), a 1-hour course.

To graduate, students must attain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 for all coursework taken at Kent State University. Candidates for the Associate of Applied Business and Associate of Applied Science must attain a 2.00 cumulative GPA in the technical courses.

If students are required to take additional coursework to raise the GPA in the technical core to 2.00, the course(s) will be selected in consultation with the program advisor and approved prior to registration. It is required that such coursework be in the technical area. Candidates for the Applied Science in nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy and respiratory therapy degree must attain a grade of at least C (2.00) in each course throughout the program. Candidates in the applied science early childhood education program must attain a C (2.00) grade in every technical course.

Program Requirements
Before or upon completion of 32 semester hours, associate degree students are required to contact the student services office at their campuses to obtain an official program requirement sheet. This sheet should be completed in consultation with the students’ advisors and a copy returned to the Student Services office.

Requests for adjustments in program requirements must be approved prior to enrolling in a course that is not in the prescribed curriculum. Requests for adjustments will not be accepted during the semester in which the students expect to graduate, except when a course has been canceled at the beginning of that semester or upon determination of the campus dean that there have been mitigating circumstances.

Residency Requirements
Students seeking an associate degree must complete either the first 45 or final 15 hours of their programs at Kent State University to fulfill their residency requirement. This means that those hours must be completed either at the Kent Campus, at the Regional Campuses or some combination of both. Credit earned by means of transfer or correspondence courses do not count toward the hours required to fulfill residency.

Requirements for Additional Degrees
To pursue concurrent associate degrees, students must be in good academic standing and enrolled officially for a first, or primary, associate degree. Students may qualify to receive a concurrent associate degree by successfully completing all the requirements for both and a minimum of 15 credit hours beyond those required for the primary degree. To pursue a concurrent degree, students must: obtain advising from a faculty member in each degree program; complete a Program Requirement Sheet for each program; and receive approval from the Office of the Executive Dean for Regional Campuses. Only after approval is granted may students enroll for a second degree. Students must enroll for both degrees in time to meet graduation application deadlines for the semester in which they expect to receive the degrees.

Students who hold an associate, baccalaureate or graduate degree and wish to pursue an associate degree may do so by successfully completing all program and residency requirements, in addition to a minimum of 15 semester hours.

Because of the similarity in program requirements, the Associate of Arts and the Associate of Science degrees may not be earned concurrently; nor may either be awarded as an additional degree when one or the other has been previously conferred.

Pass/Fail, Advanced Placement and Credit Testing
Only pass/fail credits earned in experimental courses, CLEP, DANTES, Credit-By-Examination and credit-bearing advanced placement may be applied toward degree requirements in the Associate of Applied Business and Associate of Applied Science programs. The restrictions on pass/fail options for students seeking an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree are presented in another section of this Catalog.

The university policy on credit earned through advanced placement, CLEP and Credit-By-Examination also is presented in another section of this Catalog. Briefly, however, associate degree students may earn no more than 15 semester hours through a combination of advanced placement, CLEP and Credit-By-Examination toward their degrees. Noncredit-bearing advanced placement waives a requirement or prerequisite but not credit hours necessary for the degree.

Transient Work at Another University
Students who wish to take coursework at another accredited institution of higher education must be in good standing and receive prior approval of the campus dean if they intend to apply this work toward an associate degree. Only coursework earning a grade of C (2.00) or better will be considered for transfer to Kent State University. Neither the GPA nor the grades earned are used in computing the Kent State GPA.

Correspondence Course Credit
Kent State does not offer correspondence courses. Up to 6 semester hours of correspondence coursework from an accredited institution will be accepted toward an associate degree; however, each course must carry a grade of at least C and be applicable to the student’s associate degree program. Correspondence credit does not count toward the residency requirement.

Graduation
Associate degrees are conferred at each Regional Campus at the end of the academic term in which all requirements are successfully completed. Commencement ceremonies are typically held at the end of each academic year.

Application for Graduation
Graduation applications, information and deadline dates may be obtained from the Student Services office at each Regional Campus. Application for graduation may also be completed on the Web (at www.kent.edu/regional/students/graduation.cfm), printed and taken to the Student Services office. Completed application forms are to be returned by the deadline to that office. If students do not complete the proper application process, the degree will not be granted until the next term; however, it will be necessary for the student to reapply.

Graduation with Distinction
Candidates for associate degrees who demonstrate high levels of scholarship through their coursework will graduate with distinction. “With Distinction” is awarded when students achieve a GPA of 3.50 or better for all undergraduate coursework at Kent State University. In order for students to be considered for graduation “With Distinction” and have it inscribed on their diploma, a minimum of 32 credit hours must be completed at Kent State University. The students’ unadjusted GPA at the time the associate degree is conferred (which should be unadjusted by the application of the Academic Forgiveness Policy, Course Repeat Policy or Rule for Recalculation of First-Year Grade Point Average), will be used in determining “With Distinction.”