Degree and Certificate Requirements

Requirements for a Certificate

Most OCC certificate programs require between 28 and 36 credit hours. Candidates for a certificate must complete a minimum of 15 credit hours at OCC as well as satisfy the requirements in their selected program indicated in the Degree Programs section of this catalog with a minimum cumulative 2.00 grade point average.

Requirements for an Associate Degree

Eligibility for a certificate or degree rests upon the satisfaction of these requirements:

1. Complete all academic requirements of the program. Academic requirements for each certificate program are listed with the parallel degree program description in this catalog.
   1. Upon completion of 30 hours toward a degree (15 hours toward a certificate), students should consult with a counselor.
   2. Upon preparing to enter the final semester, students should again consult with a counselor to determine degree and/or certificate eligibility.
2. Complete a minimum of 60 credit hours for a degree with a minimum cumulative 2.00 grade point average (GPA) overall, though many programs have a minimum-credit-hour requirement greater than 60.
3. All transfer students must complete a minimum of 15 credit hours at OCC.
4. Meet all General Education Distribution requirements (Associate in Applied Science degrees, Associate in Business Administration degrees, Associate in General Studies degrees, or Associate in Science degrees) or Michigan Transfer Agreement requirements (Associate in Arts degrees).

Effective Catalog Determination for Degree Requirements

Students leaving OCC who have completed 15 or more OCC credits may apply for graduation upon submission of transfer credits to complete degree requirements.

1. If the break is longer than three years, the effective catalog for the determination of degree requirements becomes the one in effect at the point at which the transfer credit is applied. Note: An Application for Admission is needed before the transfer credit can be processed. (Also see Procedure for Graduation.)
2. If the break is less than three years, the effective catalog remains unchanged for determining the completion of program requirements.

Reverse Transfer

Reverse transfer is an opportunity in which students who attended OCC in the past and then transferred to a four-year college or university will transfer credits from the four-year school back to OCC to determine eligibility for an associate degree or certificate at OCC. Several agreements exist between OCC and four-year colleges and universities to promote these opportunities. Students may also pursue a reverse transfer on their own by meeting with an OCC counselor.