Graduation Resources

2020 Fall Graduation is going VIRTUAL again!  Madison College, while understanding the disappointment of not being able to personally attend a commencement, has worked hard to make this day special for you!  The following are things you need to know:

1. The graduation fee of $20 will be WAIVED for summer and fall 2020 terms. No payment is necessary.
2. You will be receiving an email communication as well as a postcard through the mail regarding the steps needed to be completed to be part of the virtual graduation ceremony which includes:
   1. Step one will be filling out your profile on the Marching Orders webpage. Be sure to upload your photo and fill out your profile by December 8th to ensure you are included.
   2. Step two is to order your packet (cap and tassel or a cap, tassel and gown) through our vendor, Oak Hall, and have it shipped directly to your home (shipping charges may apply). This will NOT include a diploma cover. The deadline to order a packet and pick up at a campus has passed and is not an option at this time.
3. If you prefer to wait, caps, gowns, tassels, diploma covers, and honor/service cords NOT picked up prior to Thanksgiving shut down will be available at Truax, Goodman South, or your regional campus when they open again to students in spring. 
4. Your diploma will still be mailed to you after grades are posted in December.  Please allow 4-6 weeks.
5. For professional photos please contact Empire Photography for details.

Associate degrees or diplomas are issued when you:

• Complete the required curriculum both in hours of attendance and in terms of achievement
• Have obtained satisfactory achievement (C or 2.0 grade point average) in their major field subjects
• Have maintained an overall C or 2.0 grade point average in the program and;
• Are recommended by the department instructors and the dean/chairperson of the division

Twenty-five percent requirement: At least 25 percent of the credit requirements necessary for obtaining a diploma/degree in any program must be taken at Madison College. In some situations, a higher percentage of core courses are required to be taken in residence. Check with the division office for information.

Verify Your Status

You should run your Degree Progress report (previously called an advisement report), to verify you have completed, are in progress with, or are registered for all course requirements. You can view your Degree Progress report by logging into your myMadisonCollege student center, navigate to Academic Record, select Degree Progress and then click on your degree career. If all courses are satisfied or in progress, you can apply for graduation.

Degrees/Diplomas

Associate degrees/diplomas are mailed six to eight weeks after the semester or summer session ends and graduation is confirmed by your school office. If you receive incompletes or have other deficiencies on your records, your associate degree, diploma or certificate will be sent at the end of the semester during which all obligations have been satisfied. If you had terminated your attendance for a semester or more, you may be required to meet the current graduation requirements of the program in which you re-enrolled.

Additional Degree/Diploma

Only one diploma/degree may be awarded at a semester commencement. To obtain an additional diploma/degree, you must:

• Meet all of the requirements of the second diploma/degree
• Meet Madison College graduation requirements
• Acquire a minimum of 25 percent of the second degree/diploma credit requirements of new, additional credits in residence (for example, if the second program has 64 credits, a minimum of 16 credits must be taken in residency while meeting the requirements above.

Any exceptions to these policies shall be approved in writing by the dean of the school in which the program or second degree/diploma is offered (refer to the Credit for Prior Learning page).

Certificates

Certificates are not included in the commencement ceremony, with some exceptions. The certificate credential is not a degree, therefore, you complete a certificate, not graduate from it. 

You must apply and be admitted to a certificate in order to be awarded a certificate. At least 50 percent of the credit requirements necessary for obtaining a certificate must be taken at Madison College. Certificates are mailed six to eight weeks after the semester or summer session ends (either after the course work has been completed, or the term admitted if courses were completed prior to application/admission to the certificate).

If you have terminated your attendance and have been discontinued, you will be required to re-apply to the certificate, and must meet the current requirements of the certificate.

If your Degree Progress report indicates all requirements for your degree will be completed by the end of the semester, you are eligible for graduation and the system will apply for you.

If you are finishing, and your records still do not indicate a graduation applied status by mid-term, please contact Advising Services to evaluate your situation.

Graduation Steps

1. Log into your myMadisonCollege student account
2. Check Degree Progress report to be sure all requirements have been met for your program
3. Mid-term, check to see if you have an applied graduation status under Academic Record in your student center
4. Check your name for accuracy - if it should appear differently on your diploma, complete a Name Change Form
5. Verify your address in your myMadisonCollege student account to ensure receipt of your diploma
6. Once grades are posted at the end of the term, your course and program requirement completion will be verified by the college. If all requirements are fulfilled, your degree will be marked complete and your graduation status will be assigned to your record. 

If you are completing your degree in summer, you are automatically included in the following semester's midyear ceremony (held in December).