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5 Graduation

To graduate, the student must meet program graduation requirements in place at the time of admission and achieve an overall program GPA of 60 per cent or greater. To fulfil graduation requirements, students in graduate certificate programs require a minimum grade of 60 per cent in each course. Students in bachelor degree programs require a minimum grade of 60 per cent in each course in each semester, and an overall average of 65 per cent in the program.

To be eligible for a Georgian credential in a one- to three-year certificate or diploma program, the student must also complete a minimum of one semester OR 25 per cent of the program courses, whichever is greater, at Georgian College. To be eligible for a Georgian credential in a four-year degree program, the student must also complete a minimum of 25 per cent of the program courses at Georgian College.

All students must submit a Request to Graduate form to the Office of the Registrar at least eight weeks prior to convocation ceremonies.

In extenuating circumstances, the vice president, academic, and the registrar, in consultation with a dean, may review a student’s written request for review of graduation eligibility.

5.1 Graduation Timelines

Some students may not be able to complete their program requirements to graduate within the normal timelines. For these students, the following timelines apply:

  • Students registered in degree programs must complete program requirements within eight years of being admitted to the program;
  • Students registered in six-semester full-time programs must complete program requirements within five years of being admitted to the program;
  • Students registered in four- or five- semester full-time programs must complete program requirements within four years of being admitted to the program;
  • Students registered in two- or three-semester programs must complete program requirements within two years of being admitted to the program;
  • Students registered in one-semester programs must complete program requirements within one year of being admitted to the program;
  • Students registered in part-time studies programs must maintain continuous registration in order to complete the program according to the curriculum in place when they were admitted. Students not registered for one calendar year or more must then be readmitted and follow the new curriculum. Any exceptions to this must be approved by the Registrar.
5.2 Second Program Certification

Students who wish to pursue a program of study leading to a second credential must complete the graduation requirements for that program as outlined below:

  • For degree programs which are four years in duration, the candidate must apply for the program desired and, upon being admitted, complete a minimum of 25 per cent in the degree program at Georgian College;
  • For certificate and diploma programs which are one to three years in duration, the candidate must apply for the program desired and, upon being admitted, complete a minimum of one semester OR 25 per cent of the program courses, whichever is greater, at Georgian College;
  • For certificate of achievement programs which are normally comprised of six courses, the candidate must apply for the program desired and, upon being admitted, take a minimum of four of six courses; for those programs having total graduation requirements of other than six courses, 75 per cent of the program courses must be completed. These must be different courses than those already taken for credit toward previous certification;
  • When the candidate has been granted Advanced Standing, Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) and/or Exemptions for the program applied for, he or she will be required to take other courses to meet the requirements outlined above.  Further, he or she must obtain the approval for these courses from his or her academic area;
  • Co-operative education requirements, where applicable, will be assessed on an individual basis by the appropriate co-op consultant and dean.

Note: Students applying to graduate from more than one program are eligible to receive the highest level credential only.

5.3 Dean’s List

The Dean’s List recognizes full-time, post-secondary students who have achieved a GPA of 80.0 per cent or higher in any academic semester. This is indicated on the student’s grade reports.

5.4 Georgian Scholar

The status of Georgian Scholar recognizes graduates from Ministry-approved post-secondary programs who have achieved an overall GPA of 80.0 per cent or higher at the time of graduation. These graduates are recognized at convocation and their certificate or diploma states “With Honours.”

5.5 Program Distinction

The status of Program Distinction recognizes graduates from apprenticeship programs who have achieved an overall GPA of 80.0 per cent or higher at the time of graduation. These graduates are recognized at convocation and their certificate states “With Distinction.”

5.6 Governor General’s Academic Medal

Each year, the Governor General of Canada provides one medal to each college in Ontario. This prestigious medal is awarded to the Georgian College graduate of a post-secondary diploma program who has achieved the highest overall academic average.