Catalog Rights Degrees and certificates Graduation Requirements Certificate of Completion Career Programs Email questions about: Degrees Certificates

The awarding of an Associate Degree is intended to represent more than an accumulation of units. It is to symbolize a successful attempt on the part of the College to lead students through patterns of learning experiences designed to develop individual capabilities and insights.

Among these are the ability to think and to communicate clearly and effectively both orally and in writing; to use mathematics; to understand the modes of inquiry of the major disciplines; be aware of other cultures and times; to achieve insights gained through experience in thinking about ethical problems; and to develop the capacity for self-understanding. In addition to these accomplishments, the student shall possess sufficient depth in some field of knowledge to contribute to lifetime interest.

Central to an Associate Degree, General Education is designed to introduce students to the variety of means through which people comprehend the modern world. It reflects the conviction of colleges that those who receive their degrees must possess in common certain basic principles, concepts and methodologies both unique to and shared by the various disciplines. College educated persons must be able to use this knowledge when evaluating and appreciating the physical environment, the culture and the society in which they live. Most importantly, General Education should lead to better self-understanding.

Graduation from Skyline College with the Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree requires the completion of at least 60 units, including requirements A through F listed below. Substitutions and waivers for degree requirements may be authorized by petition to the appropriate Division Dean. An application for the degree must be filed in the Office of Admissions and Records within the last two semesters of attendance (refer to calendar for the college year for deadline dates).

INSTITUTIONAL STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon completing an A.A./A.S. Degree and/or transfer preparation, students will show evidence of ability in the following core competency areas:

1. Citizenship – Use knowledge acquired from coursework and campus resources to be ethically responsible, culturally proficient citizens, informed and involved in civic affairs locally, nationally, and globally.
2. Critical Thinking – Demonstrate critical thinking skills in problem solving across the disciplines and in daily life.
3. Effective Communication – Communicate and comprehend effectively.
4. Information and Computer Technology Literacy – Demonstrate skills central to information and computer technology literacy.
5. Lifelong Wellness – Demonstrate an understanding of lifelong wellness through physical fitness and/or personal development.

TRANSFER OF CREDIT AND GRADUATION AND/OR CERTIFICATE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDENTS WHO TRANSFER AMONG THE DISTRICT'S COLLEGES OR OTHER COLLEGES OR UNIVERSITIES OUTSIDE THE DISTRICT
The San Mateo County Community College District Board of Trustees has adopted Board Policy 6.26, which provides for reciprocity of course credit among the District's three colleges for purposes of meeting graduation requirements.

A. Students may transfer from one College within the District to another without penalty, although differences in curriculum offerings among the Colleges may exist.

B. Individual courses students have taken at a particular College within the District that satisfy an area in the general education pattern, elective, statutory, and/or specific area requirements at one District College shall be accepted by the other District Colleges as satisfying those same requirements.

C. Students who have completed an entire General Education pattern, electives, residency, competency, statutory and specific area requirements, at one District College shall be determined to have completely fulfilled all area requirements for graduation or certificate programs at any of the District Colleges. Upon transferring to another District College, students shall be required to complete only those courses applicable toward their major for the Associate Degree or Certificate Program.

D. District students who transfer to another College within the District shall receive full transfer credit for instruction completed in their major field but, in order to graduate, they shall be expected to meet the major-field graduation requirements established by the College to which they have transferred.

E. Students who have taken course work at more than one of the District’s Colleges shall ordinarily be recommended for graduation by the College in which they have taken the majority of their course work. Students who have completed the majority of their course work at a college outside the District must complete a minimum of 12 units and a minimum of 50% of the total units required for the major at one or more the District Colleges in order to be recommended for graduation with the Associate Degree or completion of a Certificate Program.

Graduation Requirements Student Catalog Rights
Graduation requirements are listed in the Catalog. A student remaining in continuous attendance at Cañada College, College of San Mateo, or Skyline College may, for the purposes of graduation, elect to meet the requirements in effect at the college from which the student will graduate, either at the time the student began such attendance or any subsequent year of continuous enrollment.

For the purpose of this policy, "continuous enrollment" means attendance through at least the fourth week of instruction in either the fall or spring semester in each calendar year. Absence to attend another accredited college or university shall not be considered an interruption in attendance if the absence does not exceed one year. Catalog rights cannot supersede any State or Federal regulation or requirement in effect at the time of graduation.

Associate Degree Requirements.

A. Resident Requirement.
A minimum of 12 units must be completed in residence at Skyline College.

B. Scholarship Requirement.

1. A minimum 2.00 is required in all degree-applicable coursework.
2. All coursework transferred into SMCCCD, except non-degree applicable and upper division courses, will be evaluated to meet graduation requirements and will become part of the overall GPA.
3. The GPA from courses taken in SMCCCD and those courses from outside SMCCCD will be used in the calculation for graduation. Honors and Phi Theta Kappa are calculated and recorded at each college.

C. Major Requirement.
Any student pursuing an Associate Degree must declare a major field of study. The major is comprised of specific courses within a discipline or related discipline as specified by the appropriate division. Skyline offers both Associate in Arts and Associate in Science Degrees. Associate in Arts degrees are awarded in the fields of social science, humanities and other related curricula. Associate in Science degrees are awarded in the fields of biological or physical sciences and most occupational curricula.

A list of all Skyline Associate degree and Certificate programs, including the courses and units needed for each major, can be found in this catalog under "Associate Degree and Certificate Programs." A minimum of 18 units must be completed in a major. Some majors require the completion of more than 18 semester units.
In addition to completing the course and unit requirements for the major, a student must:

• Have an overall grade point average of 2.00 in the major. Some majors require a letter grade of "C" or better in each course.
• Complete a minimum of fifty percent (50%) of the units required for the major at Skyline College. Click here to see specific major requirements: Degree and Certificate Programs.

D. Basic Competency Requirements.
Competency requirements exist for the areas of Reading, Writing, and Mathematics. Students must demonstrate competency according to the following in each of the areas in order to be eligible for the A.A. or A.S. degree. Note: Satisfactory completion is defined as a grade of C or better.

1) Reading
a. Eligibility for Reading 420 as determined by a Skyline College approved English placement test; or
b. Satisfactory completion of English 100 or English 105 or equivalent course; or
c. Satisfactory completion of ESOL 400 or Reading 836 or English 846.

2) Writing
a. Eligibility for English 100 or English 105 as determined by a Skyline College approved English placement tests; or
b. Satisfactory completion of English 100 or English 105 or equivalent course; or
c. Satisfactory completion of ESOL 400 or English 836 (formerly English 800) or English 846.

3) Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning
a. Eligibility for Math 115 or 120 or 122 or higher as determined by a Skyline College approved placement test; or
b. Satisfactory completion of Math 110 or equivalent; or
c. Satisfactory completion of any course having at least Math 110 (Elementary Algebra) as a prerequisite.

Additional Associate Degrees and Certificates
A student may earn multiple Associate Degrees and Certificates from Skyline College. Each state approved degree or certificate will be posted to the student’s academic record and the student will receive diplomas for each degree earned. For additional degrees, any course used to meet the prescribed graduation requirement may count toward more than one degree. Courses used for one major may be used to meet requirements for additional majors. Courses used to meet the general education, competency and specific area requirements for the first degree may be used to fulfill these requirements for additional degrees, provided that the student has maintained "continuous enrollment" (See Associate Degree Requirements, Student Catalog Rights). If a break in enrollment has occurred, a student must comply with the competency, general education, specific area and major requirements in effect at the time the student resumes attendance or those in effect in subsequent years of the student’s enrollment. For additional certificates, courses may be used more than once to meet major requirements.

E. Specific Area Requirements
American History & Institutions
English
Physical Education
Ethnic & Cultural Diversity

F. General Education Requirements
General Education is the part of an educational program that introduces students to areas of study that develop breadth of outlook and contribute to balanced development. This general education is complementary to, but different in emphasis from, the specialized education received for a job, a profession, or from focusing on a particular field of study. The purpose of the program in General Education is to assist students in moving toward the following goals:

Requirements
A minimum of 18 units with a minimum of 3 units each in Sections 1, 2, 3, 4a, and 4b. Balance of course work may be taken from any section (1 through 5).

1. Natural Sciences
2. Humanities
3. Social Sciences
4. Language & Rationality
5. Personal Development

G. Satisfaction of Graduation Requirements by Examination
Some of the course requirements for the A.A. or A.S. degree may be satisfied by examination in accordance with regulations established by the college.

Changes in State Regulations Governing Community Colleges
The state of California has legislated a series of reforms designed to strengthen the community colleges. One of these reforms was a comprehensive review of standards for instruction in each course and classification of each course as applicable to the Associate degree. Classes that do not count as units for the Associate degree are shown in the college catalog following the course description. A course that does not count as units will have the following statement at the end of the course description: (Units do not count towards the Associate degree).

Certificates
Skyline College offers three types of certificates. A Certificate of Achievement (generally 12 to 30 units) is awarded in certain occupational fields upon satisfactory completion (minimum 2.0 grade point average) of a specific course of study in a state-approved program. Certificates of Achievement are posted to a student’s transcript. A Certificate of Specialization (generally 12 to 17.5 units) is awarded in certain occupational fields upon satisfactory completion (minimum 2.0 grade point average) of a specific course of study in a locally-approved program. Certificates of Specialization are not posted to a student’s transcript. A Skills or Career Certificate (fewer than 12 units) is awarded upon successful completion of designated courses in a specific occupational field. Skills and Career Certificates are not posted to a student’s transcript.

Units earned to meet certificate requirements may be applied toward the 60 units required for an AA or AS degree and may also satisfy the major requirement for an Associate’s Degree. A minimum of 12 units must be taken at Skyline College to fulfill the residency requirement, and 50 percent of the total units required for the Certificate must be completed at Skyline College.

Certificate requirements for an individual student shall be those listed in the Skyline College Catalog at the time the student’s studies begin. Those requirements may be followed throughout the student’s course of study as long as the student remains in continuous enrollment. For the purposes of this requirement, continuous enrollment is defined as enrollment in at least one semester each calendar year. If a break in attendance occurs before the certificate is earned, the certificate requirements shall become those listed in the College Catalog which is current at the time the student’s studies are resumed. A student may earn multiple Certificates from Skyline College. Each Certificate of Achievement will be posted to the student’s academic record and the student will receive a Certificate of Achievement, Certificate of Specialization, Skills Certificate or Career Certificate for each certificate earned. Courses used to meet requirements for one certificate may be used to meet requirements for additional certificates.

Every reasonable effort has been made to determine that everything stated at this site is accurate. "Graduation Requirements" is taken from the College Catalog (print-version) which is the official statement of graduation requirements. Refer to the current College Catalog.