Academic Year

The fall semester is the first term of the academic year. A summer term, whether one or more sessions, constitutes the last term of the academic year.

Student Responsibility

While counselors are available for assistance, the college expects every student to be familiar with graduation requirements and to assume responsibility for their completion.

Catalog Rights/Continuous Enrollment

A student remaining in continuous enrollment at one or more of the colleges of the Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) or any other regionally accredited college or university, may meet the VCCCD graduation requirements in effect at the time of his/her entering or at any time thereafter. This applies only to graduation requirements and not policies, procedures, or other regulations. Catalog rights/continuous enrollment are defined as attendance in at least one term each calendar year. Any academic record symbol entered on a transcript (A-F, CRE, P, NP, SP, I, IP, RD, W, EW, MW, and before fall 2009, CR and NC) shall constitute enrollment or attendance.

A student who has not maintained continuous enrollment is considered to be under new requirements when returning unless the student is granted a petition/waiver for extenuating circumstances. This petition must be initiated by the student through a college counselor and approved by the appropriate dean or designee.

Students should be aware that other governing agencies may impose more restrictive limitations concerning the definitions of continuous enrollment or continuous attendance. Some agencies define continuous enrollment as remaining in attendance during both fall and spring semesters. Some will not accept selected academic record symbols (such as Ws). Those who may be affected by more restrictive guidelines include students receiving financial aid, veterans, and international and undocumented.

Multiple Majors

Multiple majors are acceptable and occur when a student works simultaneously toward the completion of more than one major field of study. Completion of the major field of study does not change if a student has declared multiple majors. An Associate in Arts (AA), Associate in Science (AS), Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T), or Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T) degree with a multiple major can be earned by completion of all appropriate general education requirements plus the courses required for the majors as outlined in the College catalog under Course and Program Descriptions. The student must petition to graduate with each major. The student will be awarded one diploma for each major completed.

Course Substitution for Major and/or General Education Requirements

Occasionally, a student may have difficulty in completing exact major and/or general education requirements as specified in the college catalog due to circumstances of class schedule conflicts, class cancellation, related but nonequivalent coursework taken outside of this college district, or circumstances beyond the control of the student. Under such circumstances, a student may file a Petition for Course Substitution/Petition for Variance for Major and/or General Education Requirements to seek approval from the appropriate college officials to substitute one or more courses in a designated major, an area of emphasis, and/or in general education. The petition forms are available in the Counseling Office/Center.

Reciprocity for Local General Education Requirements

The College shall apply courses taken at other regionally accredited colleges or universities toward general education (GE) requirements in the areas where the student would have received credit at the institution where they were originally taken, or in the area where the college granting the degree places, or meets our GE criteria/description, or would place a comparable course, whichever best facilitates the student’s degree completion. (ASCCC Resolution 09.02 spring 2010)

Double Counting

Credit Course

While a course might satisfy more than one general education requirement, it may not be counted more than once for these purposes within sections A through D of the district general education pattern(s). A course may not satisfy more than one requirement within a major and/or area of emphasis. However, a course may be used to satisfy both a general education requirement and a major or area of emphasis requirement. A course may also be used to satisfy requirements in two (2) or more different majors, whether for an Associate degree, Associate degree for Transfer, Certificate of Achievement, or Proficiency Award. The units, however, may never be counted more than once toward the units required for the specific degree, certificate, or proficiency award.

Noncredit Course

A noncredit course that is prescribed in more than one Certificate of Completion program may also be double counted to satisfy requirements in two (2) or more different Certificate of Competency or Certificate of Completion programs.

Unit Transferability

While all California community colleges have transfer agreements with various educational institutions, students need to understand there are limits on the number and type of course credits a student can transfer. Each college develops courses and curricula based on the expertise of its faculty and District standards. Each course awards a certain number of units depending upon the course content. While the majority of our courses are articulated to the UC system and/or CSU system, there is a possibility that not all units for every course will transfer in their entirety to every transfer institution due to the receiving institution’s unit limitations. Students need to connect with a community college academic counselor as soon as possible, visit the Transfer Center, and regularly check www.assist.org to learn whether their specific courses are transferable to an institution of choice. Taking more credits than needed to transfer to another institution can also limit an eligible student’s financial aid opportunities. By working closely with academic counselors, the financial aid office, and a receiving institution’s support services, eligible students can maintain maximum levels of financial aid resources and transfer of credits.

Reciprocity for CSU GE-Breadth or IGETC Requirements

Students who are required to complete CSU GE-Breadth or IGETC for their particular degrees, such as General Studies Patterns II/III or Associate Degrees for Transfer, shall have their courses evaluated for reciprocity according to the rules set forth by either CSU Executive Order (EO) 1100 Revised or in the most recent version of the IGETC Standards.

Course Substitution within approved Associate Degrees for Transfer (AA-T/AS-T)

While the C-ID system establishes course-to-course reciprocity, where C-ID descriptors are not in place or where the substitution does not involve deeming two courses comparable, substitution decisions must be informed by the judgment of counseling or discipline faculty. When an AA-T or AS-T degree is being conferred, any substitutions made must result in the awarding of a degree that is consistent with the parameters defined by the Transfer Model Curriculum (TMC). The colleges are encouraged to apply courses that were completed as part of a TMC-aligned degree at one college for requirements within their own degrees to the greatest extent deemed possible and reasonable, but substitutions should only be made in instances where the TMC allows flexibility, as the local AA-T or AS-T degree awarded must remain consistent with parameters of the TMC for the specific discipline. For more information, see

• ASCCC Resolution 15.01, Spring 2011
• ASCCC Statements on Reciprocity, Course Substitution, and Credit by Exam—in light of AA-T and AS-T degrees, September 2013
• ADT Substitution Guidelines with Scenarios, 2019

Graduation Application Procedure

• Students must file a petition for a degree, a Certificate, and/or a Proficiency Award through the appropriate college office granting the degree and/or certificate.
• District Colleges offer three graduation dates: fall semester, spring semester, and summer term.
• Graduation ceremonies are conducted at the end of the spring semester.
• Graduation petition deadline dates are locally announced at each District College.

Exceptions to Graduation Requirements

Appeals to the above policy may be submitted to the Chief Instructional Officer or designee. Exceptions may be granted under extenuating circumstances or when there has not been sufficient opportunity to enroll in required courses.

Transfer Limitations

Students should be aware that the conferring of additional degrees by any college within the VCCCD does not always guarantee admission or the accomplishment of general education or major requirements at transfer institutions.

Reference: AP 4100 Graduation Requirements for Degrees and Certificates; last reviewed by the VCCCD Board of Trustees in December 2022.

Graduation Requirements

As authorized by the California Code of Regulations, Title 5 (Education) § 55063 (credit coursework) and Title 5 § 55150 (noncredit coursework), the Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) Governing Board confers the Associate in Arts degree, the Associate in Science degree, the Associate in Arts for Transfer degree (AA-T), the Associate in Science for Transfer degree (AS-T), Certificates of Achievement, Proficiency Awards (Title 5 § 55070), Certificates of Completion, and Certificates of Competency (Title 5 § 55072) to students who:

• provide required transcripts from any institutions attended, and
• satisfy the respective major and/or area of emphasis requirements listed in the college catalog, and 
• for Associate degrees, satisfy the General Education (GE) requirements set forth by Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations to include the VCCCD GE, CSU GE-Breadth, CSU GE-Breadth for STEM, IGETC, IGETC for STEM, or GE pattern for intended transfer institution, and
• file with the appropriate college office an application for one or more of the awards listed in the first paragraph of this section

Only those courses which have been designated as appropriate to the associate degree in accordance with Title 5 § 55063 and that meet the standards and criteria described in Title 5 § 55002, Title 5 § 55002.5, and Title5 section 55064 and have been properly approved pursuant to this section, shall be applied to any degree or credit certificate awarded by the district. Degree-applicable credit courses completed at regionally accredited institutions other than a California community college are expected to meet or exceed the same standards of § 55002(a). District policies and procedures regarding general education and program requirements must be published in the college catalog (Title 5 § 55060) and courses and programs, with the exception of Proficiency Awards, must be chaptered or approved by the California Community College Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO).

For more details, see

• Graduation Requirements for the Associate Degree
• Graduation Requirements for the Associate Degree for Transfer
• Graduation Requirements for Certificates of Achievement
• Requirements for Proficiency Awards
• Requirements for noncredit Certificates of Competency and Certificates of Completion

Guidelines for Additional Degrees, Certificates of Achievement, Proficiency Awards, and Noncredit Certificates

Any District College will award additional associate degrees, associate degrees for transfer, certificates of achievement, proficiency awards, certificates of completion, and certificates of competency to students under certain criteria which follow below.

Students seeking an associate degree(s) and who have a previous degree from a regionally accredited institution will only be required to complete:

1. residency
2. competency
3. general education minimum Title 5 requirements
4. major, and
5. scholarship requirements.

There will be no additional local GE or health/PE requirements (see below).

U.S. Degrees

A student who has earned an associate degree or higher at any regionally accredited institution in the United States may earn additional associate degrees. Institutions must be regionally accredited by one of the following accrediting bodies:

• Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
• New England Commission of Higher Education.
• The New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Committee on Technical and Career Institutions
• Higher Learning Commission
• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
• Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges
• The Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Senior College and University Commission

Degrees from International Institutions

A student who already holds an associate degree or higher degree from any international institution accredited by one of the above accepted regionally U.S. accrediting bodies or evaluated as equivalent to a regionally accredited institution by one of the member agencies of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services or one approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing may also earn additional degrees at one of the colleges of the VCCCD.

Students with transcripts in either of the above categories must complete the following minimum Title 5 requirements for the catalog year covering the additional degree(s).

• Residency requirements: Students must complete a minimum of 12 semester units at the community college granting the degree.
• Competency requirements: In reading, written expression, and mathematics as defined by Title 5 section 55063. Students pursuing an AA-T or AS-T will have met these competency requirements by completion of either CSU GE-Breadth or IGETC.
• General Education: Title 5 minimums include 18 units of general education with:
  • 3 semester units of Natural Sciences
  • 3 semester units of Social and Behavioral Sciences
  • 3 semester units of Arts and Humanities
  • 3 semester units in English Composition
  • 3 semester units in Communication and Analytical Thinking
  • 3 additional semester units in one of the five areas above.
• Major Requirements: Students must complete all required courses listed in the college catalog for the appropriate year for the specific major, Associate Degree for Transfer, area of emphasis, or area of option for the additional degree(s).
• Scholarship: Students must meet the standards of scholarship in effect for the catalog year covering the additional degree(s) including the following:
  • Courses for Associate degree majors must have a grade of “C” or better or “P” beginning in fall 2009.
  • Courses for Certificates of Achievement must have a grade of “C” or better or “P” beginning in fall 2012.
  • Courses for Proficiency Awards must have a grade of “C” or better or “P” beginning in fall 2012.

An additional degree can be in a specific major, General Studies with an area of emphasis, an Associate Degree for Transfer, or an additional option or emphasis within the major of the original degree.

Coursework taken for previously earned degrees may be used to fulfill the above requirements if deemed comparable by a counseling faculty and/or discipline faculty.

No additional general education or local graduation requirements may be required.

Exception to Requirements for Students in Nursing Programs

Nursing students who are admitted into the Nursing Program at a District College and who have already earned a baccalaureate or higher degree from a domestic regionally accredited institution of higher education are not required to take additional general education or local graduation requirements to earn an associate degree in Nursing per § 66055.8 of the Education Code.

Guidelines for Noncredit Certificate of Completion or Certificate of Competency

Any District College will award additional certificates of completion or certificates of competency to students under these criteria: students who have completed prior noncredit courses from other regionally accredited institutions will only be required to complete the remaining noncredit coursework and the attendance hours as prescribed within the program. A counseling faculty or a discipline faculty will use their best judgment to determine the comparability of the previously completed coursework.

Institutions must be regionally accredited by one of the following accrediting bodies:

• Middle States Commission on Higher Education
• New England Commission of Higher Education
• The New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Committee on Technical and Career Institutions
• Higher Learning Commission
• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
• Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges
• The Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Senior College and University Commission