Academic Counseling

Occupational Certificates

Certificates of Achievement are designed to prepare students for specific occupational employment. Certificates can be helpful in obtaining or upgrading employment with the number of units required varying from program to program. Certificates include only the required technical courses, and some programs have prerequisites. To identify the exact courses required just look in the Catalog for the program you're interested in. Some certificate programs may be expanded to include general education courses resulting in the completion of an associate's degree.

What many people do is complete a certificate program, then sometime later (yes, even years later!) come back to school and use those courses again as the major and often the electives for an associate's degree--or even as preparation for transfer. Other people work on certificates and the requirements for a degree at the same time.

So it's all up to you ! Contact a Counselor and GET STARTED!!!!!!!

Graduation with an Associate's Degree

Students can earn an Associate's Degree and, with careful planning, also meet some or all of the requirements for transfer to a four-year college or university.

Graduation generally requires the equivalent of two years of full-time study which leads to an Associate in Science (A.S.) or Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree.

For an extensive coverage of programs available, you can refer to Section IX, "Programs of Study" in the Victor Valley College Catalog.

REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATION WITH AN ASSOCIATE DEGREE
Graduation generally requires the equivalent of two years of full-time study which leads to an Associate in Science (A.S.) or Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree. For a quick listing of degrees, click here Degrees & Certificates . For more extensive coverage of programs available, turn to the grey-shaded pages of the catalog, "Programs of Study."

The college's graduation requirements allow students to earn an associate's degree and, with careful planning, simultaneously meet requirements either for an occupational certificate or for some or all of the requirements for transfer to a four-year college or university, or both.

Students who wish to transfer should check with their intended institution regarding which courses meet that school's requirements.

Distribution of units for the AA / AS Degree

General Requirements (Section A)
An associate's degree requires 60 degree-applicable units, distributed among the major, general education, and electives. Click this link to see a summary of the requirements for the associate's degree at VVC. This listing is also available as a worksheet at the front desk in Counseling (ask for the "green sheet").

Note: If you're planning to transfer to a university, the key idea to keep in mind when you plan your courses for your VVC major and general education requirements is that you want to fit your transfer university's course requirements into VVC's graduation requirements; that is, use their required courses to meet VVC's degree requirements.

Courses for Your Major (Section B)
At least 18 units are required for a VVC major. Select your courses from those listed under your major in the grey-shaded section of this catalog, "Programs of Study."

General Education (GE) Requirements (Section C)
At least 18 units are required for your GE.

Physical Education (PE) (Section D)
At least one activity or non-activity (lecture) course in Physical Education is required of all students who wish to earn the associate's degree. Courses range from .5 unit to 3 units in value. A maximum of 4 units of PE activity courses will count toward the degree. Courses listed under Athletics do not satisfy the requirement. Having completed military basic training usually fulfills this requirement; a copy of the student's form DD214 or other documentation must be on file with the Office of Admissions.

Electives (Section E)
The remaining units for the degree -- approximately 24 -- are called electives, because after satisfying your major and GE requirements, you may elect to take whatever you like, with some restrictions and recommendations. For example, you might want to complete courses towards an occupations certificate or towards possible transfer objectives.

Application for Graduation
The graduating student is responsible for filling with the Office of Admissions an application for graduation, which includes submitting all transcripts from other colleges and all other documents verifying completion of any requirements. Visit the Apply for Graduation web site.

Second Degree or Additional Degrees
To earn more than one Associate Degree, the following apply:

1. Students must complete an additional 18 units from an approved departmental major for each additional degree
2. No course used to fulfill MAJOR requirements for the first degree may be used to fulfill MAJOR requirements for a subsequent degree.
3. The general education requirements used for the first degree remains as the general education requirements for subsequent degrees.

Catalog Under Which You Graduate
The rules and requirements found in the VVC Catalog form the student's "contract" with the college. Students may select which set of requirements will apply from those in effect at any of three points in their college careers: those in place at the time of entrance or re-entrance; those applicable during a time of continuous attendance; or those in effect at the time of graduation. Enrollment in at least one regularly transcripted course per year, including summers, is considered continuous attendance. An absence of not more than two years due to an approved educational leave, or to attendance at another college or university, is not considered an interruption in attendance. Maximum "catalog life" is six years prior to graduation.

Four Year College or University

Students can generally complete the first two years of a four-year bachelor's degree at a community college, like VVC, while simultaneously pursuing an associate's degree. To determine the exact courses you need to take here in order to satisfy requirements at your intended transfer institution, consult with a counselor, with VVC's Transfer Center, and, of course, with the transfer institution itself.

TRANSFERRING TO A FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY
VVC transfers about 250 students annually to campuses of the University of California, California State University, and various private schools. These students traditionally do as well as or better than students who began as freshmen at the four year college. We want to see even more students transfer!

Students can generally complete the first two years' worth of a four-year bachelor's degree at a community college, like VVC, while simultaneously earning an associate's degree. To determine the exact courses you need to take here in order to satisfy requirements at your intended transfer institution, find your major in the the grey-shaded section of this catalog, "Programs of Study, ". If your school (or major) is not listed, you will need to make further inquiries. Consult with a counselor, with VVC 's Transfer Center and, of course, with the transfer institution itself. You can find out more specific information about transferring at www.assist.org or www.californiacolleges.edu

There are four major types of universities or four-year schools to which community college students transfer: The University of California (UC) system, the California State University (CSU) system, private institutions, and out-of-state institutions.

University of California (UC)
The UC system is world-renowned for its excellence in teaching and, in particular, research into what makes the world the way it is. Each of the nine campuses statewide (eight undergraduate) has its own distinct academic and social character, but all offer intellectually challenging bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs in an academically rigorous environment.

California State University (CSU)
The twenty-two campuses of the CSU system offer a wide variety of innovative and exciting bachelor's and graduate-level programs whose goal is to prepare citizens for effective participation in society. As with the UC system, each campus has its own "flavor", but all offer well-regarded programs, many of which are internationally prominent.

Private and Out-of-State Institutions
Private schools such as the University of Southern California ( USC) or Pepperdine, and out-of-state institutions, such as University of Nevada at Las Vegas (UNLV) or the University of Arizona, are some of those to which VVC students transfer. Such institutions are geographically and figuratively" all over the map, " and students are advised to consult them directly. Visit the Transfer Center for more information.

Nontraditional Degree Programs
A number of nontraditional bachelors and graduate-level programs are offered by accredited institutions. These programs designed for people whose distance, work or family situations prevent them from regular attendance in more traditional programs.

For more information about transferring, please click on Transfer Planning.

Many students elect to complete two or even all three of these goals at the same time, and they can with careful planning.

The Victor Valley College Catalog, which contains a wealth of practical information on Programs of Study, Course Descriptions, General Education and Graduation Requirements, can be purchased at the VVC Rams Bookstore or the Bursar's office.

Last Modified: 2007-10-18.