This page outlines the academic requirements and the application process for graduation from Aims Community College. It is highly recommended to run a new degree audit every time you register or when changes are made to your record (i.e. course substitutions, transfer work, major changes, certificate change). This will help you stay on track for graduation requirements. The online application form is at the bottom of this page.
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Graduation
- Review the Graduation Requirements Policy & Procedure to ensure you are meeting/will meet all requirements for graduation.
- All degrees and/or certificates must be declared before applying for graduation. If you need to declare a Program of Study (POS), please utilize the 'Changing Program of Study' job aid.
- A Graduation Application should be submitted for the degree and/or certificate that you plan to complete, after your register for your final semester of classes. Please make sure all requirements will be met for graduation before submitting an application, by checking in with your advisor and utilizing your catalog. If requirements are not met yet, but the will be met by another means (transfer work, Challenge Exams, Sub Memo/Waiver, etc.) please make sure to submit an application and email gradapp@aims.edu, via your aims.edu email only, right away with those details.
- Summer students may participate in the Spring Commencement Ceremony and can apply for graduation after they register for their Spring course work.
- All course substitutions should be submitted before applying for graduation.
- If you need to transfer credits from another school, please begin the transfer credit evaluation process no later than 30 business days prior to the end of the semester you plan to graduate. Please visit our Transfer Information page for additional details.
- If you are taking a course at another college in the same term you will graduate, please email gradapp@aims.edu, via your aims.edu email only, with details on what credits you plan to transfer in your last semester, after you submit your graduation application. Please ensure you check with the Transfer Team to see what the courses will be equivalent to Aims. Send an official transcript with your final grades as soon as the grades are posted. Please see the posted deadlines below for the date official transcripts must be received each term. If the official transcripts are received after this deadline, graduates will be moved to the next term. Please visit our Transfer Information page for more information on where to send official transcripts.
To have your name listed in the commencement program, you must have your graduation applications in by the deadlines provided under "Commencement" and "Graduation Deadlines."
- You must submit a Graduation Application through Workday. Please review the Student Workday Resources page > Registration and Records > Graduation. If you have any questions about the application process, please email gradapp@aims.edu, from your Aims email account, not your D2L account or personal email account.
- Once you submit your application, you will receive an email confirming it was successfully submitted.
- If you applied for graduation in the current term, a follow up email will be sent to your aims.edu email, including information about your graduation status, as soon as it is reviewed. If you applied for a future term, a status report will not be sent until we begin reviewing that terms graduation applications. All applications are reviewed in the order they were received.
- All requirements for your program must be showing as being fulfilled/in progress in order for your graduation application to be reviewed and processed. If you will be meeting requirements in another way (transfer work, Challenge Exams, Sub Memo, etc.) this needs to be communicated to gradapp@aims.edu. If there is no communication about how remaining requirements will be met, your graduation application will be denied. If your application is denied, it will be your responsibility to follow up with your advisor and re-apply when the outstanding requirements have been resolved.
- If you need to make any changes to the graduation application after it is submitted (i.e. change in classes, change of major, change of certificate, change of graduation date), please email gradapp@aims.edu, via your aims.edu email account, with your new plans.
Aims officially graduates students at the end of each semester (Fall, Spring and Summer). Fall graduates are only invited to participate in the Fall ceremony. Spring & Summer graduates are only invited to participate in the Spring ceremony.
For Spring & Summer graduates, students will be invited to one of the two Ceremonies held, based on their Academic Division of their program(s). Students will be sent the specific Commencement Registration Form for the Academic Division their program falls under.
In order to participate in the ceremony, students must be on the tentative graduation list, by submitting a graduation application and being cleared, showing that all requirements of the program are being fulfilled. Prior to the date of the respective commencement ceremonies, students must order a Cap & Gown and register for the ceremony by the deadlines provided, once available.
For the Fall 2024 Commencement Ceremony, all Fall 2024 graduation applications must be submitted and accepted by October 4, 2024 at 5:00pm, in order to have their name included in the Commencement Program. Students who submit graduation applications after that deadline will not have their name included in the program, but can still attend the ceremony, if they are cleared for graduation.
Please visit the Commencement Ceremony page for any updated information about the ceremonies, Cap and Gown ordering and pick-up, once information is available.
A Commencement Participation Exception Request form would need to be completed for any requests to participate in a commencement ceremony other than the one prescribed based on the student's program completion term.
PLEASE NOTE: There will be no exceptions made for students to switch their ceremony term (or times for the two Spring ceremonies). All Fall graduates will only be invited to attend the Fall ceremony and all Spring & Summer graduates will only be invited to attend one of the Spring ceremonies.
Any Fall 2024 graduation applications (student's name & program) received after October 4, 2024 will not be reflected in the December 2024 Commencement Program.
Summer 2024 Graduation Deadlines
NOTE: The Spring 2024 Commencement Ceremonies will be held on May 10, 2024. Students applying for Spring 2024 and Summer 2024 will be recognized in one of the two ceremonies, based on their academic division. Summer graduates may not participate in the Fall ceremony.
- February 27, 2024: All graduation applications must be submitted by February 27, 2024 in order for your name to be included in the Spring 2024 commencement program. *
- May 30, 2024: Graduation Application Deadline to ensure all requirements are met for graduation with current registration, before the add deadline. **
- August 12, 2024: All grades including final semester are due
- August 30, 2024, 5 p.m.: Official Transcripts from other institutions must be received by 5 p.m.
- August 30, 2024, 5 p.m.: Final Summer 2024 deadline to complete any missing graduation requirements or submit last minute graduation applications.**
* Graduation applications will be accepted after February 27, 2024, however, your name and any programs applied for after that date will not be included in the commencement program.
** Applications received after May 30th will be accepted until August 30th, if all graduation requirements have been satisfied.
Fall 2024 Graduation Deadlines
NOTE: The Fall 2024 Commencement Ceremony will be held on December 13, 2024.
- October 4, 2024: All graduation applications must be submitted by October 4, 2024 in order for your name to be included in the Fall 2024 commencement program. *
- August 30, 2024: Graduation Application Deadline to ensure all requirements are met for graduation with current registration, before the add deadline. **
- December 18, 2024: All grades including final semester are due
- January 10, 2025, 5 p.m.: Official Transcripts from other institutions must be received by 5 p.m.
- January 10, 2025, 5 p.m.: Final Fall 2024 deadline to complete any missing graduation requirements or submit last minute graduation applications.**
* Graduation applications will be accepted after October 4, 2024, however, your name and any programs applied for after that date will not be included in the commencement program.
** Applications received after August 30th will be accepted until January 10th, if all graduation requirements have been satisfied.
Diploma and Official Transcript Release Dates and Information
*Diplomas are not available for students to pick up, but are mailed to the primary mailing address on record.
Summer 2024
- September 9, 2024: Official transcripts available with degrees and/or certificates listed
- September 23, 2024: Diplomas tentatively mailed to students on
Fall 2024
- January 27, 2025: Official transcripts available with degrees and/or certificates listed
- February 10, 2025: Diplomas tentatively mailed to students
For information on how to order your official transcript please visit our Transcripts page.
Aims has retained all academic transcripts since it began in 1967. Aims transcripts can be ordered via Parchment by following the steps below. Paper transcripts usually go out within 24 business hours of the receipt of the request; during peak registration times, it may take longer. Electronic transcripts typically get sent within a half hour of your online request. At this time, Aims does not charge for transcripts
Current/Active students:
- Login to your myAims account.
- Once logged in as a student, select 'Grades & Academic Records' and select 'Order Transcript.'
Alumni and Former students (current students can also create an account to use once their aims.edu email is inactivated):
- Create your transcript account here. You will need the exact name you used while attending Aims, your date of birth, either your Aims ID # or Social Security Number, and the answers to security questions you may have set up for your myAims account when you were here.
- Log in here as a Returning User if you’ve already created your transcript account.
*Replacement diplomas and/or certificates can also be ordered via Parchment and each document will cost $20. Please choose the 'Replacement Diploma' option once logged in. The words reissued will be on the replacement diploma and/or certificate and the current format and signatures will be used. Documents can take 2-6 weeks from the time the order was placed to reach the final destination.
Diplomas and/or Certificates:
Do not submit an order for a replacement diploma if you were just awarded a program and are waiting for the original copy to be mailed. The order will be cancelled as the original order is free.
Aims does not house High School Diplomas or GED information - please do not order a replacement diploma for GED or HS Diplomas. Call 970-339-6404 or email records@aims.edu to receive additional information on how to obtain those records.
If you do not have an active mailing address, your diploma will be held for one year. If no address is provided after one year, you will be required to re-order your diploma and a fee will be required to reissue your diploma. Please see the information above on how to re-order documents.
Your diploma will not be released if you have a hold on your account. If your hold is released after the diploma release date above, please contact the records office so we can release your diploma. Diplomas with holds are only held for one year. If the hold is released after one year, you will be required to re-order your diploma and a fee will be required to reissue your diploma.
Please contact the Registration & Records Office at 970-339-6404 and select the Graduation option or email gradapp@aims.edu to resolve issues with your diploma.
Please review the Graduation Policies and Procedures below.
Graduation Requirements Policy
Graduation Requirements Procedure
Degree Conferral Policy:
Academic records will be locked upon degree and certificate conferral. Under no circumstances will changes be made to the academic record after degree or certificate conferral.
When all degree requirements have been completed, a degree or certificate must be awarded and completed in the term that it is brought to the attention of the Records Office. Students cannot request a delay in awarding a degree once all degree and/or certificate requirements have been satisfied.
Graduation honors recognize outstanding academic achievement throughout a student’s academic career. Honors are based on a student’s cumulative grade point average (GPA) for all grades earned at the 100-level or above at Aims Community College.
Students graduating with a degree who complete at least thirty letter graded (A-F) credits at Aims, and whose grades qualify, will be granted the following designations:
- Cum Laude – 3.50 to 3.69 cumulative Aims GPA
- Magna Cum Laude – 3.70 to 3.99 cumulative Aims GPA
- Summa Cum Laude – 4.00 cumulative Aims GPA
Students graduating with a certificate who complete at least fifteen letter graded (A-F) credits at Aims Community College, and whose grades qualify, will be granted the following designations:
- Honors – 3.50 to 3.99 cumulative Aims GPA
- High Honors – 4.00 cumulative Aims GPA
In order to be recognized at the Commencement Ceremony, students must meet the graduation honors cumulative GPA requirements at the conclusion of the term immediately preceding the ceremony (i.e. if attending the Fall 2023 ceremony - you must meet the cumulative GPA hours from the last term you took classes, before Fall). Fall enrolled hours will count towards the credit requirements for Fall students. Spring enrolled hours will count towards the credit requirements for Spring and Summer students.
Eligible graduates, participating at the ceremony, will receive gold honor cords included in their regalia when it's picked up at the Bookstore. Graduation honors will be noted in the commencement program by the student’s name.
Graduation honors will be recorded on the academic transcript if a student meets the requirements at the completion of the term for which they are certified for graduation.