Degree Types Offered
An organized program of study at Kalamazoo Valley Community College normally leads to a degree or a certificate that signifies completion of a prescribed program with certain educational and/or occupational goals. Our programs are listed by pathways which are major categories in which all occupations can be grouped. The occupations within a pathway share similar characteristics, and the people working within these occupations share common interests, strengths, and competencies. The listings are further subdivided by the type of degree or certificate awarded in each area. It is best to consult a counselor before enrolling in courses for a program and throughout your studies. Kalamazoo Valley awards the following:
Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree
A degree requiring completion of 62 credit hours or more, preparing the graduate for immediate employment.
An associate of applied science degree is normally granted for various curricula that are occupational in orientation and are designed to prepare graduates for immediate employment. In many cases, these curricula can also apply toward an advanced degree, but this is dependent on baccalaureate degree-granting institutions and is not the prime consideration in the design of curricula. The curricula for this degree have been developed with the help of various advisory committees that are knowledgeable in the specific career field. Requirements are frequently updated as knowledge and skills in these careers change.
Associate of Arts (AA) degree
A degree requiring completion of 62 credit hours or more, preparing the graduate to transfer to a baccalaureate degree-granting college or university.
An associate of arts degree is normally granted to students who complete the curricula in education or liberal arts. This degree allows students to follow a general program of interdisciplinary study in the liberal arts or combination of liberal arts and career courses. If you are planning to transfer to a four-year college or university, this degree will generally meet all requirements for admission to the junior class. It is best to consult a counselor.
Only a sampling of these degrees are listed in this catalog. It is strongly recommended that you see a counselor if you are interested in transferring after you leave Kalamazoo Valley.
Associate of Science (AS) degree
A degree requiring completion of 62 credit hours or more, preparing the graduate to transfer to a baccalaureate degree-granting college or university.
An associate of science degree is normally granted to students who complete the curricula in computer science, pre-engineering or pre-science. As in the case of the associate of arts degree, these students will generally be admitted as juniors to baccalaureate degree-granting institutions, but close examination of the appropriate curricula is most important.
Only a sampling of these degrees are listed in this catalog. It is strongly recommended that you see a counselor if you are interested in transferring after you leave Kalamazoo Valley.
Certificate (CERT) program
A one-year certificate requiring completion of 30 credit hours or more, preparing the graduate for a specialized occupation.
A certificate is normally reserved for the development of an employment skill. In addition to the certificate programs identified here, others may be developed to meet academic needs or particular employment goals. Requirements are frequently updated as knowledge and skills in these careers change.
Certificate of Achievement (COA) program
Certificate of achievement programs require more than three but less than 30 hours of credit, providing training in a specific set of job or employment skills.
Certificates of achievement meet the increasing demand by employers for certification of specific skills. Kalamazoo Valley may develop new programs to document specific employment skills to meet current employment market demands.
Career Academy Certificate (KVCA) program
A non-credit competency based certification earned through a career academy, providing training in a specific set of skills for employment in a specific occupation.
Career academies are designed by employers to focus on helping students gain the competencies required for entry-level employment in a variety of fields of work. Career academies are fast track, non-credit courses which require individual screening for admission.
Graduation Requirements
Associate Degree
As a candidate for graduation with the degree in associate of arts (AA), associate of science (AS), or associate of applied science (AAS), you must satisfy the following requirements:
- The successful completion of all course requirements as specified in the program of study. Below is a listing of suggested general education and program specific minimum credit requirements in each category;
| Category |
AA |
AS |
AAS |
| English/Communication |
6 |
6 |
6 |
| Mathematics and/or Science |
8 |
12 |
4 |
| Political Science |
3 |
3 |
3-OR- |
| Social Science |
6 |
6 |
3 |
| Humanities |
6 |
6 |
0 |
| Wellness/Physical Education |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| Related Studies |
|
|
|
| Required and/or Elective Courses |
16 |
12 |
15 |
| Career or Discipline Studies |
15 |
15 |
32 |
| Minimum total |
62 |
62 |
62 |
- A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 for all courses attempted;
- Enrollment at Kalamazoo Valley Community College for a minimum of fifteen (15) semester hours of credit;
- A satisfactory record of conduct;
- The fulfillment of all financial obligations to the college;
- The fulfillment of any special requirements which may have been required at the time of admission to the college, admission to a program, or establishment of a program plan;
- Students cannot graduate out of a catalog term that is greater than 8 years old. When a student has reached the 8 year limit, they will be required to update their catalog term with advising/counseling. The updated catalog term chosen should have the most benefit to the student as possible, whether it be updated to the following catalog term or the current term;
- Students petitioning to graduate for a second associate degree must demonstrate completion of an additional fifteen (15) unique college credit hours not applied to any other awarded associate degree. All other associate degree graduation requirements will continue to be applied as specified in the catalog.
Certificate
As a candidate for a certificate, you must satisfy the following requirements:
- The successful completion of all course requirements as specified in the program of study. The program requirements must meet the minimum number of 30 credit hours;
- A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 for all courses attempted;
- Enrollment at Kalamazoo Valley Community College for a minimum of fifteen (15) semester hours of credit;
- A satisfactory record of conduct;
- The fulfillment of all financial obligations to the college;
- The fulfillment of any special requirements which may have been required at the time of admission to the college, admission to a program, or establishment of a program plan;
- Students cannot graduate out of a catalog term that is greater than 8 years old. When a student has reached the 8 year limit, they will be required to update their catalog term with advising/counseling. The updated catalog term chosen should have the most benefit to the student as possible, whether it be updated to the following catalog term or the current term.
Certificate of Achievement
As a candidate for a certificate of achievement, you must satisfy the following requirements:
- The successful completion of all course requirements as specified in the program of study;
- A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 for all courses attempted;
- A satisfactory record of conduct;
- The fulfillment of all financial obligations to the college;
- The fulfillment of any special requirements which may have been required at the time of admission to the college, admission to a program, or establishment of a program plan;
- Students cannot graduate out of a catalog term that is greater than 8 years old. When a student has reached the 8 year limit, they will be required to update their catalog term with advising/counseling. The updated catalog term chosen should have the most benefit to the student as possible, whether it be updated to the following catalog term or the current term.
Career Academy Certification
Students in career academies must satisfy the following requirements:
- Successfully complete the program as specified in the course description;
- Demonstrate proficiency in the skills/competencies required for certification;
- A satisfactory record of conduct;
- The fulfillment of all financial obligations to the college;
- The fulfillment of any special requirements which may have been required at the time of admission to the college, admission to a program, or establishment of a program plan.
For more detailed career academy information, visit the Groves website at www.kvcc.edu/academies or call 269.353.1253.
Catalog Term Limits
Purpose: To establish guidelines for declaring and changing a program of study, thereby facilitating timely progress to degree completion that is consistent with industry standards and accreditation guidelines.
Definitions:
Catalog Term - academic semester in which one is admitted or declares a new program of study
Program of Study - area of study with a prescribed number of courses and credits in a specific academic subject
Stop Out - student who does not re-enroll for one semester or more (not including summer term)
A catalog term is determined when a student applies for admission to the college. During the application process a student chooses the term that they plan to enroll and their declared program of study. A student will follow the program requirements approved for that term. A student can update their catalog term to the current term if it benefits the student but cannot use a backdated catalog term. When choosing to update a program of study, the current most up-to-date catalog term will be used.
Students who elect to change to a new program of study will be required to enter the current catalog term.
Students who stop out for 2 years or more will be required to follow the catalog term in effect the semester upon re-enrollment.
Students cannot graduate out of a catalog term that is greater than 8 years old. When a student has reached the 8 year limit, they will be required to update their catalog term with advising/counseling. The updated catalog term chosen should have the most benefit to the student as possible, whether it be updated to the following catalog term or the current term. (Ex. If a program has drastically changed over the span of 2-3 years, the student's completed coursework would not be applicable to the current catalog's approved program of study but does apply to a catalog term one semester after the eight-year mark).
A student may appeal at any point in the process. The initial appeal will be made in writing to the Admissions, Registration & Records Office. A review board will be established to address catalog term limit appeals.
Responsibility: Advising/counseling will be responsible for updating a student's catalog term and program of study. The degree auditor will be responsible for confirming that catalog terms are within the 8 year window for graduation purposes.
Adopted: December 17, 2019
Institutional Learning Outcomes
Kalamazoo Valley Community College provides a high-quality education for its students and ensures that graduates have the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to function effectively in their personal and professional lives. Graduation competencies are the core knowledge, fundamental skills and attributes that the college has identified as necessary to being an educated person and a life-long learner. A quality educational experience at Kalamazoo Valley prepares an individual to:
- Achieve a level of competency appropriate for a one-year certificate or two-year associate degree;
- Prepare for advanced work and life-long learning;
- Effectively enter the workforce and be a well-educated member of the community;
- Transfer to a baccalaureate degree-granting institution.
The competencies that comprise a quality education provided by Kalamazoo Valley are the following:
- Effective written and oral communication skills. Organize and articulate thoughts and concepts in written and oral or non-verbal form to address a particular topic and audience. Revise a well-developed final product in standard American English utilizing external sources and proper citations.
- Ability to think critically and to solve problems. Recognize, define, analyze, evaluate, and interpret information to solve problems, draw logical conclusions, and develop alternative solutions or strategies.
- Ability to work in groups. Demonstrate interpersonal skills and effectively collaborate with other people to achieve a common purpose.
- Information, numeric, and/or technology literacy. Access, evaluate, and analyze various sources of information from text, data, charts, and graphs. Perform numeric computations and analyze and interpret the results. Effectively utilize technology in completion of tasks.
- A highly developed sense of ethics. Recognize the role ethical judgment plays in respect to society, community, and professional and personal interactions.
- Respect for diversity. Appreciate the rich and varied cultural backgrounds of fellow students and the global community. Understand the role that culture and environment play in individual behavior and the necessity of respecting individual differences.
- A global perspective. Understand global interdependence and the impact of historical, geophysical, political, economic, and socio-cultural forces on nations and people.
- Strong personal-management skills. Utilize resources and budget time effectively to meet deadlines and achieve goals.
Each course is designed to address one or more of these competencies. As students progress through their program of study, the competencies are collectively developed through a variety of courses and experiences.