General Information
Degrees & Certificates
Clark College awards six (6) degrees: the Associate in Arts degree, for completion of a program of study for transfer to a senior institution; the Associate in Science degree, for completion of a program of study in the sciences in preparation for transfer to a senior institution; the Associate in Fine Arts degree, for completion of a program in fine arts in preparation for transfer to a senior institution; the Associate in Applied Science degree, for completion of a program of study in an occupational program; the Associate in Applied Technology degree, for completion of a program of study in an occupational program; and the Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS), to increase the educational pathways for professional and technical associate graduates. BAS degrees require a minimum of one hundred eighty (180) credits/units and a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0.; each associate degree requires a minimum of ninety (90) credits/units and a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0. Certificates of Proficiency are awarded upon completion of a minimum of forty-five (45) credits/units of specialized occupational training, including general education requirements, and require a minimum GPA of 2.0. Certificates of Achievement are granted upon completion of a program of specialized occupational training of less than forty-five (45) credits/units and require a minimum GPA of 2.0. Individual departments offer Certificates of Completion with varying credit/unit requirements.
The grades assigned in transferable courses by the sending institution shall not be altered by the receiving institution. Courses completed with a grade of ‘D’ or above shall normally be accepted in transfer (except at The Evergreen State College, where a minimum of 2.0 or ‘C’ is required for transfer). Nontraditional grading practices require special handling, depending on the nature and circumstances of the program from which and to which a student is transferring, but receiving institutions shall take steps to assure all students receive equitable treatment.
A student may earn more than one career-technical degree and/or certificate at Clark College, and a student may earn a combination of academic and career-technical degrees and/or certificates. A student can also earn a Direct Transfer Agreement degree and an additional MRP degree (for instance, a student can earn a degree in both Business Administration – MRP and an Associate in Arts –Transfer).
In an effort to accommodate our mobile student population, Clark College has adopted a residency policy that recognizes the value of coursework completed from other institutions of higher learning.
To obtain a degree or certificate from Clark College, students are required to earn a minimum number of credits/units in residence at our institution. Clark College does allow students to transfer credits/units toward meeting degree or certificate program requirements. There is no restriction on the number of transfer credits/units allowed; however, students must meet the minimum in-residence credit/unit at Clark College for their specific program.
Refer to the following information for specific requirements and restrictions for each type of program:
Bachelor Degree
A minimum of thirty (30) credits/units, pre-college or college level, must be completed at Clark College at any time to meet Academic Residency.
Associate Degree
A minimum of thirty (30) credits/units, pre-college or college level, must be completed at Clark College at any time to meet Academic Residency.
Certificate of Proficiency
A minimum of fifteen (15) credits/units, pre-college or college level, must be completed at Clark College at any time to meet Academic Residency.
Certificate of Completion
A minimum of ten (10) credits/units, pre-college or college level, must be completed at Clark College at any time to meet Academic Residency.
Certificate of Achievement
A minimum of ten (10) credits/units, pre-college or college level, must be completed at Clark College at any time to meet Academic Residency.
Non-traditional credit/unit and credit/unit earned through academic credit for prior learning may not be included within the minimum number of credits/units required.
Academic Subplans
Clark College utilizes three types of subplans. Subplans allow for specialization within a program. Some subplans are transcribed on student transcripts and some are not.
Academic Concentration
- Academic concentrations consist of 15 to 30 credits/units (on average) of course work applicable to transfer degree requirements, and the concentration must be earned concurrently with a transfer degree.
- Academic concentrations are transcribed on student transcripts.
- Academic concentrations must have some tangible transfer benefit for students (e.g., MOU or articulation agreement with specific transfer institutions).
- Academic concentrations must include one or more concentration-specific learning outcomes that are regularly assessed.
- Students are limited to one academic concentration per program (plan code).
Academic Emphasis
- Academic emphases are designed to expose students to a subject matter/discipline and represent a “suggestion of classes” or “possible sequence” of classes.
- Emphasis areas are not transcribed on student transcripts but can be informally used to reference a breadth of work in an area.
- Emphasis areas are informed by Guided Pathways Maps and not driven by transferability, community partnerships or articulation agreements. They aim to support the student experience and provide exposure to a wider breadth of course work in an “area”.
Academic Option
- Options are available to Professional Technical/CTE programs only.
- Options represent a grouping of classes within a focus area and the option once completed is transcribed on student transcripts.
- Programs that offer multiple options (focus areas) can require that students select a specific option and complete the grouping of classes outlined as part of a degree path.
- Students are limited to one academic concentration per program (plan code).
Online Learning Degrees
For information about Clark College eLearning programs and degrees, see Online Learning Degree Programs
Academic Residency Requirements for Veterans
Clark College, in compliance with the Department of Defense (DOD) Voluntary Education Partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Executive Order 13607 of April 27, 2012, limits academic residency requirements for active-duty service members to no more than 25 percent of the degree program (22.5 credits/units); recognizes all credit/unit course work offered by the institution as applicable in satisfying academic residency requirements; and allows service members to satisfy academic residency requirements with courses taken from Clark College at any time during their program of study.
Academic Honors
To be eligible for academic honors, students must have a minimum GPA of 3.4. Honors for the Associate in Arts degree and the Associate in Science – Transfer degree are based on the cumulative college-level GPA, while the Associate in Applied Science, Associate of Applied Technology and Certificate of Proficiency are based on the cumulative GPA. Honors for the Bachelor of Applied Sciences are based on cumulative college-level GPA. Students in the Bachelor of Applied Science and associate degree programs will earn the designation of “with honors” for a GPA of 3.4 to 3.89, and the designation of “with highest honors” for a GPA of 3.9 or higher. Certificates of Proficiency will be granted the designation of “with merit” for a GPA of 3.4 or higher (Certificates of Achievement are not eligible for honors designations). Those students participating in June ceremonies will receive recognition at the celebration based on their appropriate GPA on record at the end of winter term. If honor status changes once final grades are processed, adjustments will be made to the student record.
Distribution Coding
The following codes may be included in some course descriptions and indicate the applicability of the course toward the general education requirements of Clark College degrees and certificates. Be sure to verify which courses have been approved to meet general education requirements for your particular degree or certificate program as Distribution Coding is not universally applied.
| Code | General Education Requirement |
|---|---|
| CA | Written Communication Skills (AAS and CP only) |
| CP | Computational Skills |
| CT | Written Communication Skills (AAT only) |
| GE | General Elective |
| HA | Humanities Academic (A list) |
| HB | Humanities Performance (B list) |
| HE | Health |
| HPE | Health & Physical Education |
| HR | Human Relations |
| NS | Natural Sciences |
| NS-Lab | Natural Science with Lab |
| OC | Oral Communications |
| PE | Physical Education Activity |
| PPI | Power, Privilege and Inequity |
| Q | Quantitative/Symbolic Reasoning |
| SE | Specified Elective |
| SS | Social Sciences |
| WC | Written Communication Skills (Transfer only) |
Title IV Student Complaint Process
The Higher Education Act (HEA) prohibits an institution of higher education from engaging in a “substantial misrepresentation of the nature of its educational program, its financial charges, or the employability of its graduates.” 20 U.S.C. §1094(c)(3)(A). Further, each State must have “a process to review and appropriately act on complaints concerning the institution including enforcing applicable State laws.” 34 C.F.R. § 600.9. The Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) maintains a process to investigate complaints of this nature brought by community and technical college students in the State of Washington. For more information, contact the SBCTC Student Services Office at 360-704-4315.