Admissions
Graduation Information
Graduation Requirements | Commencement Ceremony | Graduation Honors | Graduation 2007
PSC grants certificates and the following six associate's degrees:
- Associate in Arts (A.A.)
- Associate in Science (A.S.)
- Associate in Fine Arts (A.F.A.)
- Associate of Arts in Teaching (A.A.T.)
- Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.; career and technical degree)
- Associate in General Studies (A.G.S.; not intended for career program or a bachelor's degree)
Specific curriculum requirements for a particular degree or certificate program are found the catalog under DEGREES, CERTIFICATES, COURSES. Consult that section of the catalog and the index for detailed information.
Graduation Requirements
To earn a degree or certificate, you must complete the academic requirements shown in the catalog for the year in which you entered Prairie State College. If the degree or certificate requirements are changed during your attendance, you may elect to satisfy either the new requirement or the ones in force when you enrolled. If you withdraw from Prairie State College for either a Fall or Spring semester, you must satisfy requirements in force at the time you re-enroll.
When submitting a graduation petition, you will be asked to identify the year of the catalog from which you are graduating. Any petition for alteration of graduation requirements must be submitted in writing on a Student Appeal Form—available in the Counseling & Academic Advising Center—at least one semester prior to graduation. Graduation petitions must be submitted to the Admissions Office no later than the following dates:
- Fall graduation: October 1
- Spring graduation: March 1
- Summer graduation: July 1
December, May and August candidates may choose to participate in the annual May Commencement ceremony (see following section, "Commencement Ceremony").
Students planning to receive a degree and/or certificate at PSC must request an official evaluation of their credits in the Office of Admissions & Enrollment Services by completing the "Transcript Evaluation Request Form" at least one or two semesters prior to degree and/or certificate completion in order to ensure correct course selections.
Commencement Ceremony
A Commencement (graduation) ceremony is held once a year, at the end of the Spring semester in May. Graduates from the previous Fall, current Spring and forthcoming Summer terms are invited to participate.
NOTE: This is the only ceremony held all year, though you may be certified as a graduate at the end of any semester of the academic year.
The deadline to apply for the ceremony is March 1, no matter which semester you actually fulfill the requirements for graduation.
For each degree application, a fee of $20 will be charged upon petitioning for graduation (this includes the cost of a degree diploma); there is no additional fee to participate in the ceremony. Students who earn a certificate will have that information posted to their college transcript free of charge; however, if a certificate recipient wishes to participate in the graduation ceremonies and therefore receive a diploma, a fee of $20 will be charged for each diploma.
Graduation Honors
There are three categories of graduation honors: Cum Laude (3.30-3.64 GPA); Magna Cum Laude (3.65-3.84 GPA); and Summa Cum Laude (3.85-4.0 GPA).
For more information about the Commencement Ceremony or the above graduation honors, call the Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs at (708) 709-3507.
Graduation 2007
MUSICIAN ORBERT DAVIS TO ADDRESS PSC GRADUATES
Prairie State College will hold its 48th annual Commencement on Saturday, May 19, at 1 p.m. in the Pioneer Fieldhouse. Chicago trumpeter Orbert Davis will be the commencement speaker.
Davis, who has been a lead performer and clinician at PSC’s annual Jazz Fest, is one of Chicago’s most sought after musicians. Winner of the 1995 Cognac Hennessy National Jazz Search, Davis was chosen by the Chicago Tribune as one of the “1995 Arts People of the Year.” Chicago magazine named him “Y2K Best Trumpeter in Chicago” and “Chicagoan of the Year for 2002.” His compositions, Concerto for Jazz Quartet and Orchestra and Four Tone Poems, premiered with the Chicago Sinfonietta Orchestra to rave reviews.
Davis performed and recorded with many notable artists. Recently, he was one of the four featured artists in the PBS documentary, “Beauty Rises: Four Lives in the Arts,” where producer Dan Andries calls him his “most surprising subject,”because of his remarkable commitment to youth and to the community.
“In 2008, the Prairie State College Jazz Fest will celebrate its 20th year,” said College President Paul J. McCarthy. “At every workshop, Orbert Davis distinguishes himself not only as a virtuoso musician, but also as a consummate teacher and motivator of young people. A list of graduates from the workshop reads like a Who’s Who of south suburban musicians.”
Davis, a native of Momence, Ill., has a bachelor’s degree in trumpet performance from DePaul University and a master’s in jazz pedagogy from Northwestern University. He is co-founder and executive director of MusicAlive! (a comprehensive music curriculum for at-risk youth). He recently joined the music faculty at the University of Illinois at Chicago as associate professor of music and director of jazz studies.
During the Commencement ceremony students earning Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, Associate in Fine Arts, Associate in General Studies, Associate in Applied Science degrees and certificates will be honored by family, friends and PSC’s Board of Trustees, faculty, staff and administration. Lesliefaye Gogins, PSC student trustee, will give the invocation.
Nearly 500 will graduate from PSC, while an estimated 250 of these graduates will formally recognize their achievements at the commencement ceremony. This year, the college will issue tickets to those participating in commencement.
“Commencement is a celebration our students share with their family and friends, but it can be overwhelming,” said Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students Mary Reaves. “For the safety of everyone and the enjoyment of our graduates’ friends and family, each graduate will be given six tickets to accommodate their guests.”
The President’s Leadership Award and Phi Theta Kappa Honors also will be presented. In addition to participating in Commencement, graduates of PSC’s highly respected Nursing and Dental Hygiene programs will conduct their annual pinning ceremonies the same day.
The PSC Pioneer Fieldhouse is located on the College’s North Campus in Chicago Heights. Parking is available off Vollmer Road in Lot E and off Halsted Street and 197th Place in Lot F. For more information, call (708) 709-3500.