Gulf Coast Community College awards associate degrees in arts or sciences, applied associate in science degrees, postsecondary adult vocational certificates, and certificates. One graduation ceremony is held each spring for all interested graduates. Students who graduate in the fall and summer terms must contact Andrea Chester prior to the spring deadline date if they want to participate. See college catalog for dates.

Some degrees are awarded with special recognition. For those who have achieved appropriate standards in their work, the words cum laude (with honors), magna cum laude (with high honors), and summa cum laude (with highest honors) are used. These achievements are recorded on diplomas and in official transcripts. Also noted on transcripts are members of Phi Theta Kappa, the honorary society for two-year colleges. These students are recognized at Gulf Coast Community College by wearing a gold stole over their academic gown.

Four academic degrees are generally recognized: associate, bachelor, master, and doctorate. Associate degrees are offered by two-year community colleges. The bachelor’s degree, or baccalaureate, takes its name from medieval tradition. The master’s degree was a license to teach (Licentaia docendi), so the "master" was an appropriate title. The earned doctorate represents advanced study and independent research in a specialized academic discipline. Those standards still apply to the doctorate, except for those conferred honorary doctoral degrees granted for meritorious and distinguished service in public or private endeavor.

From medieval practice, academic dress has three items: cap, gown, and hood. In reviving the use of these items for the United States, an intercollegiate commission in 1895 drafted a code that most colleges follow.

Associates wear a colored gown identifying the school colors or a gray gown, whichever the college prefers. The bachelor’s gown has long pointed sleeves hanging nearly to the knees. The master’s gown has a long oblong sleeve, open at the wrist. The doctor’s gown is faced with a broad strip of velvet and has three bars of velvet on bell-shaped sleeves.

For all degrees, the mortarboard is the traditional cap. The familiar "mortar board" with a tassel hanging to the left side is appropriate for all degrees. Those holding a doctor’s degree may wear a tassel of gold thread.

The academic hood is the identifying symbol of the degree. The associate degree is a short square hood and the colors identify the college which is awarding the degree. For advance degrees the length indicates which degree is represented. The color of the velvet strip indicates the field of study in which the individual’s most advanced degree was earned. The most frequently seen colors are white for liberal arts, yellow for science, light blue for education, pink for music, lemon yellow for library science, drab blue for business, black and white for journalism, purple for law, scarlet for divinity, blue for philosophy, and green for medicine.

Graduation at the Marina Civic Center
Panama City, FL

Student Development Home
Graduation Home
Procedure
Deadlines