The associate degree at American River College requires coursework of at least 60 units. Each semester-long course is generally worth 3 units. The student's overall grade point average must be 2.0 or higher. The student must complete all the requirements in his chosen major, which total between 18 and 30 units, with a grade of C or higher. In addition, the student must fulfill all of the general education requirements described below.
Associate degree candidates must complete three required courses with a grade of C (2.0) or higher: one in the reading competency category, another in the written expression competency category and a third in the mathematics competency category. Students must also pass one humanities course, two language and rationality courses, one physical education course, one life development skills course, one natural science course, one American institutions course, one social or behavioral sciences course and one ethnic or multicultural studies course.
Students can choose to graduate with a certificate instead of an associate degree if they wish. The Career Certificate, also known as a Certificate of Achievement, is issued to students who complete the requirements for a major but not the additional credits and general education requirements for the associate degree. A Career Certificate requires 18 to 30 units of coursework, depending on the major. Certificates of Completion are issued to students who complete the coursework in one of the listed programs of study, each of which has between 3 and 17.5 units of required coursework.
Students intending to graduate must submit a Petition for Graduation to the Enrollment Services office. Petitions are due on the first Friday in March for spring graduation, the fourth Friday of June for summer graduation or the first Friday of October for fall graduation. If the petition is not received by the deadline, the student must wait until the next graduation term. American River College holds a commencement ceremony each spring for students who graduated in the past year, though students are not required to attend the ceremony.