May 03, 2024  
2022-2023 Student Handbook 
    
2022-2023 Student Handbook [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Academics


Academic Calendar

Odessa College follows a published calendar for each academic year. This calendar is published in the Odessa College schedule of classes that is available on the Odessa College’s website (www.odessa.edu).

Consult the college calendar for important dates such as registration dates, deadlines for dropping classes, and filing for graduation, final exams, graduation, holidays, and spring break.

Adding or dropping a class can affect a student’s schedule considerably. Adds and drops can also affect whether a student is considered full time or not. Students should consult their program advisor or their academic success coach for more information about adding or dropping classes.

Academic Progress

Most OC degree and certificate plans require that students have a GPA of 2.0 or higher for graduation (one exception is the Nursing Program, which requires a 2.75 GPA); therefore, students are considered to be in good standing as long as they maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher on a semester or cumulative basis.

Credit by Examination

Students can earn credit for knowledge they have attained by other methods by passing an advanced standing Odessa College departmental examination, passing the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) in specific subjects, or articulating Career, Technical, and Workforce Education courses from their high school program. Odessa College will accept a maximum of 30 semester hours by these three methods. Hours gained in credit by examination must be on parity with other credit hours taken at OC.

Credit Hour

In accord with federal and state regulations, a credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates

  1. Not less than one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester hour, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time, or
  2. At least an equivalent amount of work as required outlined in item 1 above for other academic activities as established by the institution including laboratory work, internships, practicum, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours

Degrees & Certificates

Odessa College is authorized by the state of Texas to provide instruction leading to a variety of degrees and certificates. Please see the Odessa College Bulletin/Catalog of Courses for a complete list and description of degree programs.

  • Associate in Arts
  • Associate in Science
  • Associate in Arts General Studies (by Meta Major)
  • Core Completion Certificate
  • Associate in Applied Science
  • Level I Certificate
  • Level II Certificate
  • Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences

Certificates are designed as a component of the degree program to allow students the opportunity to continue their studies and complete a Level II certificate or A.A.S. should they so desire.

Grade Point Average

Your grade point average is calculated by dividing the number of grade points earned by the number of hours attempted. To be a student in good standing you must maintain a grade point average of 2.0 or higher. Generally, a student must have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher to be eligible for scholarships or scholastic honors.

Please refer to your Odessa College Academic Catalog for specifics on computing your grade point average.

Graduation

Odessa College holds graduation ceremonies at the end of each fall and spring semester. To be eligible to participate in either ceremony a student must complete and file an application for graduation by the published deadline for the semester that course work will be completed. 

Graduates can make arrangements to purchase or borrow caps and gowns from the Odessa College Bookstore.  Invitations and information on class rings are also available.

Graduation Honors

A student who has completed at least 30 hours in residence at OC will be eligible for graduation with honors. A student with a GPA of 3.5 to 3.699 will be graduated cum laude, a student with a grade point average of 3.7 to 3.899 will be graduated magna cum laude, and a student with a GPA of 3.9 to 4.0 will be graduated summa cum laude.