Degrees and Certificates

General Requirements For Degrees And Certificates

Lake Washington Technical College awards an Associate of Applied Science degree (AAS) for completion of a technical program of study. Certificates of Proficiency and Completion are awarded for completion of a program of specialized technical training. General Education requirements for degrees and certificates can be found on the Programs of Study/General Education page.

Associate Of Applied Science Degree
Requirements

An AAS degree must contain a minimum of 90 credits. The number required varies with each program.

The AAS degree must contain a minimum of 20 credits of general education courses, including instruction in written communication (5 cr.); quantitative reasoning (5 cr.); social science (5 cr.); and oral communications (5 cr.).

To submit an application for an AAS degree, a minimum of the last 30% of the technical credits must be earned in residence, and the final quarter must be in residence at Lake Washington Technical College.

A minimum passing numeric grade (2.0 or higher) in each course that receives a numeric grade, and a cumulative average of 2.0 in all courses, is required for the AAS degree.

Students can choose to graduate under the catalog currently in effect or the catalog in effect when they started in the program.

Certificate Of Proficiency
Requirements

A Certificate of Proficiency is issued by Enrollment Services to students completing a program of specialized occupational training of 45 credits or longer. The number of credits varies with each program.

At least fifteen (15) credits of general education, including instruction in written expression (5 cr.); quantitative reasoning (5 cr.); and social science (5 cr.) are required along with the technical requirements listed in the catalog.

To submit an application for a Certificate of Proficiency, a student must have completed a minimum of the last 30% of the technical credits at Lake Washington Technical College, and the final quarter must be in residence.

A minimum passing numeric grade (2.0 or higher) in each course that receives a numeric grade, and a cumulative average of 2.0 in all courses, is required for the Certificate of Proficiency.

Students can choose to graduate under the catalog currently in effect or the catalog in effect when they started in the program.

Certificate Of Completion
Requirements

A Certificate of Completion is issued by Enrollment Services to students who satisfactorily complete the competencies and requirements for programs of less than one academic year, less than 45 credit hours in length, which does not necessarily include related instruction.

To submit an application for Certificate of Completion, a student must have completed all technical credits in residence at Lake Washington Technical College.

A minimum passing numeric grade (2.0 or higher) in each course that receives a numeric grade, and a cumulative average of 2.0 in all courses is required for a Certificate of Completion.

Students can choose to graduate under the catalog currently in effect or the catalog in effect when they started in the program.

Cooperative Education

Cooperative education is a process that draws upon community resources to expand students’ learning outside the classroom. It offers students the opportunity to blend classroom theory with planned, supervised field experience in areas relating to their career choices. They work with a cooperative education coordinator, faculty member and employer to identify and develop specific skills and learning goals to be gained through the encounter.

Students work on paid, or in some cases, unpaid training assignments while integrating specific periods of on-campus study with employment. The employer pays the student.

You may be able to apply your current job experience, if related to a career choice, toward a certificate or degree. Cooperative education experience may substitute for some coursework to meet personal needs. For more information on Cooperative Education, contact your faculty adviser.

Prior Learning Assessment Course Challenge/Credit By Examination

Prior Learning Assessment is a method whereby learning gained through an individual’s life experience is considered as credit toward a college degree program. This learning can come from a variety of sources, including work, volunteer, hobbies, and/or family responsibilities. Students may receive Lake Washington Technical College credit if an acceptable level of competence in the course material is demonstrated.

Up to 25% of the credits required for a degree or certificate may be earned through prior learning experience (PLA). Awarding of PLA credits by Lake Washington Technical College does not guarantee or imply that other institutions will accept such credit. See an advisor for further information.

Developmental Education Services

Students come to Lake Washington Technical College with skills at varying levels, yet they want to become more successful in everyday life or in training programs. The college offers developmental education to many students who:

• Have been out of school a long time and wish to brush up on basic or study skills
• Need to improve basic reading, writing and mathematics skills before enrolling in other college courses
• Are from non-English speaking countries who wish to improve their English abilities
• May already have adequate skills but wish to improve them further
• Wish to finish their high school education or obtain the General Education Development (GED) certificate

Adult Basic Education

Adult Basic Education (ABE) class instructors offer assistance in developing basic skills in reading, writing, speaking, spelling, vocabulary, grammar, problem solving and math. Emphasis is on developing useful knowledge and applied skills such as financial and health management, parenting and raising a family, and finding and keeping a job. The ABE program welcomes all adults who want to improve their skills. Each student discovers where his or her learning level is, and a personal program is developed. All learning levels, from the very basic to GED, can be accommodated. The Academic Skills Center offers group classes and individualized instruction. For more information, please call the college at (425)739-8100, ext. 656.

General Education Development

General Education Development (GED) is a series of five tests developed by the American Council on Education to enable persons to obtain the equivalency of a high school diploma. Earning a GED provides students with greater access to employment, advancement and higher education opportunities. The Academic Skills Center offers GED preparation classes and pre-tests. All students, under the age of 19, need to obtain a release from their school district in order to take the test. Two pieces of ID are required at the time of testing. The college is a designated testing center for GED exams. Testing appointments must be scheduled in advance either at the Assessment Center, West Building, 2nd floor, or by calling (425)739-8115. For more information, go to www.lwtc.edu/assessment.

English As A Second Language

The college serves a highly diverse population of students from around the world, many with limited English-speaking skills. For those who want to improve their proficiency in English either for personal or educational reasons, the college offers two programs of instruction: English as a Second Language (ESL) and our Intensive English Program (IEP). For more information about English as a Second Language classes, please call the ESL instructional assistant at (425)739-8359. For more information about our IEP program, please contact our International Student Services Office at (425)739-8100 ext.502.

Credits And Credit Load

The academic year is divided into four quarters of approximately eleven weeks each (the length of individual courses may differ). In order to complete certificate or degree requirements in the prescribed number of quarters, a course load per quarter will be approximately 15 to 20 credits. A lecture class which meets five hours per week for one quarter will yield five quarter credits. Lab courses require ten hours of class time per week for five credits. Special permission is needed to carry more than 25 credits.

Full- And Part-Time Student Status

Students enrolled in 12 or more credits are considered full-time. Some programs may require higher quarterly credit loads to complete requirements in a specified time period. Some external agencies may use different credit values to calculate full-time status.

Students registered for fewer than full-time credits as defined above are considered part-time. Note: for financial aid purposes, the financial aid office should be consulted for definitions of three-quarter time, half-time, and less than half-time since the level of enrollment affects aid eligibility.