Coursework and Residency Requirements

Information about Required Coursework and Residency Requirements to complete a program.

Required Coursework

All program requirements must be completed, including all courses listed in the course catalog.

Note: Courses numbered below 1000 cannot be used to meet program graduation requirements.

Approved transfer, nontraditional, exam credit and/or waivers or substitutions used to meet program requirements must be on file in the CNM Records Office at least two weeks prior to submitting the Graduation Application.

All credits used for graduation must be displayed on the student’s CNM transcript.

A single course cannot be used to satisfy more than one requirement.

A maximum of nine credit hours graded CR/NC will be allowed toward general education requirements in certificates or associate degrees. 

All career and technical courses used to meet program requirements must have a grade of C or better, and all general education courses must have a minimum grade of D. Career and technical education courses (including courses in business, information technology, hospitality, health sciences, teacher education, and skilled trades) that are more than ten years old may not be accepted for credit, due to changing technologies, trends, and professional demands. Courses taken ten or more years prior will not apply to program requirements unless they have been approved by the instructional school in which the course was offered and processed by the instructional school in which the program is offered.

Integrated studies must be a student's first degree, and it cannot be earned concurrently with another CNM associate degree.

Residency Requirements

If graduating from a catalog prior to the 2016-2018 catalog, at least 25 percent of the required total credit hours for a certificate and 12 credit hours for an associate degree must be completed at CNM.

If graduating from the 2016-2018 catalog, 15 credit hours for an associate degree must be completed at CNM. The required CNM credit hours for certificates depends on the size of the certificate and is listed below:

  • Policy - Effective Fall 2016 **
    • AA, AS and AAS degrees require a minimum of 15 credit hours.
    • Certificate requirements fall within the following guidelines:

      Certificate Program Credit Hours Residency Hours
      3-12 3
      13-24 6
      25-36 9
      37-48 12
      49-60 15

Residency requirements may also include CNM noncredit program specific courses offered through the Workforce Training Center or Ingenuity.

* Credit for prior learning and courses graded AU are not eligible for meeting residency requirements.

** Students admitted under earlier catalogs may have different residency requirements.