
Graduation

ECTC hosts two graduation ceremonies each academic year: one in December and one in May. Summer and Fall graduates are invited to the December ceremony, while Spring graduates are invited to the May ceremony.
Students who select "Yes" to the question, "Will you attend the graduation ceremony for your expected semester?" on the Application for Degree/Diploma will receive graduation ceremony information and official registration details.
Graduation ceremony information will be emailed to the address provided on the Application for Degree/Diploma by mid-October for the December ceremony and by mid-March for the May ceremony.
Fall 2026 Ceremony
Graduates Invited: Students who submitted the Summer or Fall 2026 Application for Degree or Diploma by the deadline and indicated that they plan to participate in the ceremony.
Date: Tuesday, December 15, 2026
Time: Ceremony times will be announced in the graduation details and ceremony sign up email sent by mid-October. Depending on the number of graduates participating, one or more ceremonies may be held. If multiple ceremonies are needed, they are tentatively planned for approximately 4:30 p.m. ET and 6:30 p.m. ET. Times subject to change.
Location: Severns Valley Baptist Church
Address: 1100 Ring Road, Elizabethtown, KY 42701
NOTE: Only students who submit the Application for Degree or Diploma and indicate “yes” for ceremony participation will be included in the Graduation Ceremony Program.
Application for degree or diploma
Complete the Application for Degree or Diploma when you are enrolled in the final classes for your degree or diploma by the appropriate deadline. Students who have a home campus of ECTC do not need to apply for certificates. Those are automatically awarded. If a non-ECTC student believes they are eligible for an ECTC certificate, they should email their name, KCTCS ID number, and the name of the certificate they believe they are eligible for to ectcrecordsoffice@kctcs.edu.
The deadline to apply for a Summer 2026 degree or diploma was July 1, 2026.
The deadline to apply for a Fall 2026 degree or diploma is September 15, 2026.
The deadline to apply for a Spring 2027 degree or diploma is February 16, 2027.
Application for Degree and Diploma
Graduation FAQs
- Credentials are not distributed at the graduation ceremony. Graduates will be notified when credentials are ready for distribution, and they can be picked up. For Spring by July 31, for Summer by October 31, for Fall by March 31.
- Credentials that are not picked up will be mailed to the address provided on the Application for Degree or Diploma. If certificates are the only credentials earned in a semester, they will be mailed to the address listed in PeopleSoft at the time we request the certificate list. If you need to update the address that your credential is mailed to, please email us at ectcrecordsoffice@kctcs.edu.
- If you have not received your physical credential several months after the mail out date, please email ectcrecordsoffice@kctcs.edu. Be sure to include your KCTCS ID number.
- If you need to show an employer that you have earned a credential, you can have an official transcript sent directly to them through the National Student Clearinghouse.
- For all degrees, diplomas, and certificates, at least 25% of the approved curriculum credits must be completed at the college awarding the credential.
- Students earning a credential must have at least a cumulative KCTCS GPA of 2.0 to be eligible for awarding.
- Each student is notified by email or phone regarding whether they are on track to complete the degree or diploma for which they applied, usually within two weeks of submitting the Application for Degree or Diploma was submitted. Please note that processing times may be longer at the beginning and end of each semester.
- Graduation Honors:
- Students who have completed at least 45 credit hours of work towards degree completion
or 30 credit hours toward diploma completion in KCTCS earn distinction based on the
following:
- Distinction: 3.4-3.59 cumulative KCTCS GPA
- High Distinction: 3.6-4.0 cumulative KCTCS GPA
- Students who have completed at least 45 credit hours of work towards degree completion
or 30 credit hours toward diploma completion in KCTCS earn distinction based on the
following:
- If a student is earning multiple degrees, they will be eligible for the additional degree when they have completed the requirements of the second curriculum AND a minimum of 6 credit hours relevant to the second degree and beyond the requirements for the first degree. A degree will not be granted for the completion of a second option in a program. If you complete a second option within the same program during the same semester, you will not receive an additional credential. However, the second option will be recorded on your official transcript.
- If you complete multiple degrees or diplomas, you must apply for each degree or diploma.
GRADUATION CEREMONY FAQS
- KCTCS caps and gowns are required to walk in an ECTC graduation ceremony.
- If you are unable to purchase a cap and gown, please contact Family Scholar House to see if you are eligible to borrow from them.
- Honors cords are given to eligible ceremony participants that have a 4.0 cumulative KCTCS GPA the semester before they graduate. Honors cords will be issued to eligible graduates when they check in for their ceremony.
- If you are receiving a cord from any other club or organization on campus, please contact them for questions.
- Be sure to bring your cap and gown. The Records Office is not responsible for the transportation of regalia.
- Please leave personal items with your guests. There is no secure storage available, and you may not be able to return to the room used before the ceremony begins. You are responsible for any lost or left-behind items.
- There are no physical tickets.
- Ceremony participants claim guest seats and request extra seats when they sign up for a ceremony time. Within two weeks of the ceremony, participants will be notified of how many total guest seats they have been awarded if extras were requested.
- If a child can sit in the lap of an accompanying adult for the entire ceremony (and not obstruct the view of others), they do not need to be counted into the total of guest seats requested. However, if you believe the child may need a seat at any point, they should be included in the guest seat total requested.
- The number of guest seats awarded to each graduate is based on the total number of seats available and the number of graduates participating. Any additional seats offered from the wait list depend on several factors, including whether graduates cancel, remaining available seating in the venue, and the order in which wait list requests are received through the required graduation ceremony sign-up form.
There will not be a rehearsal. Participants will receive details within two weeks of the ceremony date.
Contact our Accessibility Services Coordinator, Teresa Brown at tbrown0641@kctcs.edu no later than two weeks before the ceremony.
Contact
If you have any questions concerning graduation feel free to contact us at ectcrecordsoffice@kctcs.edu and (270) 706-8696.
