Finishing High School: Certicate of Completion vs. Diploma
Completion of high school is an important time for all students. In Michigan, to earn a high school diploma,
students must complete specic requirements set forth in the Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC). The MMC
can be individualized through a personal curriculum (PC), and is set up for students to demonstrate what
they know and can do in order to receive a diploma at the end of their high school education. When a student
does not participate in or has not completed the MMC requirements, the student will not earn a diploma and
instead may receive a certicate of completion. There is no universal denition for a certicate of completion,
which means there is variability in how certicate’s may be distributed and what a certicate may be called.
Additionally, a certicate of completion recognizes a student for completion of a program. However, the
certicate is not a recognized credential for purposes of employment or enrollment in college.
Family Matters
Michigan Department of Education, Oce of Special Education
October 2020
Fact Sheet
1-888-320-8384
(OSE information line)
michigan.gov/
specialeducation-familymatters
mde-ose@
michigan.gov
Family Matters fact sheets are intended to enhance public understanding of Michigan's special education
system and are not a substitute for ocial laws and regulations.
Completion of the
MMC With a
Personal Curriculum
The MMC was established under Michigan law and requires a minimum of 18 credits across subjects including
math, physical education, science, social studies, visual performing and applied arts, and world language.
This includes academic requirements (standards, benchmarks, and guidelines) set by the state with skills and
knowledge students are expected to learn.
All students must meet MMC
requirements to receive
a diploma whether or not
they have an individualized
education program (IEP).
The personal curriculum
(PC) is a tool which can be
used to modify requirements
of the MMC for students
with an IEP to access and be
successful in meeting MMC
requirements for a diploma.
If a PC is developed, it must
be agreed upon by the
superintendent or designee
and the parent to be
implemented.
The IEP in place by the student’s 16th birthday will include a transition
plan which identies the student’s course of study. The course of study is
either an MMC diploma or a certicate of completion. IEP teams, including
the parents, must take each student’s individual needs into account when
identifying the course of study. A student’s course of study should be
evaluated annually, may change over time, and is individualized.
A certicate is not equivalent to a diploma and is not an accredited
or legally recognized credential. Not all districts oer the option of a
certicate of completion and some districts may have dierent forms of
recognition for students who did not participate in or did not complete the
MMC requirements. Other terms for certicate of completion may include
certicate of attendance or certicate of participation.
When the student does not earn a diploma, he or she may be entitled to
services and supports if they continue to meet special education eligibility.
Often these services are available through post high school special education
programming and focus on independent living skills and transitioning to
the community. These services are usually oered through an intermediate
school district or local school district and may be available until the student
is 26 years of age.
Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC) Requirements
Certicate of Completion
information, support, and education
Michigan Alliance for Familie
s
Resources
Michigan Alliance for Families:
Certicate of Completion
Michigan Department of Education (MDE) Michigan Merit
Curriculum resources:
• Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC) webpage
• Michigan Merit Curriculum High School Graduation
Requirements (document including legal information, FAQs,
standard, and content information)
• Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC) One Sheet
(one page information sheet)
A Comparison: Diploma and Certicate of Completion
Question to Consider Diploma Certicate of Completion
What are the requirements?
Student meets MMC credit
requirements with or without a
personal curriculum (PC)
Student has completed high school
but has either not met requirements
of the MMC or did not participate in
the MMC
• School determines requirements
to get a Certicate of Completion
• No legal requirement
• Given at discretion of school
district
Are accommodations
allowed?
Yes; as documented in the IEP Yes; as documented in the IEP
Do public school services
end?
Yes
No, and an eligible student may
continue to receive special education
services to 26 years of age
Can the student participate
in graduation activities?
Participation in graduation activities is
at district discretion
Participation in graduation activities is
at district discretion
Is the student eligible for
admission to colleges or
universities?
Yes, as long as other college or
university requirements are met
Possibly, the student should contact
the Student Disability Oce for more
information; also, the student may
not be eligible for federal nancial aid
Can the student be
accepted by vocational or
technical schools?
Yes
Possibly, the student should contact
the Student Disability Oce for more
information
Can the student obtain
employment?
As long as employment requirements
are met
As long as employment requirements
are met