Finishing High School: Certicate 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 specic 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 certicate of completion. There is no universal denition for a certicate of completion,
which means there is variability in how certicate’s may be distributed and what a certicate may be called.
Additionally, a certicate of completion recognizes a student for completion of a program. However, the
certicate is not a recognized credential for purposes of employment or enrollment in college.
Family Matters
Michigan Department of Education, Oce 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 ocial 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 identies the student’s course of study. The course of study is
either an MMC diploma or a certicate 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 certicate is not equivalent to a diploma and is not an accredited
or legally recognized credential. Not all districts oer the option of a
certicate of completion and some districts may have dierent forms of
recognition for students who did not participate in or did not complete the
MMC requirements. Other terms for certicate of completion may include
certicate of attendance or certicate 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 oered 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
Certicate of Completion