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Transfer and Articulation
Agreements
In addition to accreditation, the smooth transition from a
community college to a four-year institution depends on the
strength of the articulation agreement between the two schools.
These contracts specify which courses transfer automatically
from one institution to the other and, therefore, can be counted
toward the four-year degree.
Public community colleges work closely with the public universities
in their state to develop transfer guidelines. The transfer
of credits involving a private or an out-of-state institution
may not be as well-defined.
If your ultimate goal is to earn a bachelor's degree, then
as early as possible you should:
- declare your intent to pursue a transfer associate degree;
- confer with the academic/transfer counselor at the community
college to identify a major;
- select a four-year institution and seek out the latest
information on its transfer policy and its programs of study.
One reason for planning carefully is that schools do not
have the same course requirements for identical degrees. By
targeting the four-year institution early and determining
what is needed to transfer, then following a carefully designed
program, you can avoid unnecessary work and expense.
Also, because of accreditation or university requirements,
some four-year institutions cannot accept certain courses
from other schools. Before taking a lot of courses in one
field of study, especially business or engineering, students
should talk to their academic/transfer counselor, who will
be familiar with any restrictions.
Recent innovative arrangements have made transferring easier.
Some institutions have worked together to establish "dual
admissions" policies whereby students are admitted to
both the two-year and the four-year schools at the same time.
Immediately after completing an associate degree, the student
may transfer directly into the bachelor's program at the cooperating
university.
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