Students who are planning to transfer to four-year institutions should consider pursuing either the Associate of Arts (AA), the Associate of Liberal Arts ALA) or the Associate of Science (AS) degree. These 90 credit degrees allow students to fulfill some or all of the general education requirements for most Washington state baccalaureate institutions, along with applicable prerequisites for their proposed major. The AA and ALA degrees provide a broad education in liberal arts. AS degrees are designed for students pursuing science majors, and include many of the essential prerequisite math, science and general education courses. There are several AS degree options and therefore it is important to work with your faculty advisor to determine which AS option best serves your needs.

If you are planning on receiving a degree from CC it is important that you have all official college/university transcripts sent to CC and that you formally request that your credits be evaluated towards the degree you are planning on obtaining. The "Application for Evaluation of Incoming Credits" form is available at the Registration Office and the Advising Center. Please note that it can take 6-8 weeks for your transcripts to be officially evaluated.

If you are unsure whether you want to receive a degree from CC, it still may be important to have your official transcript(s) on file and your credits evaluated. Many courses require prerequisites and students may have met these prerequisites at other institutions.

The Associate in Business-DTA is a 90-credit transfer degree designed for students who wish to transfer to a four-year institution and major in Business. Students who complete the Associate in Business-DTA degree can fulfill many of the general education and business major prerequisites required for many Washington State baccalaureate business programs.

The Associate of Arts (AA), the Associate in Liberal Arts (ALA), and the Associate of Science (AS) degrees are 90 college-level credits, which typically take six to eight quarters to complete if you are attending full time. After you transfer to a four-year institution, it usually takes an additional two years to complete a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Liberal Arts, or Bachelor of Science degree.

The DTA gives qualified students priority admission into most Washington colleges/universities. To qualify, students must earn the Associate of Arts, (AA) degree or Associate of Science (AS) degree be a Washington state resident, meet the minimum GPA and have completed the admissions requirements for their chosen college/university. Additionally, students who have completed the AA, AB or General AS degree will have satisfied most or all of the general education or core requirements at Washington state institutions that participate with the DTA.

Yes, the UW is still very accessible to applicants transferring from Washington State community colleges. The UW is committed to an agreement stating that at least 30% of new undergraduates enrolled at the UW in a given year will come from Washington community colleges. Under a new admissions policy, there is no minimum GPA that will guarantee admission. Admissions decisions will be based on many different facets of who you are and what you have accomplished in your life. Some of the most important considerations will be cumulative transfer GPA and preparation for your major. For more information see the UW Transfer Admissions and Planning guide, available in the Counseling/Career Center.

Four year college/university application deadlines vary. Application due dates are published in the transfer application material, web sites and current catalogs. For more information on Washington State school application deadlines refer to College/University Transfer Info page.

A transfer student is often working to complete AA, or AS degree requirements while also fulfilling university admissions requirements and transfer major prerequisites all within their time at the community college; therefore, planning a smooth transfer can seem confusing. If you start planning early, and work with an academic advisor to create an Educational Plan and do your research, the process can be much clearer and your path easier to visualize.

An Educational Plan is created when you sit down with an advisor and actually map out the classes you need to complete your degree, to transfer to the four-year university or college of your choice and be admitted to your intended major. Everyone should create an Educational Plan! By mapping out your courses and paying attention to admissions and degree requirements, you will be more likely to transfer in a timely manner and will be prepared to jump right into your major course of study.

Classes that transfer to four-year colleges/universities are generally those numbered 100 and above; however, there are exceptions. If you complete an AA transfer degree, you can include a maximum of 15 credits of "normally non-transferable courses" in your degree. If you are uncertain whether a course is transferable, check with an advisor or consult your transfer institution's course equivalency guide.

NOTE: Do not confuse transferability with applicability. When planning your college transfer you want to take classes that both transfer and apply toward the prerequisite requirements for the major you intend to pursue at the particular four-year institution you plan to attend. To facilitate a smooth transfer, we suggest that by the end of your first year at CC that you make a decision regarding your major and which colleges/universities you are considering attending.

There is no foreign language requirement at CC; however, many four-year institutions such as the University of Washington require that students complete at least two years of the same foreign language in high school or two quarters in college for admission. A third quarter of the same foreign language (e.g. SPA 103) is a four-year college graduation requirement for many majors. For example, at the UW all majors within the College of Arts and Sciences require students to complete the third quarter. It is highly recommended that students complete through the third quarter of a foreign language at CC if they are considering four-year programs with this graduation requirement, as this will be considered positively in the admission decision.

Many courses are part of a sequence. Science, mathematics, and language courses operate in this fashion. To determine the proper sequence of courses, the student should read the course descriptions in the schedule. If a particular course is an advanced course in the sequence it will specify prerequisites. For example, MATH&151 is a prerequisite for MATH&152.

When applying to a four-year university you are usually expected to send "official transcripts" from every school attended. Colleges/universities require official transcripts to prove the documents are original and unaltered. To have your official transcripts sent from CC, see: Official Transcripts.

Transfer events are activities that are created to give students easy access to university representatives and specific transfer information. These events include:

• Transfer Fairs: Multiple college and university representatives from around the state are present to answer student questions regarding admissions, programs offered and general campus information.
• Information Sessions: Program and admissions advisors from four-year colleges and universities hold group information sessions to present information about majors, admissions and requirements and to answer questions.
• Information Tables: Individual college and university representatives are available to answer transfer questions at tables set up on the CC campus.
• Individual Advising Appointments: A college or university representative meets with an individual student to discuss admissions requirements programs of interest and to review student transcripts.

Please see the Transfer Events to obtain specific times and places of events. The calendar is published for the fall, winter and spring quarters. Additionally, colleges and universities also host transfer information sessions on their individual campuses. We encourage you to attend one of these sessions to gather information and get a feel for the campus, the faculty and the student body.