Definition of Articulation
When the word “articulation” is used in education it refers to the formal process of reviewing courses for equivalency between a community college and a university.  An articulation agreement is an agreement between a community college and a four-year university (public or private/independent).  It specifies which CMC classes may be transferred to meet general education, major requirements and electives.  These agreements maintained by the Articulation Officer facilitate the successful transfer of students from CMC to baccalaureate-level colleges and universities.

Articulation Agreements
Articulation is the process of evaluating courses to determine whether coursework completed at one college will meet the requirements for admission, transfer credit, general education, or major preparation at another college. An Articulation Agreement is an agreement between community and four-year colleges which indicate the acceptability of courses in transfer toward meeting specific degree requirements.

Transfer guides only give one-way articulation from the community college to the university and aren’t always an agreement between colleges. If a student takes a course at a community college, the student knows it will transfer to the university and be counted as an articulated course.  However, if a student takes a course at the university, then transfers to the community college, that student has no guarantee the course will transfer and be used by the community college. 

Students are advised to meet with a Counselor when reviewing articulation agreements and transfer guides to prepare for transfer. Please check agreement dates to ensure it is the most current.

Where to Find Articulation Agreements for Public Colleges and Universities
ASSIST  (Articulation System Stimulating Inter-institutional Student Transfer) www.assist.org as it is the official repository of California public institutions’ articulation agreements. ASSIST is a student-transfer information system that displays reports of how course credits earned at one California Community College can be applied when transferred to a CSU or UC. Meet with a Counselor when reviewing ASSIST.

Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)
IGETC began in 1991 to provide an option for CCC students to fulfill lower-division general education requirements before transferring to either a CSU or UC campus. The curriculum and its policies are overseen by the Intersegmental Council of Academic Senates (ICAS). ICAS represents faculty from California’s three segments of public higher education: CSU, UC, & CCC (IGETC Standards, May 2019, pg. 1).

See the current CMC Catalog for the most updated IGETC pattern.

California State University General Education Breadth (CSU GE)
CSU general education requirements were designed to complement the major program and electives. Courses approved for CSU GE assure students have developed the knowledge of, or skills related to, quantitative reasoning, information literacy, intellectual inquiry, global awareness and understanding, human diversity, civic engagement, communication competence, ethical decision-making, environmental systems, technology, lifelong learning and self-development, and physical and emotional health throughout a lifetime (CSU E.O. 1100, 2017, pg. 5).

See the current CMC Catalog for the most updated CSU GE pattern.

Transfer Guides & Agreements for Private/Independent Colleges and Universities

Current Articulation Agreements:

• American Public University – Transfer Equivalency Database
• Brandman University – Major-Specific Preparation Requirements
• California Baptist University

• • General Education Requirements
  • Lower Division Major-Specific Preparation Requirements, Traditional Undergraduate Programs ONLY
  • Liberal Studies Major Preparation Requirements (Elementary Subject Matter)
  • Online & Professional Studies – Transfer Equivalency System (TES) Public View

• DeVry University – Major-Specific IGETC Guide
• La Sierra University

• • Associate Degrees for Transfer (ADTs)

• Loma Linda University

• • School of Allied Health Professions – Major-Specific Preparation Requirements
  • School of Nursing – Major Preparation Requirements

• National University – Transfer Equivalency System (TES) Public View
• University of the Pacific – R.O.A.R. (Roam Online Articulation Reports)

• • Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy & Health Sciences PharmD Program

• University of Redlands – Transfer Credit Information

• • Transfer Equivalency System (TES) Public View

• Western Governors University – Transfer Pathways for the College of Business, Teachers College, College

of Health Professions, College of Information Technology

Archived Articulation Agreements:

Academy of Art University

• 2016 – Liberal Arts Graduation Requirements

Ashford University

• 2013-2014 – Guide for General Education and Major-Specific Preparation Requirements

Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM)

• 2015 – Course Equivalency Guide

Grand Canyon University

• 2014 – Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-BSN)

Loma Linda University

• School of Dentistry
  • 2016-2017 – Dentistry Entrance Major Preparation Requirements
  • 2017 – Dental Hygiene Pre-Entrance Major Preparation Requirements

University of Redlands

• 2016-2017 Liberal Arts Foundation – College of Arts & Sciences

What is Regional Accreditation and Why is it Important?
Regional accreditation is a term used in the United States to refer to the process by which one of the educational accreditation bodies reviews institutions and ensures that educational standards are met.

Regionally accredited higher education institutions are predominantly academically oriented, non-profit institutions. Nationally accredited schools are predominantly for-profit and offer vocational, career or technical programs. Standards for nationally accredited schools tend to be lower.  Every college has the right to set standards and refuse to accept transfer credits. However, if a student has gone to a nationally accredited school it may be particularly difficult to transfer credits (or even receive credit for a degree earned) if he or she then applies to a regionally accredited college or university. Some regionally accredited colleges have general policies against accepting any credits from nationally accredited schools, others are reluctant to because they feel that these schools’ academic standards are lower than their own or they are unfamiliar with the particular school.  Caution is recommended if a student intends to enroll in a nationally accredited school with the future intention of transferring to a regionally accredited school.   The student should first check with the regionally accredited school they plan to attend insuring the units from the nationally accredited school are transferable.   Students are advised to check with a counselor at their current school if they have questions regarding accreditation.

The following are the regional accrediting agencies for educational institutions in the United States:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA) – Educational institutions in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands, as well as schools for American children in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.

New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) – Educational institutions in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA) – Educational institutions in Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, New Mexico, South Dakota, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming. The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an independent corporation and one of two commission members of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA).

Northwest Association of Accredited Schools – for primary and secondary schools and Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)  for postsecondary institutions in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) – Educational institutions in Virginia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee and Texas.

Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) – Educational institutions in California, Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, Micronesia, Palau, and Northern Marianas Islands.

Other Accreditation:
Beyond regional accreditation there are programs that require additional accreditation that is linked to academic programs.  For example: students who are interested in becoming Registered Dietetic Technicians or Registered Dieticians must attend a program that is CADE accredited.  It is recommended that you check with the faculty who teaches in the major if you have questions about program specific accreditation.

• CSU Transfer Admissions
• Upper Division Transfer Admission Requirements
• CSU Transfer Application 
• A Degree with a Guarantee (ADT)
• CSU Tuition & Financial Aid

• UC Admissions
• UC Transfer Admission Requirements 
• UC Transfer Pathways
  • UC Pathways+
• UC Transfer Admission Guarantee (UC TAG)
• UC Transfer Admission Planner (UC TAP)
• UC Tuition & Financial Aid

• Search for Regionally Accredited, Private, Non-Profit CA Universities
• The Common Application
•  Affording College
• Search for Out of State Universities
• Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs):
   An agreement signed March 17, 2015 between the California Community Colleges and many HBCUs guarantees California Community College students admission with Junior standing to an HBCU if they complete either the California State University General Education Breadth (CSU GE) or Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum requirements (IGETC) and obtain a transfer-level Associate Degree with a minimum of 2.5 Grade Point Average (GPA). There are over 35 HBCUs that have partnered with CCCs and several of them offer CA transfer students in-state tuition. Meet with a Counselor for more information on transferring to an HBCU.

Transfer Center Spring 19 Newsletter

TC February and March 2019 Newsletter

TC Newsletter Nov-Jan 2017

TC Newsletter Vol 1_Iss 2 Apr-Jun 16

TC Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 1 Jan-Mar 16