As you consider taking the next step toward pursuing a bachelor’s degree, it’s important to understand how the credits you’ve already earned will transfer to a four-year degree. All bachelor’s degree programs are not created equal, because transfer credits differ, depending on the college or university you’re applying to. To put it simply, some schools make it easier to transfer credits than others.
However, there are some general guidelines that will help you understand how the transfer credit process works. When deciding whether to accept credits from your associate degree, a college will consider a few factors:
What matters for your major
The school you’re transferring to wants to make sure that you take all major-related courses in their bachelor’s degree program. So, in many scenarios, you won’t receive transfer credits for major-related classes that you took in a two-year program. However, it’s possible to be exempted for a class you’ve already taken, and just not receive course credit.
Similarity in courses
You could receive credits if you’ve taken classes that are similar in content and quality to ones offered at the school you’re transferring to. As part of the admissions process, you may be asked to include not only transcripts, but course syllabi. This gives the admissions office a clear picture of what you learned and how rigorous the workload was at your two-year school.
How you performed
Schools want to give you credit for courses that you did well in. Most require at least a “C” for any classes you want transfer credit for, but some schools could require at least a “C+” or a “D” for credit.
Your credit limit
There’s usually a limit on how many credits you can transfer toward your bachelor’s degree. Some colleges are more restrictive in what transfers they’ll accept, and may cap the number of transfers to less than half of the roughly 121 credits needed to earn a bachelor’s degree. Still, other schools have more generous policies, with some even giving credit for relevant life experience. Since the transfer process varies from college to college, it’s important to get as much information as you can from the admissions office before applying.
Choose Wisely
If you already have an associate degree, choose a bachelor’s degree program that makes your transition as smooth as possible. Tiffin University’s associate to bachelor’s program lets you focus on your major and maximize your time, so you won’t have to re-take courses or spend money unnecessarily.
At TU, you only need a maximum of 61 credits to earn your bachelor’s degree — sometimes even fewer. Every course you take is specifically focused on your major, and the admissions and transfer credit process closely examines your transcripts before you get started, so there aren’t any surprises after the fact.
Learn more about our associate to bachelor’s degree completion program
If you’re ready to learn more, apply now or schedule an appointment with a Tiffin University enrollment advisor.