INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS -- Transfer Information

Since admission policies and program requirements vary among four-year colleges, all students need to be acquainted with the specific requirements of the college or university of their choice. Students should consult and work closely with counselors and/or faculty advisors in transfer planning and for designing an appropriate NVCC program of study.

Transferring To Other Colleges

NVCC offers transfer programs that lead to the Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree or the Associate of Science (A.S.) degree. These programs are designed for students who plan to complete the freshman and sophomore years of college work at the community college and then transfer to a four-year college or university to complete the junior and senior years of a bachelor’s degree. Some four-year colleges will accept certain Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) and Associate of Applied Arts (A.A.A.) programs, but each institution has a different policy.

The Student Services Center on each campus maintains a collection of college catalogs from Virginia and neighboring states. Many Virginia colleges publish transfer guides that indicate the community college courses to be completed for transfer and their equivalencies at the four-year college; most of these are available in print and online. The counseling centers and libraries also have a variety of college guides, specialty books, computer software, etc. to assist students in all aspects of transfer planning. The NVCC Web site has additional transfer resources (http://www.nvcc.edu/stuservices/cs-transfers-guide.htm). Most of the Virginia colleges have Web sites on the Internet that can also provide students with valuable information.

A course with a grade of less than C is usually not accepted for transfer even if the student has an A.S. or A.A. degree. Students must submit a completed transcript request form online through NovaConnect or to an NVCC Student Services Center to have an official copy of their transcript forwarded to the intended transfer college or university.

Northern Virginia Community College offers the following specific programs of study leading to the Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degrees:

Associate of Arts Degrees
¹Fine Arts
²Liberal Arts
  Art History Specialization
  International Studies Specialization
  Psychology Specialization
  Speech Communication Specialization
Music

Associate of Science Degrees
³Business Administration
⁴Computer Science
⁵Engineering
  Electrical Engineering Specialization
⁶General Studies
  Recreation, Parks & Leisure Studies Specialization
⁷Information Technology
⁸Science
  Biotechnology Specialization
  Mathematics Specialization
  Semiconductor Laboratory Processes Specialization
⁹Social Sciences
  Psychology Specialization
  Teacher Education Specialization

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¹Fine Arts
A foundation program for the Baccalaureate of Arts Degree in Fine Arts or for transfer to a professional school for the arts.
²Liberal Arts
A foundation program for Baccalaureate of Arts Degrees for any other humanities or social science program not listed as a specialization, e.g., Anthropology, Economics, Education, English, Foreign Languages, Geography, History, Political Science, Sociology, etc.
³Business Administration
A foundation program for Baccalaureate Degrees in Business with majors in Accounting, Business Management, Finance, Decision Science and Management Information Systems, Marketing, etc.
⁴Computer Science
A foundation program for Baccalaureate Degree in Computer Science.
⁵Engineering
A foundation program for Baccalaureate Degrees in Engineering with majors in Aeronautical, Chemical, Civil, Mechanical, etc.
⁶General Studies
A foundation program that can be tailored to meet the requirements of a specific Baccalaureate Degree at a specific four-year institution.
⁷Information Technology
A foundation program for Baccalaureate of Science in Information Technology.
⁸Science
A foundation program for Baccalaureate Degrees in Science with majors in Agriculture, Biology, Chemistry, Forestry, Geology, Home Economics, Oceanography, Physics, etc.
⁹Social Sciences
A foundation program for Baccalaureate of Science Degrees in the Social Sciences.

The foundation courses are also available (through the Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degrees) for advanced professional degree programs in many fields, including:

Dentistry
Law
Medicine
Occupational Therapy
Optometry
Pharmacy
Physical Therapy
Veterinary Medicine

The Virginia State Council of Higher Education (SCHEV) and the State Board for Community Colleges have endorsed a State Policy on Transfer. This policy gives guidelines for Virginia community colleges and state-supported senior institutions on admission of transfer students, acceptance and application of transfer credits, services for and responsibilities of transfer students, and guidelines for students who transfer without an A.A. or an A.S. degree. For more information, go to the SCHEV Web site at http://www.schev.edu/Students/transferPolicyAdmissions.asp.

Transfer Articulation Agreements
NVCC has formal transfer articulation agreements with many institutions. These agreements detail the terms of transfer for NVCC students completing associate degree programs. They define the way courses, programs, or entire categories of programs transfer to another institution and may include admission guarantees. Counselors can provide students with more specific information on how these agreements relate to individual transfer plans. For a current list of agreements, visit the Academic Services website at http://www.nvcc.edu/depts/academic/.  In addition, the VCCS has additional agreements that may be viewed on their website at http://www.vccs.edu/vccsasr/agreements.htm.