2024-2025 Olympic College Catalog 
    
    Dec 09, 2024  
2024-2025 Olympic College Catalog

Transfer Planning


This section provides information for students who plan to transfer to a college or university in Washington state to complete a baccalaureate degree. It highlights different transfer degree areas and includes contact information for faculty advisors at OC who can help map out education plans and transfer programs of study. Students should work closely with an advisor at the baccalaureate institution where they plan to transfer before finalizing their education plans.

Reverse Transfer

Reverse transfer provides a way for students who transfer to a bachelor’s degree program to earn an associate degree, even if they have not completed all associate degree requirements at the time of transfer. Students may transfer completed courses from their transfer college or university back to Olympic College (OC), to be applied to an OC associate degree. Participating institutions include all of Washington state’s public four-year colleges and universities (including Western Governors’, University of Washington), and Old Dominion University, among others. Students should request the OC Reverse Transfer package to initiate the process.

Advising Notes and Recommendations

  • Consult with a counselor for career exploration if you have not decided on a future major.
  • Check with your intended transfer college or university for specific admissions and major requirements. With careful planning, you may be able to fulfill both admissions and major requirements with your OC degree.
  • Meet with your OC faculty advisor or success coach to create an academic plan that incorporates the admissions and prerequisite requirements of your intended transfer college or university.
  • Not all courses are offered every quarter. A faculty advisor can help you plan course sequence and schedule.

NOTE: The Associate in Arts/Direct Transfer Agreement (AA/DTA) is a general transfer degree. It is not usually associated with a specific major, but with careful planning students can take classes that also satisfy major transfer requirements at four-year colleges. Students who plan to transfer to a four-year college or university are responsible for contacting the appropriate advisors at the institution to determine which additional classes they may need to take while attending OC. The educational plan to complete the AA/DTA and any additional classes should be made in consultation with the appropriate OC Faculty Advisor.

Baccalaureate Institutions in Washington that Subscribe to the ICRC Guidelines

Most students who plan to transfer will complete the Associate in Arts/Direct Transfer Agreement (AA/DTA) or Associate of Science (AS). These degrees are designed to meet statewide guidelines endorsed by the InterCollege Relations Commission (ICRC) to ease transfer.

The following 22 public and private baccalaureate institutions subscribe to ICRC Guidelines:

  • Bastyr University
  • Central Washington University
  • City University
  • Cornish College of the Arts
  • Eastern Washington University
  • Gonzaga University
  • Heritage College
  • Northwest Indian College
  • Northwest University
  • Pacific Lutheran University
  • Saint Martin’s University
  • Seattle University
  • Seattle Pacific University
  • The Evergreen State College
  • University of Puget Sound
  • University of Washington
  • University of Washington Bothell
  • University of Washington Tacoma
  • Washington State University
  • Washington State University Tri-Cities
  • Washington State University Vancouver
  • Western Washington University
  • Whitworth University

Many of these colleges and universities guarantee acceptance to students with the Olympic College transfer associate degree. UW-Seattle does not. Specific programs at other schools may have more stringent requirements. Check with the admissions office at the baccalaureate institution for clarification and up-to-date information.

Washington 45

A student who completes courses selected from within the general education categories listed below at a public community, technical, four-year college or university in Washington State will be able to transfer and apply a maximum of 45 quarter credits toward general education requirement(s) at any other public and most private higher education institutions in the state (Note 1).

Completion of 45 credits of academic courses from this list is equivalent to one-year’s worth of general education credit when transferred. For transfer purposes, a student must have a minimum grade of C or better (2.0 or above) in each course completed from this list. Students who transfer Washington 45 courses must still meet a receiving institution’s admission requirements and eventually satisfy all their general education requirements and their degree requirements in major, minor and professional programs.

- Washington 45 - “First Year Transfer List” of General Education Courses  

Other Transfer Opportunities - Transferring with a Professional-Technical Degree

In addition to the subjects listed above, there are many other possible educational directions you may pursue after achieving your educational goals at Olympic college. For example, all Associate in Applied Science - Transfer (AAS-T) degrees are designed to transfer to at least one specific institution. Also, some colleges will accept professional-technical degrees in transfer, although usually with some limitations such as a higher GPA or minimum number of fully transferable credits.

Central Washington University’s Bachelor of Applied Science, Information Technology and Administrative Management (BAS-ITAM) degree is open to students with any applied or technical degree and at least 40 credits in an applied area. Concentrations include Administrative Management, Information Technology, and Cyber Security.

Central’s Apparel, Textiles, and Merchandising Bachelor of Science Degree program accepts six Fashion Marketing courses in transfer toward this degree. See Fashion Marketing program information for qualifying courses.

The Evergreen State College offers the “upside down transfer option” for Professional-Technical Degrees. Students must meet additional requirements. Check with The Evergreen State College for more information.

Be sure to check with an advisor at your future college before analyzing your educational plan to make sure you do not end up retaking courses. If you plan to continue your education after completing a professional-technical degree (Associate in Technical Arts or Associate in Applied Science), it is usually better to select courses which are generally accepted in transfer whenever possible. For example, choose ENGL& 101, English Composition I, rather than BSTEC 150, Business English; and MATH& 107, Math in Society, rather than BMGMT 140, Business and Personal Math. See the Associate in Arts degree for more information on which courses are fully transferable. If a given degree is not designed for transfer, the receiving college will evaluate each course transferred. Even though the DTA generally meets lower-division GUR, it is possible that not all 90 credits will be accepted due to grade, subject, or other reasons.