OCC has partnered with Wayne State University to simplify transferring credits for OCC students by creating more access and removing barriers to obtaining a four-year degree.
The two institutions signed the new Transfer Pathway agreement during a special ceremony at WSU. Under the agreement, OCC students are no longer limited by a set number of credits or only a handful of associate degree options. The agreement provides new, student-friendly transfer “roadmaps” to help students move faster on the road to a bachelor’s degree.
WSU also eliminated the limit of transferrable credits earned in applied, technical, or vocational programs accepted, providing students in Associate in Applied Science and other two-year degree programs at OCC with equal opportunities to transfer into Wayne State bachelor’s degree programs. Previously, OCC students could transfer up to 64 credits and 12 technical or vocational credits.
“OCC is honored to partner with Wayne State to strengthen our pathways to student success,” said Jennifer Berne, OCC’s provost. “It is especially exciting that students will receive co-advising, special scholarship opportunities, and invitations to engage in WSU events while they are taking classes at OCC. Wayne State has always been a great partner in welcoming our students, and this initiative only strengthens that collaboration.”
The second-largest number of transfer students come to WSU from OCC, with over 200 students transferring in the last academic year.
The biggest obstacles for transfer students are lack of clear pathways to a degree and losing credits when they transfer to a university, according to Ahmad Ezzeddine, vice president of academic student affairs and global engagement at Wayne State. When faced with more cost and time to graduate, transfer students frequently choose not to pursue additional credentials such as certificates, minors, and dual degrees. The new agreement removes those barriers.
With the new Transfer Pathway, OCC students who complete one of over 40 different associate degrees and/or certificates with Michigan Transfer Agreement certification, with a minimum 2.5 overall GPA, will be eligible for seamless transfer into one of these WSU bachelor’s programs:
- business administration (accounting, finance, global supply chain management, information systems management, management or marketing)
- construction management
- criminal justice
- electrical/electronic engineering technology
- industrial engineering
- mechanical engineering
- mechanical engineering technology
- public health
For more information about OCC's Transfer Resources, visit https://www.oaklandcc.edu/transfer/.
About OCC
Offering nearly 100 degrees and certificates, OCC is Michigan’s largest multi-campus
community college and one of the top transfer institutions in the state. The College
provides academic, career training and enriching experiences, designed to empower
students to reach their potential and enhance our community. More than 1 million students
have enrolled in the College since it opened in 1965. A seven-person Board of Trustees
governs OCC. Board members are elected on a non-partisan, at-large basis, serve as
volunteers and are not paid. Mission statement: OCC is committed to empowering our
students to succeed and advancing our community. Learn more at oaklandcc.edu.
Media Contact: Marketing & Communications | (248) 341-2020 | contactus@oaklandcc.edu