Transfer Student FAQs

As soon as possible. If you know what institution and what degree you want to transfer into, you can start speaking with an advisor or counselor from that school right away. This will help ensure you are taking the best courses for you. By talking to the school ahead of time, it will help you know if it is the school and program you truly want to transfer to. You can begin to match the general education for the school and follow a transfer guide for your degree. Even if you don’t know exactly what school or what major you want yet, just knowing that you want to transfer to a 4-year institution can help guide what courses you should be taking.

Oakland Community College is an accredited institution and many of our courses transfer to other institutions both in Michigan and out of Michigan. We can’t say exactly what courses will transfer unless we know which institution you are transferring to and what program. Most courses on the Michigan Transfer Agreement will transfer to most institutions both in Michigan and out of Michigan. Some specialized courses will transfer to specialized programs. The best and only way to know that a course will transfer for sure, is to know the institution and degree you want to transfer to, and check with an advisor or counselor at that institution. www.Mitransfer.org is a very helpful tool to utilize when researching which courses will transfer.

• -Know which institution and which degree you want to transfer to.
• -Work with a counselor from both the institution you wish to transfer to and OCC for proper course selection.
• -Start in the proper classes at your ability level and don’t over task yourself.
• -Do your best. Utilize time management and study skills, and get good grades.
• -Apply early to the transfer institution, and provide a transcript for admission, and one when you have completed your courses at OCC.

Some degrees are made for transfer and are very transferrable to 4-year institutions.
The degrees of AA.AA, ASC.ASC, ACC.ABA, BUS.ABA, and CRJ.GEN.AAS include MTA (Michigan Transfer Agreement) and are very transferrable into many 4-year institutions and a variety of degree programs. Other specialized associate degree programs can transfer extremely well also, though, and can get you well ahead into your degree program. OCC has many articulations with other universities for its specialized associate degree programs and can allow more credits to transfer than the usual maximum allowable transfer credits.

Earning a degree before transfer is a great stepping stone. It can help you get a job and gather experience or even an employer that will contribute financially to further your education. Sometimes having an associate’s degree can lead to a raise or promotion. Once you have a degree, you will always have that degree. It can’t be taken away. Sometimes, life gets in the way and students aren’t able to complete the bachelor’s degree. If you leave without a degree and then try and return, it’s possible the program requirements could change.

This can be very individual to the student. You will save money by taking the maximum credits you can take at OCC. Some students may need or want to transfer earlier for a variety of reasons, however, and that’s ok. Some of the best times to transfer are after completing an associate degree or MTA.

Ask an OCC counselor or counselor from the institution you want to transfer to. Asking at the institution you want to transfer to for out of state transfers is especially important. You can also use the institutions website in some cases, or www.mitransfer.org

You must have a minimum of C for a grade to transfer.

This is determined by the institution you are transferring to. Most institutions will allow 62 credits to transfer. You can sometimes transfer many more with an articulation agreement.

They vary by institution and degree program. The more competitive the institution is to get into and the more competitive the degree program, the higher your GPA will need to be to gain admission.

GPA requirements vary by program and school. In general the more popular and competitive the program and school, the higher the admissions GPA required. Students should contact the school directly for admission requirements.

Contact the school you attended, and ask for a transcript to be sent to your transfer school. Most schools have a webpage to order transcripts from. Allow time for the transcript to be sent and the equivalencies to be completed by the receiving institution.

I can't speak for every school, but in most cases, your GPA will not transfer. Some schools will still consider your full cumulative GPA from all schools for admission to certain programs.

Yes, if you have the proper credits and ability to graduate. By all means fill out the graduation application and graduate. Students should be aware that once you leave OCC for 3 years, you will be required to meet the requirements in the new catalog and program requirements do change, and programs can be sunset.

You want to know if the institution is a good fit for you.
Is it a large population or smaller population? What is the instructor to student ratio?
What about the location? Large municipality or small town?
What is the cost and living arrangements?
What degrees do they offer in the area you are interested in, and what is the curriculum?
What is the reputation of the school, program, and faculty?
What kind of job can I expect to get as a graduate of this program?
What do they offer for job placement? Is there an internship or co-op program?
How many students are admitted to the program and what is the graduation and employment rate?
What companies recruit from that school? Where are the graduates typically employed at?

A Reverse Transfer Agreement provides an opportunity for former OCC students who transfer to a partnering Michigan four-year college or university to apply credits earned at the four-year institution toward an OCC associate degree. Obtaining an associate degree will not interfere with the courses and path to completing your bachelor’s degree, as the progress for completing both degrees occurs simultaneously.

Mi Transfer Pathways, is a statewide initiative among Michigan colleges and universities. The objective of the MiTransfer Pathway initiative is to make the overall transfer experience more efficient, easier to understand and simpler to navigate.

Faculty from across the state have identified courses students may complete at a community college during their first and second year which will transfer smoothly to the corresponding bachelor degree program at all participating universities. Completion of the Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) along with the identified pathway courses is recommended.

A defined transfer credit partnership, or contract, between an academic program at OCC and an academic program at another college or university. It usually allows more credits to transfer for particular programs than the regular maximum, and spells out exactly which courses will transfer.

Students should take a look at the Transfer Credit Agreements webpage

Students can view by program and institution. These agreements, most often allow the highest potential transferable credit. Students should also look into integrative studies or independent studies programs with universities that allow students to transfer their entire AAS degree toward a bachelors that they form specific to their interests.

• Submit you application for admission - be aware of any application deadline dates
• Pay the application fee if required
• Request a copy of your official OCC transcript be sent to the institution chosen
• Meet with a representative from the college or university you are planning on attending to see how your transfer credit will be applied if not using a transfer credit agreement (articulation agreement).