College Transfer FAQ

The Associate in Arts (AA) degree is designed for students who wish to earn a two-year college transfer degree, transfer to a four-year college or university with junior status, and major in a liberal arts field.  An AA degree prepares graduates for the following four-year degree programs: psychology, sociology, social work, music, history, and other disciplines that are focused in liberal or creative arts.

The Associate in Science (AS) degree is designed for students who wish to earn a two-year college transfer degree, transfer to a four-year college or university with junior status, and major in a degree program that is focused in science or math.  An AS degree prepares graduates for the following four-year degree programs: engineering, mathematics, biology, finance, and other programs that are focused in math or science.

1. A student’s first two years at a four-year college or university consist only of general education courses.  The average cost to attend a four-year school in North Carolina is about $19,000 per year (collegecalc.org). The cost of tuition and fees for a full-time student to attend Wilson Community College for one year is about $2,000.  A community college student takes the same general education classes that are required at the four-year college or university but at a fraction of the cost.
2.  The classroom sizes are significantly smaller at the community college, resulting in more one-on-one interaction with the instructor.
3. Another benefit is that the courses in the college transfer degree programs have been approved through the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement and the Independent Colleges and Universities Articulation Agreement, resulting in a smoother transfer process.

Yes, it is acceptable, but please note that you may be required to take more math and science classes for the AS degree than your four-year degree program requires.

Yes, it is acceptable, but because the Associate in Arts degree program is not heavily focused in the math and science field, you may be required to take additional math and science courses at your four-year institution.

In an effort to provide a smooth transfer from the two-year school to the four-year school, an articulation agreement is a written statewide agreement that governs the transfer of credit between a community college and a four-year college or university. Currently, the North Carolina Community College System has an articulation agreement with the public universities (Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA)) and over 30 private colleges and universities in North Carolina (Independent Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (ICAA)).

A Baccalaureate Degree Plan maps a student’s pathway from associate college transfer degree completion, to admission into a major at a UNC System university, and finally to baccalaureate (bachelor’s) degree completion.  The BDP lists the preferred math, science, and elective courses a student needs to take in order to successfully transfer from the community college to the 4-year institution.  Click here to see the BDPs for schools within the UNC System.  For more information on the pathway from the associate degree to an independent or private college, please visit this site and check out the schools based on your current transfer degree track.

Students who complete UGETC courses with at least a “C” or better will receive credit applied toward the university’s lower-division general education course requirements, subject to the following distribution limit: maximum 6 hours in English Composition, 9 hours in Humanities/Fine Arts/Communications, 9 hours in Social/Behavioral Sciences, 8 hours in Mathematics, and 8 hours in the Natural Sciences.

• A North Carolina community college student who does not complete the Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degrees, but satisfactorily completes Universal General Education Transfer Component (UGETC) courses with a “C” or better will receive equivalency credit applied toward the senior institution’s lower-division general education course requirements, subject to the following distribution limit: maximum 6 hours in English Composition, 9 hours in Humanities/Fine Arts/Communications, 9 hours in Social/Behavioral Sciences, 8 hours in Mathematics, and 8 hours in the Natural Sciences.
• A North Carolina community college student who does not complete the Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degrees, but satisfactorily completes a non-UGETC transfer course will receive transfer credit; however, the receiving institution will determine whether the course will count as general education, pre-major, or elective credit.

• If a student is denied admission to a UNC institution, then he or she will be notified in writing by the institution. In this notification, the student will be directed to the College Foundation of North Carolina website (cfnc.org) where the student will be given information regarding space availability and contacts in the respective UNC Admissions Offices.  It is the student’s responsibility to contact each institution’s admissions office to get specific information about admissions and available majors.
• If the previous steps do not result in admission to a UNC institution, then the student should contact the CFNC Resource Center at 1-866-866-CFNC.

All courses listed on your Transfer Degree Plan are a part of the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA) with the UNC Schools and the Independent Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (ICAA) with the private four-year schools in North Carolina.  You can also visit: UNC Transfer Courses and ICAA Transfer Courses.

Yes.  If a student from a NC Community College System college believes the terms of the CAA have not been honored by a UNC institution to which the student has been admitted, the student may invoke the CAA Transfer Credit Appeal Procedure as outlined here.

Yes.  If a transfer student perceives that the terms of the ICAA have not been honored, he or she may follow the ICAA Student Appeal Procedure as outlined here.