University Transfer Degrees

Green River Community College is fully accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities Association of Accredited Schools as well as by several discipline-related bodies. The College has completed numerous evaluation processes and has been recognized for performance, integrity and quality. This is important for students who plan to transfer credits to other colleges. Academic courses will usually be accepted by other institutions offering the same (or similar) courses. However, each institution has its own transfer policy and transferability should never be assumed. The Green River Transfer and Educational Planning Center staff are able to answer most questions regarding transfer of credits. The Transfer Center features a library of catalogs from four-year colleges, transfer guides, information about transfer policies and transfer requirements.

Students should be aware that courses with “Pass” grades may not satisfy the requirements in their major field. Each student is responsible for knowing transfer requirements and policies, and they are urged to consult the catalog of the institution to which they plan to transfer. Students should also consult that catalog when meeting with their Green River advisor.

Many transfer institutions expect students to be “major ready” by the time they apply for admissions. This means that students need to declare their majors earlier and carefully plan which courses will meet their distribution requirements as well as meet the requirements for a particular field of study. For example: students who wish to major in business will need to include additional math, economics and accounting sequences in their coursework. Students are strongly encouraged to meet with their community college advisor as well as an advisor from their transfer institution to verify their choices.

In most cases, four-year institutions will accept 90 credits. Green River is a member of the Inter-College Relations Commission (ICRC), and Green River’s AA-DTA, AB-DTA, AM-DTA and AS-T degrees comply with ICRC recommendations for transfer degrees within Washington.

ICRC has developed a direct transfer agreement (DTA) with Washington community colleges. This ensures that students who complete a designated direct transfer AA degree at a community college will have satisfied all or most of the general education (or core) requirements at the various four-year institutions in the state. For most AA and AS students, this means that students can begin work on their specialized, major-area course work as soon as they transfer.

For some college majors, students will need to meet more specific admissions requirements, and may want to pursue an Associate Pre-Professional degree. Working with a Green River advisor, a student can design his/her Associate Pre-Professional degree to meet his/her specific transfer need.

International students will need to contact an advisor in the International Programs office to help create an educational plan specific to their needs.During the school year, representatives from various colleges and universities visit the campus to meet with students about transfer requirements. Watch for notices in campus publications, on Green River’s web site, or call the Transfer Center in Educational Planning.