There are many ways to explore the transfer process! RCC Transfer Services has many transfer events such as Transfer Workshops, Colleges/University Transfer Tabling, Transfer Mini Fairs and other events throughout the academic year! 

Transfer Tabling from Four-Year College/Universities

Spring 2026 Semester Visits (11am-2pm unless noted)

Tuesday, February 12th: UMass Amherst

Thursday, February 19th: Regis College

Tuesday, March 3rd: Bridgewater State University

Wednesday, March 4th: Regis College

Tuesday, March 10th: UMass Amherst

Tuesday, March 31st: Bridgewater State University

Tuesday, April 7th: UMass Amherst

The Transfer Planning Guide is designed to assist you in strategizing your goals for transfer as you achieve academic credit at RCC! Transfer planning involves key steps include exploring program/major goals, meeting with academic advisors, and focusing on grades to build a strong GPA. It's also crucial to research articulation agreements, understand credit transfer policies, explore financial aid options, and build a balanced student profile through extracurriculars or work experience. 

0-12 RCC Credits

- Work closely with an RCC academic advisor at the Center for Student SUCCESS, Advising & Retention to plan your RCC coursework and review your academic goals and to ensure you are in a transfer-focused program of study. 

- Begin basic research on four-year college/universities both private and public. Consider the who, what, where, when and why in your plan search/plan. These may include desired features such as cost, location, size, student services, and availability of online learning.

Ask yourself these questions:

• What is important to me in a four-year college?
• Where do I want the college to be located? How far away is the college from my home?
• Does the college offer my program of study/major?
• What size institution is good for my learning style?
• Do I want to attend a public or private institution?
• What is the cost? What financial aid is available? Are there merit scholarships available for me?
• What is the campus setting? Is it rural, city, or suburban?  

- For transfer to a four-year state college/university, visit the MassTransfer website for Associate to Bachelor (A2B) Program Maps that will lay out specific course work for your program of choice and have financial advantages based on your graduation at RCC and final GPA.

- For transfer to a four-year private college in Massachusetts, visit the Mass Guarantee website for information on transfer benefits for RCC graduates.

13-30 RCC Credits

- Make an appointment with RCC's Transfer Coordinator to begin a review of your transfer plans.

- Attend virtual or in-person open houses, admissions events, program specific information sessions.

- Attend RCC's transfer events, workshops and transfer tables during the academic year. 

31-45 RCC Credits

- Work with your RCC academic advisor and be sure you are on track with the required RCC coursework.

- Check in with RCC's Transfer Coordinator to continue to confirm your transfer plans.

- Contact the Transfer Admissions reps of schools you are interested in. Many contacts can be found on the RCC Transfer Website.

- Begin general review of colleges/universities application materials and become familiar with transfer deadlines (remember transcripts, letters of recommendation, deadlines, school specific requirements).

- Research Transfer Scholarship opportunities and ensure you meet the criteria to apply and have the correct deadlines of each scholarship.

Visit the college/university before you apply.

This is a good chance to see the college and get a feel for how the experience will be when/if you attend. 

• Check out the bulletin boards in the buildings. What is happening on campus?
• Visit a class in your major.
• Visit the cafeteria. Do you like the food? Does the food meet your dietary requirements? Consider the meal plan options and cost associated with each plan.
• Visit the residence halls if you plan to live on campus. Are they co-ed by floor or room? What is the atmosphere like?
• Follow the college social media channels
• Talk to students (even beyond your tour guide.) What do they like and dislike?
• Go to the library. Is it welcoming? Do they have the materials you will need?
• If you plan on commuting, how are the services for commuters? Do offices have hours that are convenient for you?

46-61 RCC Credits

- Review your degree audit with your RCC academic advisor and make sure you are on track to graduate! Complete the RCC Petition to Graduate form with your advisor.

- Finalize all Transfer Scholarship applications

APPLY!

If you are applying to a four-year state college/university you will most likely be applying as a MassTransfer student.

• Click the following link for the steps to apply: https://www.mass.edu/masstransfer/a2b/application.asp

If you are applying to a selective four-year private college/university, review their full applications deadlines and requirements. You will most likely be using the Common Application.

• Click the following link for a step-by-step tutorial on how to apply via the Common Application for transfer students: https://www.commonapp.org/apply/transfer-students  

Send RCC Transcripts 

• Step One: Send an official Roxbury CC transcript to the University you are applying to by requesting an official college transcript. 
• Step Two: Send a final Roxbury CC transcript after you have received your final grades from the academic semester. 

*Note: Check with the Roxbury CC Registrar’s Office to ensure that your graduation status is recorded on your transcript before you request a final transcript.

Apply for Financial Aid at the four-year college/university

• If you are receiving financial aid at RCC, make sure you find out the CEEB school code(s) of the colleges/universities you are applying to when you transfer and add this code to your new FAFSA.

MassTransfer

RCC students thinking about transferring to a Massachusetts public state college/university would be able to qualify for a program called MassTransfer.

What is MassTransfer?

• MassTransfer is a collaboration between the Commonwealth’s community colleges, state universities and the University of Massachusetts system. The goal of MassTransfer is for students to be able to transfer seamlessly from their community college to a State University/Umass campus.  

MassTransfer consists of three main components that are all designed to maximize transfer! 

• General Education Foundation (MassTransfer Gen Ed Foundation and STEM Gen Ed Foundation)
• Associate 2 Bachelor Degree Pathways
• Commonwealth Commitment

State Colleges/Universities Participating in MassTransfer:

UMass Amherst	UMass Boston
UMass Dartmouth	UMass Lowell
Bridgewater State University	Fitchburg State University
Framingham State University	Mass. College of Liberal Arts
Mass. Maritime Academy	Mass. College of Art & Design (Special MIsson Institution Mapped Pathway)
Salem State University	Mass. Maritime Academy (Special Mission Institution Mapped Pathway)
Worcester State University	Westfield State University

Roxbury Community College MassTransfer Programs (pathway eligibility based on program)

Arts & Humanities (General Education Foundation & Linked Pathway Eligible)	Business Administration (General Education Foundation & A2B Mapped Pathway Eligible)
Biological Sciences (General Education Foundation & A2B Mapped Pathway Eligible)	Broadcast Media Technology (General Education Foundation & Linked Pathway Eligible)
English (General Education Foundation & A2B Mapped Pathway Eligible)	Criminal Justice (General Education Foundation & A2B Mapped Pathway Eligible)
Health Careers (General Education Foundation & Linked Pathway Eligible)	Liberal Arts (General Education Foundation & Liberal Arts Pathway Eligible)
Mathematics (STEM General Education Foundation & A2B STEM Pathway Eligible)	Musical Arts (General Education Foundation & Linked Pathway Eligible)
Physical Science (General Education Foundation & A2B Mapped Pathway Eligible)	Social Science (General Education Foundation & A2B Mapped Pathway Eligible)
Theatre Arts (General Education Foundation & Linked Pathway Eligible)	Visual Arts (General Education Foundation & Linked Pathway Eligible)

 

MassTransfer General Education Foundation (MassTransfer Block)

Complete 34 credits of general education foundation and save an average of 11% on your bachelor’s degree!

The first MassTransfer benefit for students is known as the MassTransfer General Education Foundation (also called the MassTransfer Block). This is a set of 34 general requirement courses for most undergraduate degrees at a two and four-year higher ediucation institution. 

When a student completes the MassTransfer General Education Foundation, the receiving institution may add no more than two additional general education courses at the four-year institution (up to 8 credits).

* Please note that students who just complete the MassTransfer General Education Foundation will have this noted on their RCC transcript but it will not guarantee admission to the four-year institution or provide any MassTransfer financial benefits. 

MassTransfer General Education Foundation & RCC Courses 

Subject Areas	Credits	Roxbury Community College Courses
English Composition/Writing	6 Credits	ENG 101, ENG 102
Behavioral/Social Sciences	9 Credits	ECE 100, ECE 101, SSI Courses
Humanities/Fine Arts	9 Credits	ENG 110, ENG 220, ENG 221, ENG 225, ENG 226, ENG 232, HUM courses, LAN courses
Natural/Physical Science	7 Credits	SCI courses
Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning	3 Credits	MAT courses (MAT 103, 120,201,203,204,205,225,244)
Total	34 Credits	• A grade of D or higher is required in all general education foundation courses for the block to be stamped on an RCC transcript.

 

STEM General Education Foundation

A student completing the STEM General Education Foundation(below) for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs will have earned the following 28 credit hours outlined below, exclusive of developmental coursework. 

The following RCC programs have the following 28 credits embedded in their program to meet this STEM Block requirement (Biotechnology, Engineering and Mathematics). Students who complete these programs will have the STEM GenEd Foundation stamped on their transcript.

* The MassTransfer STEM General Education Foundation must be completed with the associate degree and will not transfer as a block of courses by itself. Student will recieve the STEM Block by completing RCC associate degrees in Biotechnology, Engineering and Mathematics

MassTransfer STEM General Education Foundation & RCC Courses 

Subject Areas	Credits	Roxbury Community College Courses
English Composition/Writing	6 Credits	ENG 101, ENG 102
Behavioral/Social Sciences	6 Credits	ECE 100, ECE 101, SSI Courses
Humanities/Fine Arts	6 Credits	ENG 110, ENG 220, ENG 221, ENG 225, ENG 226, ENG 232, HUM courses, LAN courses
Natural/Physical Science	7 Credits	SCI courses
Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning	3 Credits	MAT courses (MAT 103, 120,201,203,204,205,225,244)
Total	28 Credits	• A grade of D or higher is required in all general education foundation courses for the block to be stamped on an RCC transcript.

How Can The MassTransfer General Educational Foundation Work For Your RCC Associate Degree?

RCC's AA Degrees: Roxbury Community Colleges Associate in Arts degrees(plus Criminal Justice) have the above MassTransfer General Education Foundation courses embedded in their programs. In other words, if you complete your RCC associate in arts, you will have completed the MassTransfer General Education Foundation courses. 

STEM Block Degrees:  RCC associate degrees that meet the MassTransfer STEM Block are: Biotechnology, Engineering and Mathematics.  

Search the following website for A2B Linked Pathways for each STEM programs to see what college/university has a pathway.

Other Consideration: Some Associate in Science degrees will not meet either the MT General Education Foundation or the STEM Foundation and may require more courses to be completed. Visit RCC's Academic Advising Office to make sure you are taking the correct additional courses to meet either the 34 credit or 28 credit foundational courses for MassTransfer.

 

MassTransfer Associates to Bachelors (A2B) Pathways

Complete your RCC Associate Degree and save an average of 28% on your Bachelor’s Degree!

MassTransfer seeks to reward community college students who complete associate degrees at Massachusetts community colleges before they enroll in a bachelor’s program at state universities or UMass campus.

MassTransfer students who have graduated RCC with a completed A2B Mapped Pathway will receive the following benefits:

• GPA of 2.0 or higher
  • Guaranteed full transfer of a minimum of 60 credits.
  • No application fee, essay, or letters of recommendation required.
• GPA of 2.5 or higher
  • Above benefits plus
  • Guaranteed Admission (admission is not guaranteed if the student's target major requires a higher GPA, additional application elements (auditions or portfolios, etc.), or if the proposed major is restricted based on available space)
• GPA of 3.0 or higher
  • Eligible for the MassTransfer 100% Tuition Waiver/Credit at state universities and UMass Campuses (this does not include college fees)

 Click the link for more about the MassTransfer Tuition Credit https://www.mass.edu/masstransfer/tools/tuitioncredit.asp

What Are MassTransfer A2B Pathways?

A2B Mapped Pathways are transfer maps that show course requirements for your associate degree program and how it will transfer to the mapped program requirements for a bachelor degree. There are three kinds of A2B Pathways.

Search MassTransfer A2B Pathways 

1) A2B System-Wide Pathway maps are comprised of the MassTransfer GenEd Foundation and a selection of courses in your major field of study. These Major Foundational Courses are guaranteed to be accepted in transfer by each state university and UMass campus. They also represent the minimum number of major courses you would need to complete at your community college in order to still complete your bachelor's degree within two years after your transfer. A2B System-Wide Pathways are most beneficial if you know your intended major but are not sure to which state university or UMass campus you want to transfer.

2) If you know your intended major and the institution to which you want to transfer A2B Campus-to-Campus Pathway maps list all of the major-specific courses that resident students would complete within their first 60 credits of study at the baccalaureate institution. Completing all of the courses is recommended, but not required. As long as you complete your associate degree, you will receive all the benefits of an A2B transfer. A2B Campus-to-Campus Pathways are your best choice if you know your intended major and to which state university or UMass campus you want to transfer.

3) A2B Linked Pathways do not feature curriculum maps. Although these agreements guarantee 60 credits will transfer, whether the credits are applied in your major, as general education, or as electives is at the discretion of the receiving institution. A2B Linked Pathways are best for students in non-traditional or highly specialized fields of study.

The MassTransfer Application Process

• If you are an RCC student planning to apply to a Massachusetts State University or Umass, you most likely will be applying as a MassTransfer student. Click the following link for the steps to apply: https://www.mass.edu/masstransfer/a2b/application.asp
• It is encoraged that you apply using the college/university application. You will be asked to indicate what type of student you are applying as. For this answer select "Transfer Student" and then select "MassTransfer" when asked in the application.
• Request an official transcript from the RCC Registrar's Office to be sent dierctly to the institution you are applying to

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The Massachusetts Guarantee

For students looking at four-year private independent colleges/universities, the Massachusetts Guarantee offers similar benefits to MassTransfer in certain degree programs.

What is the Massachusetts Guarantee?

• The Massachusetts Guarantee is a partnership agreement between the state’s community colleges and many state private independent colleges and universities. Based on MassTransfer, the goal of this program is for seamless transfer to many private colleges in Massachusetts with the following benefits:

  *	Guaranteed transfer of associate degree credits
  *	No application fee or admission essay
  *	Guaranteed admission Given the student has met all eligibility criteria for the selected Massachusetts Guarantee institution and the institution has available capacity within the intended major.
  *	Junior status upon enrollment
  *	Scholarship and financial incentives Varying by institution based on each individual cost, merit scholarship, etc

  There are many colleges participating in the Mass. Guarantee such as:

• Emmanuel College
• Simmons University
• Curry College
• Suffolk University
• Fisher College
• Mass College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences 
• Lasell University
• Merrimack College
• Lesley University
• Regis College

Visit the Massachusetts Guarantee Website for a full list of participating four-year private colleges/univeristies.

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Transfer Scholarships are opportunities for students to fund their education. There are two categories of scholarships for students to consider.

Merit Scholarships:

A merit scholarship is a financial award given by the college/university to students based on their achievements, talents, or skills, such as academic performance(GPA), rather than financial need. Upon acceptance, students may automatically be considered for a merit scholarships when they receive their college financial summary.

Non-Profit Organization Scholarships:

Manynonprofit organizations and charitable foundations offer college scholarships to help students fund their education. These opportunities are available nationally and locally, often based on specific criteria such as field of study, financial need, academic merit, or organizational affiliation.

College/University Merit Scholarships

*check school of interest for merit scholarship opportunities 

Bridgewater State University

University of Massachusetts Boston

University of Massachusetts Amherst

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

Emerson College Commonwealth Transfer Scholarship  

Northeastern University CPS Lowell Institute Scholarship

Simmons University  

 

Non-Profit Organization Scholarship Websites

• Scholarship360
• Edvisors

• Big Future/College Board 

• Obama Foundation: Voyager Scholarship for Public Service
• Phi Theta Kappa Transfer Scholarships
• New England Transfer Association Scholarship
• UMass Community College Advantage Scholarship | UMass System

• Scholarships by Major 

• International Student Scholarship Search

• Cappex 

• CollegeNet.com 

• Best Colleges

• GraduateTutor.com 

• Hispanic Scholarship Fund 

• Jack Kent Cook Transfer Scholarship

• LGBTQ Students-Point Foundation Transfer Scholarship 

• Scholarship America 

• Scholarships.com 

• United Negro College Fund 

• Great Value Colleges

• Early Childhood Educators Scholarship Program

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 Roxbury Community College has a variety of transfer agreements, also known as articulation agreements, with both private and public colleges/universities. A transfer agreement is designed to maximize courses from Roxbury to the partner institution.

Below is a list of various associate to bachelor transfer agreements designed for students looking to transfer in a variety of fields of study. Each agreement may have a variety of benefits for students so make sure to inquire with the transfer representative at the four-year college about agreement specifics.

Associate to Bachelor Degree Transfer Articulation Agreements

UMass Boston

• • RCC and UMass Boston have a guaranteed admissions agreement for RCC students who graduate their RN Nursing degree! Click the following link: RCC's Nursing (RN) to Umass Boston (BSN) Transfer Agreement 
  • RCC's Social Science-Urban Sustainability and Advocacy Concentration to UMB's Community Development B.A. Click here for more information.  
  • UMASS Boston Future Beacon Option
    • If you've applied to UMass Boston but were not admissible, the Future Beacon Option at Roxbury Community College makes it easy to enroll at Roxbury Community College and then transfer to UMass Boston in a future semester.  UMass Boston and Roxbury Community College have established a partnership that will make this transition very easy.

Northeastern University College of Professional Studies (CPS)

Associate to Masters Workforce Accelerator Agreement

• • To inquire about the A2M Program, contact A2M Navigator, Tahir Abbas at: tabbas@rcc.mass.edu   

Emmanuel College

• • RCC and Emmanuel College A2M Pathway Agreement
    • RCC and Emmanuel have signed a transfer agreement for RCC's Early Childhood Education students to transfer seamlessly to Emmanuel's Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Educational Studies and then onto a Master Degree in Education with initial licensure in Elementary Education (grades 1 – 6) to teach in Massachusetts.

    • The Associate-to-Master’s (A2M) Pathway allows RCC graduates with an Early Childhood Education Associate degree to:

      • Transfer seamlessly to Emmanuel and complete a Bachelor’s in Educational Studies in two years
      • Join Emmanuel’s Graduate School Early Entry Program, taking two M.Ed. courses at no extra cost as undergraduates
      • Finish their M.Ed. and earn licensure within one year of completing their bachelor’s

      Significant financial support makes the pathway even more accessible: eligible RCC transfers receive an annual $25,000 Emmanuel scholarship during their undergraduate studies and a 10% tuition reduction for their graduate degree. Students also benefit from guaranteed admission, no application fee or essay, and junior status upon enrollment through the Massachusetts Transfer Guarantee.

      Make an appointment with RCC Transfer Coordinator Evan Desatnick for specific information and details!
  • Emmanuel has mapped out pathways for RCC RN students with associate degrees in Nursing from all of the Massachusetts community colleges. Emmanuel College maintains articulation agreements with local community colleges to help students make successful transitions into the RN-BSN program. Please see the Graduate and Professional Programs page for specific information: Online RN to BSN | Emmanuel College School of Nursing, Boston

William James College 

• • Complete any RCC Associate Degree and transfer to William James College's Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Human Services program.

Emerson College

• • • RCC Health Careers majors transfer to Emersons B.S in Communication Sciences and Disorders 

Wentworth Institute of Technology

• • RCC students who complete their Engineering associate degree have seamless transfer to Wentworths bachelor of science in Civil and Mechanical Engineering degrees.
  • RCC students who complete their Information Systems Technology associate degree have seamless transfer to Wentworths Information Technology Bachelor of science degree. 

Delaware State University (HBCU)

• • RCC and Delaware State University have partnered for RCC's Liberal Arts students to earn an online bachelors degree in Public Health at DSU. Contact DSU Transfer Admissions for more Information.

Southern New Hampshire University (Online)

• • RCC has transfer pathways for student to go to SNHU in a variety of online programs
    • A.A. Health Careers to B.S. Business Administration with concentration in Healthcare Administration - Online
    • A.A. Social Science to B.A. Psychology - Online
    • A.S. Criminal Justice to B.S. Criminal Justice - Online
    • A.S. Nursing to B.S. Nursing - Online
    • A.S. Radiologic Tech to B.S. Health Sciences - Online

UMass Dartmouth

• • RCC and UMass Dartmouth have established a transfer agreement for RCC RN students to transfer to UMass Dartmouth's Online BSN program. Click the following ink for more information: RN-BSN Transfer Agreement

 

Johnson C Smith University (HBCU) 

• • RCC and Johnson C Smith University(North Carolina) have signed a transfer agreement effective spring 2026. This guaranteed admissions agreement with the JCSU Connect Scholarship money available based on final RCC GPA. To learn more abou this agreement, contact RCC Transfer Coordinator, Evan Desatnick 

Quincy College

• • RCC Information System Technology graduates transfer to QCC's B.S in Computer Science.
  • RCC Business Administration and Business Management to QCC's B.S in Business Management.

You can also see additional transfer agreement information on each Associate of Arts and Associate of Science program page. Please note, some of these agreements are in review for updates.

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Course Equivalency Databases

To determine whether courses transfer from RCC to four-year colleges/universities, it is important to understand a few key factors:

* One, if a course is transferrable, it may transfer as either as a course to course (i.e English Comp to English Comp) or course to elective. Keep in mind, if the course transfer as an elective, it still is counting towards the 120 credits for your bachelor degree.

* Two, if you are looking at course transferability to colleges/universities beyond the New England region, you will want to contact each college and meet with their transfer admissions rep to guage the college transfer credit policy and procedure.   

* Three, colleges/universities will do pre-admission credit evauation for you so it is important to ask them about this possibility. 

* RCC credit internship courses may or may not transfer to four-year colleges/universities. The awarding of this credit is on a case by case basis.

For detailed information on Massachusetts state college/university course equivalencies click the following link:

Massachusetts Course Equivalency Database (MAST)

For individual Massachusetts state college and university course equivalency databases, click the following links:

• • • Bridgewater State University
    • Framingham State University
    • Westfield State University
    • UMass Boston

      Transferology Video Guides

      • • Get Started with Transferology for Free - See How Your Courses Will Transfer to UMass Boston
        • Plan Ahead - Determine What Courses to Take Now that Transfer to UMass Boston
        • Match Your Prior Coursework to a UMass Boston Program
    • UMass Dartmouth
    • UMass Lowell

For Massachusetts private college/university course equivalency databases, click the following links:

• • • Bentley University
    • Boston University
    • Curry College
    • Emmanuel College
    • Suffolk University
    • Wentworth Institute of Technology

Disclaimer: While Roxbury Community College will make every effort to provide accurate information, it is the responsibility of the student to confirm with the four-year college or university as to the validity and accuracy of the information provided.

• Step One: Send an official Roxbury CC transcript to the University you are applying to by requesting an official college transcript. 
• Step Two: Send a final Roxbury CC transcript after you have received your final grades from the academic semester. 

*Note: Check with the Roxbury CC Registrar’s Office to ensure that your graduation status is recorded on your transcript before you request a final transcript.

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STEP ONE: Apply

Applying to college/university as a transfer student will have its own deadlines and requirements. Once you have decided on what colleges/universities you are applying to, consider the following: 

If you are applying to a four-year state college/university you will most likely be applying as a MassTransfer student.

• Click the following link for steps to apply: https://www.mass.edu/masstransfer/a2b/application.asp

If you are applying to a selective four-year private college/university, review their full admissions application deadlines and requirements. Many schools will most likely be using the Common Application.

• Click the following link for a step-by-step guide and video tutorial on how to apply via the Common Application for transfer students: https://www.commonapp.org/apply/transfer-students  

STEP TWO: Send RCC Transcripts 

• Part One: Send an official Roxbury CC transcript to the University you are applying to by requesting an official college transcript. 
• Part Two: Send a final Roxbury CC transcript after you have received your final grades from the academic semester. 

*Note: Check with the Roxbury CC Registrar’s Office at RCC Connect(first floor, building 3) to ensure that your graduation status is recorded on your transcript before you request a final transcript.

STEP THREE: Apply for Financial Aid

• If you are receiving financial aid at RCC, make sure you update your FAFSA. You wil also want to find out the CEEB school code(s) of the colleges/universities you are applying to when you transfer.
• Some Colleges may require the CCS Profile. Click the following link for information: CSS Profile

I. Preamble

The community colleges of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in order to ease and clarify the process of transferring earned credit from one college to another, whether among themselves or from other public or private institutions; to provide standards for the evaluation of alternative sources of credit; to reduce the time and cost of completing a college education; and to increase the opportunities for graduation of their students, establish these Community College Transfer Principles. These Principles respect the academic standards, quality and integrity of each of the Massachusetts community colleges.

II. Introduction

In accepting undergraduate transfer credit from other institutions, the Massachusetts community colleges apply these Transfer Principles to ensure that credit accepted reflects appropriate levels of academic quality and is applicable to students’ programs. Each community college makes these Transfer Principles publicly available to students and prospective students on their websites and other communications. These Principles reduce unnecessary barriers to protect the colleges’ academic quality and integrity.

These Transfer Principles address issues of academic credit earned through coursework completed at one institution and transferred to another. It also addresses the related issue of credit earned through alternative sources of credit, such as examinations, professional courses, military training and other prior learning experiences.

III. General Conditions

1. For credit to transfer, the courses must have been taken at an institution accredited by one of the six regional accreditation agencies in the United States or, when allowed by college practice, by a national accreditation agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Consult your college about any special requirements for online courses.
2. Credit earned at international institutions not accredited by one of the six regional United States accreditation agencies may
3. Colleges require official transcripts from the institutions where credit was earned for credit to
4. Students must be accepted by the institution and have declared their major programs of study for credit to be
5. At minimum, credit will be granted for courses that apply to students’ current programs of
6. Once credit is transferred it becomes part of students’ permanent
7. Only credit for college-level coursework will
8. Credit for pre-college-level or developmental coursework does not
9. Colleges may choose to use developmental coursework for student placement
10. Grades do not transfer; only credit transfers. Therefore, transfer credit grades are not used in calculating grade or quality point averages. Consult your college for any
11. Transfer credit is designated on transcripts with an appropriate letter or symbol in the grade
12. Credit will transfer as (1) the course equivalent at the receiving institution, if it exists, or (2) as an elective equivalent within a comparable department, if it exists. Some colleges transfer credit with an appropriate transfer code and number, when neither the course equivalent, nor a comparable department, exists.
13. Credits earned in a quarter-hour system will be converted to semester-hour
14. Audited coursework does not
15. Credit will not be granted for duplicate coursework or for two courses that cover the same or similar

IV. Minimum Grades

1. Most colleges require a minimum grade of C (2.00 on a 4.00 scale) or higher for courses and credits to transfer. Some colleges will accept grades of C- or higher for
2. Grades of D, D+, C- and CD (1.00 to 1.99 on a 4.00 scale) may transfer if they are for courses that are part of the 34-credit General Education Foundation (formerly MassTransfer Block) and students have completed the Block with a cumulative grade or quality point average of 00 or higher.
3. Grades higher than C (2.00) may be required for admission to certain programs, for use as pre-requisite courses and for application of credit to certain program The colleges will publish the higher standards and the programs to which these higher standards apply.
4. Grades of Pass (P), Satisfactory (S) or similar grades will transfer only when official transcripts indicate that such grades are equivalent to a grade of C or higher.

V. Residency Requirement/Maximum Transfer Credit Allowed

 Institutions require students to complete at least one quarter (25%) of the credits of the first associate degree at that institution in order to graduate (referred to as the residency requirement). Transfer of up to the remaining three-quarters of the credits will depend upon the associate degree program’s requirements and elective options. Requirements for a second and subsequent degree vary depending on institutions’ practices. The number of credits transferable toward a certificate program varies by college and certificate.

VI. Alternative Sources of Credit

1. Credit will be granted for satisfactory scores on Advanced Placement (AP) examinations based on institutions’ policies.
2. Credit will be granted for satisfactory scores on College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) examinations based on institutions’
3. Official score reports from the College Board are required in order to receive credit for AP and CLEP.
4. Credit will be granted for satisfactory scores on challenge or credit examinations based on institutions’ policies.
5. Credit may be granted for formal courses or examinations offered by various organizations, including businesses, unions, government and military based on the recommendations of the American Council on Education (ACE) as found in its National Guide to College Credit for Workforce Training, a resource of its College Credit Recommendation Service (CREDIT).
6. Credit also may be granted for learning from experience at work, volunteering in the community, military service, job training, independent reading, open source courseware study, and hobbies based on the Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) standards of the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL).
7. Members of the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) Consortium adhere to the Consortium’s Academic Residency Requirements for servicemembers at their
8. Academic credits earned through the evaluation of military occupation, training, experience and coursework are transferable within the Massachusetts public higher education system in accordance with the Mass Transfer
9. Credit granted by one institution from alternative sources other than that included by item H above may not transfer to another

VII. Time Limits

1. Credit will be transferred without time limits, unless otherwise specified in college catalogs for specific courses or
2. Certain programs, courses or admission standards may require courses to be taken within a specified time period based on institutions’ The colleges will publish the programs, courses or admission standards with specified time limits.

VIII. Student Appeals

1. Institutions maintain and publish a process for students to appeal decisions made about transfer
2. Institutions designate and publish the contact information of an ombudsperson who ensures institutional compliance with these Community College Transfer

IX. Review and Amendment

The Department of Higher Education will from time to time convene a group of community college transfer professionals to review these Principles and recommend amendments to the Department.

X. Contact

 Interested parties with comments or questions may contact Art Esposito of the Department of Higher Education at: aesposito@dhe.mass.edu

XI.Adoption

 These Community College Transfer Principles were reviewed and approved by the Academic Affairs Committee on June 13, 2017 and adopted by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education on June 20, 2017.

• Email: transfercenter@rcc.mass.edu 
• Via Bookings at: Transfer Services Student Appointments (office365.com)
• RCC Transfer Services in located in Building 3, South Wing, Room 533-H

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