Articulation

Articulation is the process that facilitates the successful transfer of students from community colleges to undergraduate baccalaureate programs at 4-year colleges and universities. It is the development of formal written agreements that explain how courses transfer from one institution to another, either “as comparable to” or “acceptable in lieu of" specific course requirements at four-year institutions. The successful completion of articulated courses related to admission criteria, general education, and major preparation, according to a Student Educational Plan (SEP) developed with the assistance of a counselor, will ensure a successful and competitive transfer. 

ProgramMapper

Berkeley City College students may also consult ProgramMapper for degree and certificate programs to help develop their SEP. Each map contains information about recommended courses sequences and articulated courses for transfer to CSU and UC. It is still important to meet meet with a counselor to develop a Student Educational Plan (SEP), but mapping academic goals is a good way for students to quickly and efficiently transfer.

Articulation Agreement Types

There are several types of articulation agreements. The first step in building articulation is elective credit, courses at a minimum will transfer as lower division credit but not necessarily complete general education or major requirements.

Course-to-Course

Course-To-Course (by department) Articulation Agreements describe how specific courses taken at a community college (or sending institution) can be used in place of specific courses at the receiving (or transferring) institution, possibly fulfilling general education and/or major preparation requirements.

General Education (GE)

General Education Articulation Agreements identify a pattern of courses that can fulfill lower-division general education requirements. Which pattern a student should follow is dependent on the transfer universities and majors being considered, consult with a Berkeley City College Counselor for assistance with understanding the most appropriate choice. General Education Articulation Agreements include: Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) primarily used when applying to multiple UCs and/or UCs and CSUs – not advisable for high-unit majors. CSU General Education (CSU-GE) Breadth Requirements are used when applying to CSUs only; and UC campus-specific agreements are sometimes an option used depending on the combination of transfer universities and majors.

Lower Division Major Preparation

Lower Division Major Preparation Articulation Agreements describe the lower division major preparation (or courses) expected in order to be a competitive transfer student. Transfer students completing all lower-division major courses prepares them for upper-division major requirements.

Not all 4-year university campuses provide articulation with every community college or for all of their majors or departments. Many 4-year universities concentrate on their primary feeder community colleges. This doesn’t mean you, as a student, can’t transfer. It means that you will need to talk directly with a Berkeley City College Counselor and 4-year admissions advisor. In addition, each 4-year university campus will have different articulation with different community colleges, even when they are colleges in the same district. For example, Berkeley City College, College of Alameda, Merritt, and Laney have different articulation agreements even though they are sister colleges. You also can not assume that a community college course will be accepted the same way at different 4-year universities. UC Berkeley, for example, does not automatically use a course the same way that UC Los Angeles does.

ASSIST 

ASSIST is California’s official statewide repository of transfer information for the California Community Colleges (CCC), California State University (CSU), and University of California (UC) systems, offering easy access to a single database of articulation and transfer information. ASSIST will help you determine if you will receive credit for courses you’ve already taken or plan to take, and how those courses will apply to a specific academic major or general education requirement. Visit the ASSIST website for Berkeley City College courses that are transferable to the University of California (UC) and the California State University (CSU) systems according to these various types of articulation agreements. Please view online demonstrations on how to use the ASSIST website by visiting ASSIST Resource Center: Tutorials

Guide for Out-of-State Transfer

Students who begin their bachelor’s degree at BCC transfer to universities located all over the country. The following are the essential elements that you and your counselor will take into account when exploring baccalaureate programs in other states in the U.S.

The Transfer Credit Challenge

Perhaps the most intimidating aspect of out-of-state transfer is the absence of the articulation agreements between California’s community colleges and universities within the state that provide guarantees that transfer credit will be granted for the classes you are taking at BCC. Aside from actually applying, the only way to know is to ask for an informal evaluation from the target university.

Step 1: Gather information about the school

It is important that you gather some basic information about the transfer requirements for your target out-of-state school before you begin inquiring about specific course credit. You will need to consult the school’s printed catalog or go online to their Web site to find out:

• the minimum number of units you need to apply as a transfer student
• any other transfer selection criteria, such as GPA minimums
• lower-division General Education requirements
• lower-division prerequisites necessary to enter your major
• application procedures and deadlines

Some tips:

• Unit and GPA requirements are usually a part of information for transfer students in an “Admissions” section.
• General Education requirements are among the graduation requirements for a degree from the university; and they may be called by other terms, such as Core, Essential Skills, or Foundations.
• Lower-division major prerequisites will be on the pages that describe each major.
• For both GE and major preparation, you might need to look up the institution’s course numbering, in order to separate lower division from upper-division.

Many catalogs are available in the Transfer Center located on the 2nd Floor, and the staff there can help you locate online information. Print out or make copies of everything and take it to an appointment (not a drop-in session) with your BCC Counselor.

Step 2: Write a proposed educational plan

Your BCC Counselor will compare the information that you have gathered to the courses offered at BCC and make an educated guess about which BCC courses will meet the requirements for transfer to your target school. Based on that guess, you and your counselor will write a tentative educational plan. It may take more than one appointment session to accomplish this step.

Step 3: Ask for a review of your plan

At this point it is necessary to identify an admissions advisor at your target university. Catalogs and Web sites will contain Admissions office phone numbers; online information usually includes email addresses through which to make contact. Your goal is to locate an advisor who will review your plan and provide feedback on whether it will meet the requirements to be admitted at the level you are seeking. You will offer to email the plan to them and ask the advisor to email their approval or suggestions for changes. You may also have to make separate contact with an advisor in the department of your major to find out about major preparation. The university advisor may want to review your course syllabi and outlines. If at all possible, please retain all course syllabi from your classes. BCC’s course outlines are available in the Office of Instruction located on the 4th Floor.

Step 4: Confirm and carry out your plan

After you receive the university advisor’s evaluation of your plan, meet again with your BCC Counselor to review the feedback and make any necessary adjustments. Continue to meet regularly with your counselor, especially at any point that you want to take different courses or make any other changes that are not in the approved plan. Of course, follow all application instructions and meet deadlines set by the university. Counseling appointments can be made via the online scheduling system, or contact BCC’s Counseling Department by calling (510) 981-5036, or by email at counselingbcc@peralta.edu.