Transfer Advising | Joint
Admissions & Tuition Advantage Program
Commonwealth Transfer Compact | Early Childhood Education
Compact
Bachelor Degree Completion Programs
Transfer Advising
Transfer advising is offered for students who want to continue their education beyond MWCC. The transfer services office works with many four-year institutions developing articulation agreements that ease the transition for transferring students. Currently, MWCC participates in Joint Admissions programs with Massachusetts public colleges and universities. Additionally, the college has many articulation agreements and alliances with private and public colleges established to ensure a smooth transfer process. Annually, students transfer to more than sixty different colleges and universities across the United States. Learn how you can save time and money by graduating from MWCC. Visit the transfer services web page: http://transfer.mwcc.edu or call (978) 630–9312.
Joint Admissions and the Tuition Advantage Program
The Joint Admissions Program offers MWCC students in qualified programs the opportunity for guaranteed admission to a number of baccalaureate institutions in the Massachusetts public higher education system. Currently MWCC has 21 degree programs that are Joint Admissions eligible and ensure transfer to state colleges and universities such as Bridgewater, Fitchburg, Framingham, Salem, Westfield, and Worcester State, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, and University of Massachusetts Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, and Lowell. To be eligible for the Joint Admissions Program, students must be in an approved curriculum and must graduate from MWCC with a minimum 2.5 QPA and transfer into a qualifying program, school, or college at the Massachusetts four-year institution.
The Tuition Advantage Program (TAP) entitles Joint Admissions-eligible students who graduate with a QPA of 3.0 or higher to a 100% in-state tuition (not fee) waiver at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, or a 33 1/3% in-state tuition (not fee) waiver at the other Massachusetts state colleges and universities. If the student maintains a 3.0 QPA for the first year at the four-year institution, he/she will receive an in-state tuition waiver for the second year of attendance. Students must transfer to the receiving public institution within one year of graduation from MWCC. Students transferring into continuing education programs are ineligible for the Tuition Advantage Program.
The Commonwealth Transfer Compact
Students who plan to transfer to a Massachusetts state college or university may be eligible to transfer under the State’s Commonwealth Transfer Compact. This agreement, revised in January 1990 and approved by the Board of Higher Education guarantees that qualified students who meet the conditions outlined below will be guaranteed transfer of a minimum of 60 college-level credits earned in the associate’s degree.
Section I: Requirement for Transfer Compact Status
A student shall be eligible for transfer compact status if he or she has met the following requirements:
- Completed an associate’s degree with a minimum of 60 credit hours exclusive of foundation coursework.
- Achieved a cumulative QPA of not less than 2.0 (in a 4.0 system) at the community college awarding the degree.
- Completed the following minimum general education core, exclusive of foundation coursework:
| English Composition I & II | 6 credit hours | |
| Behavioral and Social Science | 9 credit hours | |
| Humanities and Fine Arts | 9 credit hours | |
| Natural or Physical Science | 8 credit hours | |
| Mathematics (MAT160 or higher) | 3 credit hours |
The sending institution is responsible for identifying the transcript of each student who is a candidate for transfer under this compact.
Section II: Credits to be Transferred
The 35 credits, in general education, specified in Section I will be applied toward the fulfillment of the receiving institution’s general education requirements.
A minimum of 25 additional credits will be accepted as transfer credits by the receiving institution. These credits may be transferred as free electives toward the receiving institution’s additional general education requirements, toward the student’s major, or any combination, as the receiving institution deems appropriate.
Only college-level course credits consistent with the standards set forth in the recommendations of the undergraduate experience published by the Board of Higher Education are included under this compact. Credits awarded by the sending institution through CLEP, challenge examinations, and alternate methods of earning credit may be included when the community college certifies that a student qualifies under this compact.
Section III: Credits beyond the Associate Degree
To complete the baccalaureate degree, a student, who transfers under this compact, may be required to take no more than 68 additional credits unless:
1. The student changes his or her program upon entering the receiving
institution; or
2. The combination of additional general education requirements, if any,
and the requirements of the student’s major at the receiving institution
total more than 68 credits.
Under these circumstances, transfer students will be subject to the same requirements as native students (the term “native student” refers to students who began their undergraduate education at the baccalaureate institution).
For more information, students should contact transfer services at MWCC. Students who transfer but do not meet the conditions of the compact will be evaluated course-by-course at the four-year college or university.
All passing grades are transferable under the Commonwealth Transfer Compact agreement. For more information, contact MWCC transfer services. MWCC has designed several programs to meet the Commonwealth Transfer Compact status:
- Business Administration—Transfer (BA)
- Early Childhood Education—Transfer Concentration (ECT)
- Liberal Arts & Sciences:
- Liberal Arts (LA)
- Liberal Studies – Elementary Education Concentration (LAEL)
- Liberal Studies – Fitness Leadership & Exercise Science Concentration (LAX)
- Liberal Studies – Communication Option (LAC)
- Liberal Studies – History/Political Science Concentration (LHP)
- Liberal Studies – Theatre Arts Option (LAT)
Massachusetts Board of Higher Education Early Childhood and Elementary Education Compacts
Chapter 15A, the legislation that created the Board of Higher Education, includes a section (15A:5) on the powers and duties of the Board, one portion of which reads “develop and implement a transfer compact for the purpose of facilitating and fostering the transfer of students without the loss of academic credit or standing from one public institution to another.” The Early Childhood and Elementary Education Compacts apply to graduate students transferring from participating community colleges to participating state colleges and universities offering Early Childhood or Elementary Education licensure at the baccalaureate level.
Baccalaureate Degree Completion Program Collaborations
MWCC has collaborated with Charter Oak State College, Drexel University, Franklin University, and the University of Phoenix to offer unique bachelor degree programs to MWCC graduates. For more information about these programs, students should contact transfer services, Room 134G, Advising & Counseling Center, (978) 630-9321.
Visit the transfer services web page at http://transfer.mwcc.edu.
New for Fall 2008:
3 + 1 Bachelor Degree Completion Program
Earn up to 90 credits at MWCC and then transfer to a specific four-year college or university and earn your baccalaureate degree. In many cases, students can complete the entire 120+ credit bachelor degree without leaving “MWCC”. To participate in the 3 + 1 program, specialized advising is required. For more information, contact transfer services at (978) 630-9321 or email ngreenlaw@mwcc.mass.edu.
Watch for the new 3 + 1 website.