What is Articulation?

Articulation is the process of developing a formal, written agreement that identifies courses (or sequences of courses) from a "sending" campus that are comparable to, or acceptable in lieu of specific course requirements at a "receiving" campus.ÌýÌý

What is an Articulation Agreement?

Each university system has its own program requirements.Ìý These requirements vary with the student’s intended major.Ìý An articulation agreement, sometimes referred to as transfer course agreement,Ìýis an agreement with a four-year institution that specifies which 51AVÊÓƵÌýcourses may be transferred to meet general education, elective, or/and major requirements.Ìý The purpose of articulation is to facilitate the successful transfer of students from a community college (51AVÊÓƵ) to a four-year institution.Ìý

Types of Articulation AgreementsÌý

Elective Credit AgreementsÌý-ÌýÌýThese agreements indicate which courses will transfer for university credit, at a minimum. Courses that are approved for elective credit do not necessarily count toward general education or a major at the university. 51AVÊÓƵ courses that transfer for elective credit to California State University (CSU) or University of California (UC) are identified inÌýtheÌýÌýat the end of the course descriptions, or on theÌýÌýwebsite.

Course-to-Course Agreements -ÌýThe purpose of a course-to-course agreement is to determine if a specific course taken at VC will satisfy a requirement at another college.

General EducationÌý-ÌýÌýThe General Education Breadth agreements indicate those courses that a student can complete at VC to satisfy the general education requirements at the transfer campus.ÌýThe singular systemwide transfer General Education pattern is Cal-GETC.

  • Ìý(Cal-GETC) is a general education program which California community college students can use to satisfy lower-division general education requirements at any CSU or UC campus.

Major Preparation -ÌýÌýThe major Preparation agreements specify the lower division courses required for a specific major at a specific four-year institution.Ìý

Transferable Course Agreements -ÌýÌýTheÌýÌý(UC TCA) is a listing of courses offered at VC that are transferable to the University of California (UC).

TransferÌýAdmissionÌýGuaranteeÌýÌýÌýor Transfer Admission Agreement (TAA) is a formal, written agreement that guarantees admission to selected four-year institutions by satisfying specific criteria.Ìý These criteria include courses and unitsÌýthat must be completed before transfer, grade point average required, and specific requirements for impacted and non-impactedÌýmajors. For more information on available TAGs, contactÌýour Transfer Center.

ÌýReference: California Articulation Policies and Procedures Handbook, ASSIST.ORG.