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NOVA 2009-2010 College Catalog

INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS -- Transfer Information

Since admission policies and program requirements vary among four-year colleges, all students need to be acquainted with the specific requirements of the college or university of their choice. Students should consult and work closely with counselors and/or faculty advisors in transfer planning and for designing an appropriate NOVA program of study.

Transferring To Other Colleges

NOVA offers transfer programs that lead to the Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree or the Associate of Science (A.S.) degree. These programs are designed for students who plan to complete the freshman and sophomore years of college work at the community college and then transfer to a four-year college or university to complete the junior and senior years of a bachelor’s degree. Some four-year colleges will accept certain Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) and Associate of Applied Arts (A.A.A.) programs, but each institution has a different policy.

The college transfer web site, www.nvcc.edu/current-students/transfer/index.html, is a good first stop in planning your transfer from NOVA to a four-year university.  Articulation and Guaranteed Admission Agreements, four-year school transfer guides and admission information, campus transfer events, plus more, are all linked on this site.  After viewing the site, a follow-up visit with your campus transfer counselor to discuss your plans is recommended. 

Only courses with a grade of C or better are accepted for transfer even if the student has an A.S. or A.A. degree. Students must submit a completed transcript request form online through NOVAConnect or to a NOVA Student Services Center to have an official copy of their transcript forwarded to the intended transfer college or university.

Northern Virginia Community College offers the following specific programs of study leading to the Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degrees:

Associate of Arts Degrees
1Fine Arts
2Liberal Arts
  Art History Specialization
  International Studies Specialization
  Psychology Specialization
  Speech Communication Specialization
3Music

Associate of Science Degrees
4Business Administration
5Computer Science
6Engineering
  Electrical Engineering Specialization
7General Studies
  Recreation, Parks & Leisure Studies Specialization
8Information Technology
9Science
  Mathematics Specialization
10Social Sciences
  Deaf Studies Specialization
  Psychology Specialization
  Teacher Education Specialization

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1Fine Arts
A foundation program for the Baccalaureate of Arts Degree in Fine Arts or for transfer to a professional school for the arts.
2Liberal Arts
A foundation program for Baccalaureate of Arts Degrees for any other humanities or social science program not listed as a specialization, e.g., Anthropology, Economics, Education, English, Foreign Languages, Geography, History, Political Science, Sociology, etc.
3Music
A foundation program for Baccalaureate of Arts Degree in Music.
4Business Administration
A foundation program for Baccalaureate Degrees in Business with majors in Accounting, Business Management, Finance, Decision Science and Management Information Systems, Marketing, etc.
5Computer Science
A foundation program for Baccalaureate Degree in Computer Science.
6Engineering
A foundation program for Baccalaureate Degrees in Engineering with majors in Aeronautical, Chemical, Civil, Mechanical, etc.
7General Studies
A foundation program that can be tailored to meet the requirements of a specific Baccalaureate Degree at a specific four-year institution.
8Information Technology
A foundation program for Baccalaureate of Science in Information Technology.
9Science
A foundation program for Baccalaureate Degrees in Science with majors in Agriculture, Biology, Chemistry, Forestry, Geology, Home Economics, Oceanography, Physics, etc.

10Social Sciences
A foundation program for Baccalaureate of Science Degrees in the Social Sciences.

               

The foundation courses are also available (through the Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degrees) for advanced professional degree programs in many fields, including:

Dentistry
Law
Medicine
Occupational Therapy
Optometry
Pharmacy
Physical Therapy
Veterinary Medicine

The Virginia State Council of Higher Education (SCHEV) and the State Board for Community Colleges have endorsed a State Policy on Transfer. This policy gives guidelines for Virginia community colleges and state-supported senior institutions on admission of transfer students, acceptance and application of transfer credits, services for and responsibilities of transfer students, and guidelines for students who transfer without an A.A. or an A.S. degree.

Transfer Articulation Agreements
NOVA has formal transfer articulation agreements with many institutions. These agreements detail the terms of transfer for NOVA students completing associate degree programs. They define the way courses, programs, or entire categories of programs transfer to another institution and may include admission guarantees. Counselors can provide students with more specific information on how these agreements relate to individual transfer plans. For a current list of agreements, visit the Academic Services website at www.nvcc.edu/depts/academic/.  In addition, the VCCS has additional agreements that may be viewed on their website at www.vccs.edu/vccsasr/agreements.htm.