transfer services - transfer planning process and checklist

Transfer Planning Process and Checklist

Are you interested in transferring after graduation from Florida Community College? Would you like to earn a bachelor’s degree? If so, this checklist will assist you in planning for transfer.

At the beginning of the process, we recommend that you contact a Florida Community College Adviser or Counselor to discuss your goals and educational needs.

There are many things to think about when transferring to another college or university to earn your bachelor’s degree.

1. Determine your goals and educational needs

Selecting the Degree or Major

Do you have career goals that require you to earn a specific degree or major?
Which courses in high school or college have really sparked your interest?
If you are unsure of your career goals, or haven’t selected a major yet, visit our Career Development Centers.

Selecting the Institution

Have you been a lifelong Gator or Seminole? Do you already know where you want to attend, regardless of cost or availability of major?
Do you prefer an institution that has a transfer articulation agreement with Florida Community College?
Do you prefer an institution that participates in one of the statewide articulation agreements?
Would you prefer an institution in which the student population is similar to you in age, part-time/full-time status, commuter student versus living on campus, etc.?

Delivery/Location/Flexibility

Do you want to attend an institution in north Florida?
Are you able to relocate and transfer to an institution in another city or state? If so, don’t forget to find out about housing options and costs.
Do you want to attend classes on the college or university campus, or do you want to take distance learning and online courses?
Do you need to attend classes at night or on the weekends?
Do you prefer to have small classes or larger classes?

Time

Do you need to finish your bachelor’s degree by a certain date?
Do you prefer to attend full-time or part-time?

Cost/Access to Grants, Scholarships and Financial Aid Loans

Do you need financial assistance to pay for college?
Institutions which are accredited by accrediting organizations recognized by the US Department of Education are eligible to offer federal financial aid.
Visit our Transfer Resources web page to find out about accreditation.

Value of the degree/institution

Do you want to attend a specific type of college or university because of its reputation? Because of its graduation or placement rates?
Visit our Transfer Resources web page for links to graduation rates and national rankings of colleges and universities.

Accreditation of the institution

Do you need to attend an institution with a specific type of accreditation? For example, if your major is interior design, do you need to attend an institution with an interior design program accredited by FIDER (Foundation for Interior Design Education Research)? Why might you need to attend an institution with a certain type of accreditation: some industry or licensure certification exams may require that you earn a degree from an institution with a certain type of accreditation, in order to be eligible to sit for the licensure exam.
Visit our Transfer Resources web page to find out about accreditation.

2. Select a Major

How many credits are required for the major?
What are the prerequisites for admission into the major?
Do you need to take foreign language to satisfy a graduation requirement?
What are the other graduation requirements?
Is the major part of a limited access program? Is there a minimum GPA required for admission?
Is the institution on the semester hour system or the quarter hour system?

3. Select a college or university

Select three colleges that offer the major of your choice, and/or satisfy your other educational needs identified in #1 above.
Start making a chart with the following information:

College	Cost	Location	Agreement with Florida Community College	Scholarships or Financial Aid Availability	Web page address

4. Articulation and Transfer Agreements

Determine if Florida Community College has an agreement with any of your selected institutions and for the specific major. Visit Transfer Services web page for more information:

If yes, please select the link to the Transfer Advising Sheet for that specific agreement and review it to find out the requirements for transfer and the prerequisite coursework needed.
If no, find out what courses and GPA are needed for admission for junior status. What are the course prerequisites for the major?

Discuss the courses needed for transfer with an Advisor or Counselor to ensure that they will fit in your Florida Community College degree program and meet associate degree graduation requirements.

5. Visit these colleges

Visit the web site of the college or university
If possible, visit the institution:

tour the campus,
ask permission to sit in on several classes

is the class size a good fit for you?
Are graduate assistants teaching the classes or college professors?

talk to current students,
make an appointment to meet with an advisor, and
meet with a financial aid advisor.
If you will need housing, please visit the university housing office to ask about the availability and cost of on-campus and off-campus housing options.
If you are not able to visit the institution, call or email the Advising Office to find out about the required courses for your major. Ask the advisor or admissions office if you can contact a couple of students via phone or email.

6. Prioritize your college choices

Determine which of the colleges on your chart best fit your goals and educational needs and rank them in order of preference.
It may be advisable to apply to more than one institution depending on your goals and educational needs.
If you decide to apply to more than on institution, talk with an Florida Community College Advisor or Counselor about selecting the right courses to satisfy the requirements of all of the institutions that you plan to apply to, if possible.

7. Application Process

Once you have made your final decision about which colleges and universities you would like to attend, proceed with the application process. There is a step-by-step checklist for the application procedures found on our web site: