General Transfer Information
Bay de Noc Community College’s transfer programs are designed to prepare students for successful admission to other colleges and universities for completion of their baccalaureate degrees. Bay College students successfully transfer to universities all across the country. To assist students in selecting appropriate classes, transfer guides and course equivalency information is available online through the Michigan Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (MACRAO) website and the individual websites of many Michigan colleges and universities. Bay College’s Director of Transfer & Student Advising and faculty advisors can help students in this selection process. Transfer students need to answer four important questions: What, Where, When, and How?
What?
The first step is to decide on your career goals and program of study. It is important to establish your long-term goals as soon as possible because WHAT you study may influence WHERE you transfer and WHEN it is best to go there. Bay College offers interest and personality testing to help with these decisions. See Student Services for assistance in interpreting these instruments. Many resources are available online. Faculty advisors are another resource; they have expertise in their individual fields.
Where?
Choosing a college or university depends on many factors: location, size, cost, reputation, and degree offerings are a few. Does the school offer the program suitable for your chosen career? Does it offer scholarships and other financial aid for transfer students? Are there quotas, waiting lists or other limitations for admission to your selected program? Is housing available on or off campus? You may not be able to find an institution that has everything you desire, so prioritize your needs. What is most important? Explore and visit college campuses. See the Director of Transfer & Student Advising or your faculty advisor for assistance with these questions.
When?
Find out the deadlines to apply for admission and financial aid. Some programs will require that you also apply to a particular department, school or college within the university. Consider whether or not you should complete your associate’s degree and the Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) before you transfer to your chosen university. Some programs have lower division, introductory-level prerequisite courses for which Bay has no equivalent, so it may be to your advantage to transfer early. Other universities encourage or require both a Bay College degree and the MTA on your transcript to be eligible for certain programs or scholarships. WHEN you should transfer will depend on your individual circumstances and should be discussed with the Director of Transfer & Student Advising, your faculty advisor, and your transfer institution.
How?
All institutions have required application forms for admission, financial aid and housing. There are also deadlines and application fees. These forms and information on deadlines and fees are available online at the university’s website.
Be Prepared to Transfer
- Meet with the Bay College Executive Director of Transfer & Student Advising or your faculty advisor. Discuss your transfer plan, associate degree requirements, general education, the Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA), and transferability of courses. Plan early to be sure you take Bay courses that will transfer in your chosen program.
- Evaluate colleges and decide early. Investigate entrance and degree requirements for baccalaureate colleges and universities. Consider location, cost, size, culture and program options. Meet with representatives of various institutions when they visit Bay College. Schedule a visit and tour university campuses early. Choose a college or university that best fits your needs.
- Seek advising. Obtain a copy of the Transfer Guide for the program you intend to pursue. These are available on the transfer college/university website. Contact the transfer school’s Admissions Office, and speak with an advisor specializing in transfer. Visit the school’s website. Determine application procedures for admission, financial aid and housing.
- Apply early. Complete your applications for admission, financial aid and housing. Send necessary documents including official transcripts from Bay College and any other colleges you may have attended, ACT scores, AP or CLEP scores, and high school transcript as required.
- Visit the college or university. Meet with an admissions counselor and/or advisor in your major area. Take a campus tour with a student ambassador.
Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA)
The Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) is an agreement between all public community colleges in Michigan and the 15 public universities in the state as well as a number of participating tribal and private colleges and universities in Michigan. It is designed to facilitate the transfer of general education requirements from community colleges to four-year colleges and universities. Students who complete the minimum 30 semester hours of college-level courses with a grade of 2.0 or higher in each course within the six specified categories will fulfill all or the majority of the student’s lower-level general education requirements dependent on the requirements of their major. A transfer student must be eligible for admission to a receiving institution in order to benefit from MTA. The MTA is applicable to all students enrolling in a Michigan community college for the first time beginning Fall 2014 and supersedes the MACRAO Transfer Agreement. Students may meet the requirements of the MTA as a stand-alone package.
Coursework
The 30 semester hours of coursework needed to meet the Michigan Transfer Agreement are:
- One course in English Composition
- A second course in English Composition OR one course in Communications
- Two courses in Natural Science from two different disciplines; including one with a laboratory experience
- One course in Mathematics: Quantitative Reasoning, College Algebra or Statistics
- Two courses in Social Behavioral Science from two different disciplines
- Two courses in the Humanities and Fine Arts from two different disciplines; excluding studio and performance courses
A student completing this program will have “Michigan Transfer Agreement Satisfied” on his/her transcript.
| All courses used to satisfy MTA must have a grade of “C” or better. |
MACRAO Resources for Transfer Students
Resources available from the MACRAO website (www.macrao.org) include:
- Links to Michigan college and university homepages
- Links to institutions with online admissions applications
- Links to transfer guides and course equivalencies;
- The Michigan Uniform Undergraduate Guest Student Application
- Dates of Transfer Fairs in Michigan
- A link to the Michigan Transfer Network, a MACRAO-sponsored site where students can search for transfer equivalency information. www.michigantransfernetwork.org
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