General Transfer Degree
Associate in Arts (AA-DTA) The Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA) Associate Degree, sometimes called the Associate in Arts or Associate in Arts and Sciences, is the community college degree designed to transfer to most Bachelor of Arts programs at four-year institutions in Washington. In order for the agreement to be valid for transfer, however, it is essential that the degree be completed. Otherwise, each course taken may be evaluated by the receiving institution separately, and some courses may not be accepted for transfer that would have been with a completed degree. For this reason students are strongly advised to complete the appropriate transfer degree prior to transfer.
Students planning to transfer should always check in with a counselor at SCC for guidance. Counselors have transfer guides available and can help students navigate course selection throughout their program. Students planning to transfer should consult these guides as well as information provided by the four-year institutions. Completion of recommended courses in a pre-major for transfer does not necessarily assure a student admission to a four-year institution or a specific program. Some colleges use screening procedures (cumulative GPA, test scores, major GPA, etc.) for acceptance into certain majors and programs.
Many four-year institutions have an admissions requirement of two years of a single foreign language in high school or two to three quarters of a single foreign language in college. Additional foreign language courses may be required for graduation. Students should check this requirement carefully for the institution to which they plan to transfer. It is highly recommended that students work with a transfer counselor at SCC and at the receiving institution.
Lower-division major requirements vary among four-year schools. Therefore, students should consult the four-year institution to which they plan to transfer for specific program requirements. Careful planning is important in order to meet specific requirements.
FastTrack Transfer Degree
Spokane Community College offers an accelerated Associate's Degree - Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA) that allows students to complete the first two years of a Bachelor's Degree in almost half the time. This transfer degree is designed for students who want to complete their first 90 credits at a community college at less cost and then transfer to a university. Classes are offered in a carefully designed, accelerated format where students take more classes each quarter with shorter breaks in between allowing them to move further faster.
Articulation agreements across the State of Washington allow students who successfully complete this program to transfer with junior standing to all public four-year colleges and universities within Washington state and to many private colleges and universities, as well as some out-of-state public institutions in our region, assuming students have met all other admissions requirements.
Students who enroll in this program and successfully complete will be able to earn their entire Associate's Degree (AA-DTA) in 12 months. Courses are all online, and students can complete the entire program, including registration, advising, enrollment, etc., without ever coming to campus. Wraparound support services, including faculty office hours, counseling, advising, tutoring, library services, etc., are available online and in person.
The program is cohort-based, meaning that you start and progress through the program with the same group of students. Cohorts are capped at 20 students to maximize faculty-student interaction. New cohorts start in January, April, and September each year.