Transfer Degrees Overview

On This Page

Updated 9/8/25.  See correction page for details

General Transfer Degree Requirements

In addition to completing all of the major or distribution area requirements, students must also:

  • Complete a minimum of ninety (90) college-level credits/units.
  • Maintain a minimum cumulative college-level grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 or higher.
  • Complete a minimum of thirty (30) credits/units minimum at Clark College to meet the Academic Residency requirement.
  • Complete at least sixty (60) General Education credits/units.

General Transfer Degree Credit/Unit Restrictions

  • Academic Credit for Prior Learning (ACPL): No more than forty-five (45) credits/units of ACPL can be applied to a degree. This includes any combination of credits/units earned through test credit (Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Cambridge International), course challenges, or certification crosswalks.
  • College Level Examination Program (CLEP): Students may request up to fifteen (15) CLEP credits/units to be applied to a degree. Credits/units will be used to fulfill General Elective requirements only.
  • Cooperative Work Experience: No more than fifteen (15) credits/units may be applied to an associate degree.
  • Course Challenge: Students may use credits/units earned from successful course challenges toward their degree or certificate, but the credits/units will not meet the Academic Residency requirements.
  • Military Experience: Credits/units may be earned by previous military experience but cannot exceed twenty five percent (25%) of the credits/units required for the degree or certificate. Please contact Credentials Evaluations at Clark College for further information.
  • Pass/Fail Grading Option: Forty-Five (45) credits/units maximum in courses with Pass/Fail grading option can apply toward a degree.
  • Special Projects: No more than fifteen (15) credits/units of Special Projects coursework will be allowed to apply towards degree or certificate requirements unless specifically allowed by the program.
  • Tech Prep/Direct Credit: Tech Prep/Direct Credit courses that are part of a transfer degree program and fall into the restricted area on the Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA) degree are limited to 15 credits/units. If Tech Prep/Direct Credit courses apply to a career-technical degree or certificate, there is no limit on the number of credits/units that can be applied.
  • A student may be up to one (1) unit/credit short within an individual distribution area as long as at least sixty (60) distribution area credits/units are satisfied. 
  • Credit by Subject Area: Ten (10) credits/units maximum from any single subject area can be used to fulfill Humanities, Social Sciences and Natural Sciences distribution requirements.
  • World Language: Five (5) credits/units maximum in 100-level world language can be used to fulfill Humanities distribution requirements. Additional 100-level world language coursework can be used to meet Specified or General Elective requirements.
  • Physical Education (PE) Activity: Three (3) credits/units maximum in PE activity can apply toward a degree.

General Information on the Transfer of Grades

The grades assigned in transferable courses by the sending institution will not be altered by the receiving institution. They also are not used in calculating students' Clark College grade point average (GPA). Courses completed with a grade of D or above will normally be accepted in transfer to Clark College or to another institution. Courses completed with a grade of D- will not apply toward completion of a transfer degree at Clark College. Nontraditional grading practices require special handling, depending on the nature and circumstances of the program from which and to which a student is transferring, but receiving institutions will take steps to assure all students receive equitable treatment.

Associate in Arts (AA)-Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA)

The Associate in Arts (AA) degree is designed for students planning to transfer to a four-year institution to pursue a bachelor’s degree program. The degree, in most cases, meets the first two (2) years of general education requirements at the senior institution. There are exceptions; please check with the transfer institution for additional information. Most students transferring with the AA degree will be granted junior standing upon entry to the senior institution.

The standard Associate in Arts degree is also known as a Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA) Associate degree. The AA-DTA is a statewide agreement between the Washington State community and technical colleges and Washington State public universities, as well as some private colleges and universities. The agreement outlines transferability of coursework and standing; in most cases students who have completed an AA-DTA will also have satisfied general education requirements at the baccalaureate institution and will have junior standing. Students should review their baccalaureate institution to see if they are part of the DTA in Washington State.

AA - DTA General Education Credit/Unit Restrictions

  • A single course can apply toward only one (1) distribution requirement (i.e. Communication Skills, Quantitative Skills/Symbolic Reasoning Skills, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences). The exception is for the Oral Communication, College 101, and Power, Privilege and Inequity requirements, which are Clark College degree requirements. When meeting these requirements, the same course can be applied to the degree requirement and to the distribution area.
  • Excess credits/units earned in distribution areas (i.e. Communication Skills, Quantitative Skills/Symbolic Reasoning Skills, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences) can be used to fulfill Specified or General Elective Requirements.

Associate in Arts - Major Related Programs (AA - DTA/MRP)

To help transfer students better prepare for transfer, community and technical colleges and baccalaureate institutions are working together to create transfer associate degrees outlining the appropriate courses for students to be well-prepared to enter their chosen major upon transfer. The Major Related Program (MRP) degrees follow the Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA) format of the Associate in Arts (AA) degree. The DTA/MRP pathway is applicable to students planning to prepare for specific majors at various universities in Washington. Clark College offers the following Associate in Arts–DTA/MRP degrees

  • Biology
  • Business
  • Math Education
  • Music
  • Nursing
  • Pre-Nursing

AA - DTA/MRP General Education Requirements

The Major Related Program (MRP) degrees listed above have slightly different graduation requirements than other Clark College transfer degrees because the curriculum was created via an articulation agreement between Washington community and technical colleges and baccalaureate institutions. Most notably, DTA/MRP degrees differ from the general Associate in Arts (AA) degree in the following ways:

  • Health and Physical Education [HE,PE,HPE] is not required;
  • College Preparation (COLL 101) is not required;
  • Oral Communication [OC] is not required;
  • Power, Privilege and Inequity [PPI] is not required;
  • Social Sciences [SS] may be completed with two (2) subject areas;
  • Specific coursework is identified and required for program completion.

Clark College students are encouraged to take Health and Physical Education [HE,PE,HPE], College 101 [COLL], Power, Privilege and Inequity [PPI] ,and Oral Communication [OC] courses, where appropriate, in case their degree choice changes.

Associate in Fine Arts (AFA)

This transfer preparation degree is designed for students planning to transfer to a baccalaureate institution to pursue a bachelor’s degree program (BA or BFA) in Fine Arts. The degree programs focus on coursework specific to the intended major at the baccalaureate institution. While coursework in general education, social sciences, and natural sciences is included, additional coursework in these areas will be required at the baccalaureate institution. It is important for students to meet with program-specific advisors to determine an appropriate educational plan. The AFA does NOT adhere to the Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA), so students need to be aware of requirements of the baccalaureate institution. Currently, Clark College offers two (2) AFA degrees: Graphic Design and Studio Arts. Please contact the Art Department for advising information.

AFA General Education Requirements

Written Communication Skills [WC]

5 credits/units

To fulfill the communication skills requirement for the AFA degree students must complete ENGL& 101 for five (5) credits/units. Students who complete ENGL& 101 or its equivalent at less than five (5) credits/units may complete the communications requirement by completing any of the courses (or their appropriate transfer equivalents) in Written Communications [WC] or Oral Communications [OC] as defined as defined within the transfer degree distribution requirements..

Quantitative Skills/Symbolic Reasoning Skills [Q]

5 credits/units

To fulfill the quantitative skills requirement for the AFA degree, students must complete five (5) credits/units of college level mathematics.

Health & Physical Education [HE, HPE, PE]

3 credits/units

To fulfill the Health and Physical Education requirement for the AFA degree, students must complete two (2) qualifying credits/units of Health and one (1) credit/unit of any college-level Physical Education [PE] activity course, or HPE 220, HPE 258, or HPE 266.

Humanities [HA]

5 credits/units

To fulfill the Humanities requirement for the AFA degree, students must complete five (5) credits/units of coursework from the Humanities [HA] transfer degree distribution list. Courses must be List A courses and in a subject area other than Art. The course completed cannot be part of the AFA major requirements.

Social Sciences [SS]

5 credits/units

To fulfill the Social Science requirement for the AFA degree, students must complete five (5) credits/units of coursework from the Social Sciences [SS] transfer degree distribution list. The course completed cannot be part of the AFA major requirements..

Natural Sciences [NS]

5 credits/units

To fulfill the Natural Science requirement for the AFA degree, students must complete five (5) credits/units of coursework from the Natural Sciences transfer degree distribution list. The course completed must include a lab. The course completed cannot be part of the AFA major requirements..

Major Area Requirements

The remaining required courses for the program are determined by the major department and should total a minimum of 90 credits/units in combination with the requirements listed above.

Associate in Science – Transfer (AST)

The transfer preparation degrees are designed for students planning to transfer to a baccalaureate institution to pursue a bachelor’s degree program in science and/or engineering. The degree programs focus on coursework specific to the intended major at the baccalaureate institution. While coursework in general education, humanities, and social sciences is included, additional coursework in these areas will be required at the senior institution. It is important for students to meet with program-specific advisors to determine an appropriate educational plan.

Associate in Science – Track 1 (AST1)

The AST1 degree track is for students intending to transfer into programs in:

  • Biological Sciences
  • Chemistry
  • Environmental/Resources Sciences
  • Geology

Associate in Science – Track 2 (AST2)

Associate in Science – Track 2 is for students intending to transfer into programs in:

AST2 - Concentration Options

  • Clean/Renewable Energy
  • Engineering
  • Physics

AST2 – MRP

  • Bioengineering and Chemical Engineering
  • Computer and Electrical Engineering
  • Mechanical/Civil/Aeronautical/Industrial/Materials Science Engineering

“Washington 45” – List of One Year Transfer Courses

The list of courses in the “Washington 45” does not replace the Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA), Associate of Science Tracks I and II (AST1 and AST2) or any Major Related Program (MRP) agreement, nor will it guarantee admission to a four-year institution. A student who completes courses selected from within the general education categories listed below at a public community, technical, or baccalaureate college or university in Washington State will be able to transfer and apply a maximum of forty-five (45) credits/units toward general education requirement(s) at any other public and most private higher education institutions in the state1. For transfer purposes, a student must have a minimum grade of C or better (2.0 or above) in each course completed from this list. Students who transfer “Washington 45” courses must still meet a receiving institution’s admission requirements and eventually satisfy all their general education requirements and their degree requirements in major, minor, and professional programs. The list of “Washington 45” general education courses (not all offered at Clark College) can be found on their website.

1

Many private non-profit colleges and universities have distinct general education requirements. Students should check with institution(s) they plan to attend regarding application of transfer credits that will meet general education requirements.