Transfer Degrees

Transfer Degree Guidelines

The A.A., A.S., and A.F.A. degrees meet the guidelines of the Illinois Articulation Initiative “Transferable General Education Core Curriculum” and the Illinois Community College Board “Guidelines for Associate Degrees Designed for Transfer”.

Transfer Degree Admissions Requirements

Students applying for admission to a baccalaureate transfer program must have 15 high school credits distributed as follows:

4 credits in English (written and oral communication, literature)
3 credits in Mathematics (introductory through advanced algebra plus geometry)
3 credits in Social Studies (emphasizing history and government)
3 credits in Science (laboratory science)
2 credits in electives (foreign language, art, music, vocational education)
(Illinois Public Act 86-0954)

Students who have academic deficiencies in these minimum requirements can satisfy these deficiencies upon successful completion of 24 transferable credit hours (with a minimum GPA of 2.0) which must include ENG 101 Composition I  (3), COMM 101 Principles of Communication  (3), one social science course, one four-credit laboratory science course, and one college-level mathematics course.

Transfer Degree Graduation Requirements

Prairie State College offers three transfer degrees:

• Associate in Arts (A.A.),
• Associate in Science (A.S.), and
• Associate in Fine Arts: Art (A.F.A.).

Candidates for these degrees must fulfill the following requirements:

1. Successfully completing at least 15 credit hours at Prairie State College (excluding proficiency credits).
2. Candidates for the A.F.A. Degree must complete 61-62 credit hours including the Transferable General Education Core Curriculum of 31-32 credits. Candidates for the A.A. or A.S. Degree must complete 62 semester hours of college credit as specified, including the Transferable General Education Core Curriculum of 37-41 credits.
3. Attained a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale in all Prairie State College courses for A.A., A.S. and A.F.A. degrees.
4. Filed appropriate evidence of high school graduation or GED certification with the Enrollment Services Office.

Transfer Degree Components

There are three components of degree programs: The Transferable General Education Core Curriculum, the area of concentration or major field, and electives.

I. Transferable General Education Core Curriculum Requirements

A.A. Degree: 37-41 credit hours
A.S. Degree: 31-35 credit hours
A.F.A. Degree: 31-32 credit hours

• The General Education Core  

II. Area of Concentration/Major Field

A.A.: 6-25 credit hours
A.S.: 27-31 credit hours
A.F.A.: 21 credit hours

The Associate in Fine Arts (A.F.A.) degree requires 21 credits from a select list. The Associate of Arts degree recommends 6-25 credits of 100- level or above transfer courses from areas of concentration. To review the suggested curriculum for specific areas of concentration, see Suggested Areas of Concentration/Major Fields, Transfer Degrees  . Depending upon the chosen course of study, additional credit hours may be recommended in the area of concentration, reducing the elective courses. Students should always consult the university of their choice to confirm requirements and transferability of their courses.

For the Associate in Science degree, see Suggested Areas of Concentration/Major Fields, Transfer Degrees  for lists of popular majors and common freshman/sophomore coursework required by universities for those degrees. Additional A.S. degree requirements to be completed within the Area of Concentration:

• 3 credits, 1 course from the Courses Approved for Transfer list with the course code of MATH
• 3 credits, 1 course from the Courses Approved for Transfer list with the course codes of ASTRO, BIOL, CHEM, ENGR, GEOG (not GEOG 101), GEOLO, METEO, PHYSC, or PHYSI

III. Electives (0-19 credit hours)

The A.F.A. Degree requires 9 semester hours of media specific courses to meet a total of 61 credits. The A.A. and A.S. Degrees require an additional 0-19 credit hours to meet a degree total of 62 credits. The elective courses must be selected from transfer courses of 100 level or above. Developmental and community service courses cannot be used to satisfy degree requirements in the A.F.A. or A.A./A.S. degree. For the A.A./A.S. degree, students may use one vocational/technical course (four credits or less) that is not on the approved list if they present documentation (recent written correspondence or transfer/advising guide) that the receiving institution will accept the course for credit. If a student plans to use more than one such course, he/she must obtain approval from the Vice President of Academic Affairs. Some universities have a foreign language requirement. Generally, four years of a single foreign language in high school or four semesters of single foreign language in college will fulfill this requirement. It is recommended that students complete the entire sequence at one institution. No more than four credits of physical education courses can be applied to a degree.

Required Transfer Degree Credit Hours: A.A./A.S.: 62, A.F.A.: 61

Dual Degree Graduation Requirement

Students who wish to receive both the Associate in Arts and the Associate in Science degrees must complete an additional 12 credit hours in the second concentration area that is selected.

Educational Guarantee

As part of our commitment to students, PSC guarantees the effectiveness of our educational programming. For more information go to the website.

Transferring to Other Colleges

If you wish to transfer from Prairie State College to another college, you must follow the admissions procedure for the institution you wish to attend. Each college or university has its own unique policies, selection process, and admissions requirements.

It is the responsibility of students to be familiar with transfer policies at other institutions. Visit the website or obtain a catalog and application packet from the schools you are interested in attending. The PSC Transfer Counselor can assist you in the transfer process. See the Transfer Counseling webpage for more information.

A transfer student agreement (commonly called the Compact Agreement) is established with a number of public universities in Illinois. This compact states that a transfer student who has completed an associates degree based on a bachelor’s degree-oriented sequence is considered to have attained junior standing and to have met lower-division general education requirements.

Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI)

Prairie State College participates in the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI), a statewide agreement that allows transfer of the completed IAI General Education Core Curriculum between participating institutions. Completion of the Transferable General Education Core Curriculum at any participating college or university in Illinois assures transferring students that lower-division general education requirements for an associate’s or bachelor’s degree have been satisfied.

More than 100 schools, including all community colleges and all public state universities in Illinois, as well as most independent colleges and universities in the state, participate in the IAI. We also have articulation agreements with many in- and out-of-state universities. For more information about IAI, go to itransfer.org.  For more information about the College’s articulation agreements, go to https://prairiestate.edu/student-services/counseling/transfer-students/.

Top Ten Things You Should Know About IAI:

1. The IAI Agreement and the iTransfer Web site are designed to simplify transferring to any participating school. Always seek the advice of academic advisers at Prairie State College and the school you plan to attend when making transfer plans.
2. Articulation is the process of transferring courses from one school to another and identifying the way the classes will be used at the receiving school.
3. The Illinois General Education Core Curriculum is for transfer students only.
4. To guarantee that you receive full credit, you should complete the Illinois General Education Core Curriculum package before transferring. When it is not completed before transfer, each college or university decides how to apply each individual course.
5. The Illinois General Education Core Curriculum requires a total of 12 to 13 courses (37 to 41 semester credits).
6. The General Education requirements at Prairie State College are aligned with the five major areas (fields or categories) within the Illinois General Education Core Curriculum: Communication, Humanities and Fine Arts, Mathematics, Physical and Life Sciences, and Social and Behavioral Sciences.
7. The Illinois General Education Core Curriculum became effective statewide in the summer of 1998.
8. Application of credit earned prior to summer 1998 is the decision of the receiving institution.
9. There are two types of undergraduate degrees: the associate’s degree and the bachelor’s degree.
10. The IAI identifies courses which will apply to specific majors. Prairie State College students are encouraged to complete an Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree prior to transfer.