Articulation and Transfer Policies for Degree-Seeking Students
Begin a four-year degree by taking advantage of Sinclair’s small class size, caring faculty, supportive staff and low tuition.
Students can:
- Complete many freshman and sophomore level courses before transferring to a four-year institution.
- Earn a Sinclair associate degree and apply many of those credits toward a bachelor’s degree.
- Complete most of the general education requirements by taking courses from the Ohio Transfer 36 before transferring to a four-year institution.
Transfer to and from Sinclair by following a few easy steps. Be sure to check with a Sinclair academic advisor and the transfer institution.
Transfer of Credit to Sinclair
To make sure that credits from another institution transfer efficiently to Sinclair, follow these steps:
- Request Official Transcripts
Contact all previously attended colleges/universities and request that official transcripts be sent to: Sinclair Community College, Registration & Student Records, 444 West Third Street, Dayton, Ohio 45402-1460
Upon receipt of a student’s transcript, Sinclair will notify the student with a post card via U.S. mail. Within 15 business days the Student Records department will equate the transferred courses to Sinclair courses and a full report of these equivalencies will be sent to the student in the mail. Sinclair accepts credits from colleges and universities accredited by regional accrediting associations.
- Meet with an Academic Advisor
Advisors will work with students to determine which courses to take for their degree programs. If all transcripts have not been received by Sinclair prior to meeting with advisors, students are encouraged to bring an unofficial transcript from their previously attended college(s) to the advising session.
- Register for Classes
Transfer of Credits from Sinclair
To make sure that Sinclair credits transfer efficiently to another institution (referred to here as “transfer institution”), follow these steps:
- Meet with the appropriate Sinclair academic/faculty advisor and speak with a representative at the transfer institution early and often during an academic career. This will help ensure that the student is selecting the appropriate courses.
- Follow the transfer admissions procedures for that institution.
- Have official Sinclair transcripts sent to the transfer institution and follow up to ensure that they have received and evaluated the transfer credits.
Remember:
- Speak with an academic/faculty advisor early in your academic career. It is the student’s responsibility to keep the advisor aware of the intended academic program and/or transfer institution.
- Contact the transfer institution as soon as possible. Ask for specific recommendations from the transfer institution to help with structuring a degree program at Sinclair as closely as possible around their requirements. Also, speaking to advisors from both institutions helps ensure that students receive timely, accurate transfer information.
- Always confirm course choices with the transfer institution. Because Sinclair is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the association as well as the Ohio Department of Higher Education, most credits will transfer to other colleges and universities. University Parallel courses usually transfer more easily than technical courses. Due to the highly specialized nature of courses in career programs, many are not designed for transfer to a four-year institution. The exception to this is any course in an approved articulation agreement with a four-year college or university. An academic advisor can provide information about which programs offer this option.
Institutional Transfer
The Ohio Department of Higher Education in 1990, following a directive of the 118th Ohio General Assembly, developed the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Policy to facilitate students’ ability to transfer credits from one Ohio public college or university to another in order to avoid duplication of course requirements. A subsequent policy review and recommendations produced by the Articulation and Transfer Advisory Council in 2004, together with mandates from the 125th Ohio General Assembly in the form of Amended Substitute House Bill 95, have prompted improvements of the original policy. Additional legislation from the 125th Ohio General Assembly also initiated the development of a statewide system for articulation agreements among state institutions of higher education for transfer students pursuing teacher education programs.
Action by the 126th Ohio General Assembly led to the establishment of criteria, policies, and procedures for the transfer of technical courses completed through a career-technical education institution; and standards for the awarding of college credit based on Advanced Placement (AP) test scores.
Legislation from the 130th Ohio General Assembly required public institutions of higher education to: use baseline standards and procedures in the granting of college credit for military training, experience, and coursework; establish an appeals process for resolving disputes over the awarding of credit for military experience; provide specific assistance and support to veterans and service members; adopt a common definition of a service member and veteran; and establish a credit articulation system in which adult graduates of public career-technical institutions who complete a 900 clock-hour program of study and obtain an industry-recognized credential approved by the Chancellor shall receive 30 college technical credit hours toward a technical degree upon enrollment.
While all public colleges and universities are required to follow the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Policy, independent colleges and universities in Ohio may or may not participate in the Transfer Policy. Therefore, students interested in transferring to independent institutions are encouraged to check with the college or university of their choice regarding transfer agreements. In support of improved articulation and transfer processes, the Ohio Department of Higher Education has established an articulation and transfer clearinghouse to receive, annotate, and convey transcripts among public colleges and universities. This system is designed to provide standardized information and help colleges and universities reduce undesirable variability in the transfer credit evaluation process.
Acceptance of Transfer and Articulated Credit
To recognize courses appropriately and provide equity in the treatment of incoming transfer students and students native to the receiving institution, transfer credit will be accepted for all successfully completed college-level courses completed in or after Fall 2005 from Ohio public institutions of higher education. Students who successfully completed Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) degrees prior to Fall 2005 with a 2.0 or better overall grade-point average would also receive credit for all college-level courses they have passed. While this reflects the baseline policy requirement, individual institutions may set equitable institutional policies that are more accepting.
Pass/Fail courses, credit-by-examination credits, experiential learning courses, and other non-traditional credit courses that meet these conditions will also be accepted and posted to the student record.
Application of Transfer and Articulated Credit
Application of credit is the decision process performed by the receiving institution to determine how the credits it has accepted and recorded on the student’s official academic transcript will or will not apply toward program and degree requirements. While the receiving institution makes this decision, it will do so within the parameters of this Policy.
The following guidelines and requirements shall govern the application of transfer and articulated credit:
Ohio Transfer 36 (formerly the Ohio Transfer Module (OTM))
The Ohio Department of Higher Education’s Articulation and Transfer Policy established the Ohio Transfer 36, which may be a subset or the entire set of a public higher education institution’s general education curriculum in Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Science (AS) and baccalaureate degree programs. Students in applied associate degree programs may complete some individual Ohio Transfer 36 courses within their degree program or continue beyond the degree program to complete the entire Ohio Transfer 36. The Ohio Transfer 36 contains 36-40 semester of course credit in English composition (minimum of 3 semester); mathematics, statistics and logic (minimum of 3 semester); arts and humanities (minimum of 6 semester); social and behavioral sciences (minimum of 6 semester); and natural sciences (minimum of 6 semester). Oral communication, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and interdisciplinary areas may be included as additional options. Additional elective hours from among these areas make up the total hours for a completed Ohio Transfer 36. Courses for the Ohio Transfer 36 should be 100- and 200-level general education courses commonly completed in the first two years of a student’s course of study. Each public university and technical and community college is required to establish and maintain an approved Ohio Transfer 36.
Ohio Transfer 36 course(s) or the full module completed at one college or university will automatically meet the requirements of individual Ohio Transfer 36 course(s) or the full Ohio Transfer 36 at another college or university once the student is admitted. Students may be required, however, to meet additional general education requirements at the institution to which they transfer. For example, a student who completes the Ohio Transfer 36 at Institution S (sending institution) and then transfers to Institution R (receiving institution) is said to have completed the Ohio Transfer 36 portion of Institution R’s general education program. Institution R, however, may have general education courses that go beyond its Ohio Transfer 36. State policy initially required that all courses in the Ohio Transfer 36 be completed to receive its benefit in transfer. However, subsequent policy revisions have extended this benefit to the completion of individual Ohio Transfer 36 courses on a course-by-course basis.
A complete list of approved OT36 courses for Sinclair can be viewed at: https://reports-cems.transfercredit.ohio.gov
Transfer Assurance Guides
Transfer Assurance Guides (TAGs) courses are pre-major/beginning major courses that have been identified as common requirements across public bachelor’s degree programs. They are guaranteed to transfer and apply to specific TAG-related degree/program requirements as equivalent courses.
TAGs identify common major course work that is guaranteed to transfer. Students may elect to complete the full TAG or any subset of courses from the TAG. Because of specific major requirements, early identification of a student’s intended major is encouraged.
A complete list of approved TAG courses for Sinclair can be viewed at: https://reports-cems.transfercredit.ohio.gov
Career-Technical Assurance Guides
Collaboration among the Ohio Department of Higher Education, the Ohio Department of Education, and other key stakeholders led to the development of policies and procedures to create statewide career-technical discipline specific articulation agreements and further ensure that students completing coursework at an adult or secondary career-technical institution can articulate and transfer agreed-upon technical courses/programs to any Ohio public institution of higher education and among Ohio public institutions of higher education “without unnecessary duplication or institutional barriers.”
Career-Technical Assurance Guides (CTAGs) are statewide articulation agreements that guarantee the recognition of learning which occurs at public adult and secondary career-technical institutions and have the opportunity for the award of college credit toward technical courses/programs at any public higher education institution. CTAGs serve as advising tools, identifying the statewide content guarantee and describing other conditions or obligations (e.g., program accreditation or industry credential) associated with the guarantee.
A complete list of approved CTAG courses for Sinclair can be viewed at: https://reports-cems.transfercredit.ohio.gov
Industry Recognized Credential Transfer Assurance Guides
Industry Recognized Credential Transfer Assurance Guides (ITAGs) are a statewide transfer initiative that guarantees the awarding of college-level credit to students who earn agreed-upon, industry-recognized credentials. The award of credit is based upon the knowledge, skills, and competencies gained through credential attainment, regardless of where the learning to prepare for the credential took place.
The approved ITAG courses for Sinclair can be viewed here https://www.sinclair.edu/about/offices/provost/articulation-transfer/industry-recognized-credential-transfer-assurance-guides-itags/
Military Transfer Assurance Guides
In response to the legislative requirement (Ohio Revised Code 3333.164) to create a military articulation and transfer assurance guide for college-level learning that took place through military training, experience, and coursework, college credit will be granted to students with military training, experience, and/or coursework that is recognized by the American Council on Education (ACE) or a regionally accredited military institution, such as Community College of the Air Force
In order to streamline the awarding, transferability, and applicability of college credit, service members and veterans are guaranteed to earn certain types of credit(s) or course(s) as specified in the Military Transfer Assurance Guides (MTAGs), which are based on the endorsed baseline standards and procedures by the Chancellor. Equivalent course(s), credits for courses, or block of credit is to be awarded and applied towards general education and/or major course requirements at the receiving institution in accordance with the MTAG guarantee. There is some training, experience, and coursework that the receiving institution may be able to award college credit only toward general or free electives.
In addition, public institutions of higher education shall ensure that appropriate equivalent credit is awarded for military training, experience, and coursework that meet the baseline standards and procedures according to the Ohio Revised Code 3333.164. This requirement goes beyond credit/course awarded based on the MTAG alignment process.
A complete list of approved MTAG courses can be viewed at: https://transfercredit.ohio.gov
Ohio Guaranteed Transfer Pathways
The Ohio Guaranteed Transfer Pathways (OGTPs) are designed to provide a clear path for students pursuing an associate degree at Ohio community colleges who plan to transfer to an Ohio public university to complete a bachelor’s degree in an equivalent field. The OGTPs constitute an agreement between public community colleges and universities confirming that community college courses meet major preparation requirements and will be counted and applied toward the bachelor’s degree. Students still must meet all university program admission requirements.
A student who completes all of the coursework within a major-specific Ohio Guaranteed Transfer Pathway (OGTP) will be eligible to earn an associate degree from an Ohio public community college. Successful completion of the OGTP will be recorded on the student’s transcript, and upon transfer to an Ohio public university, the student should receive junior standing and all coursework taken as part of the pathway will transfer to the university toward the completion of a bachelor’s degree in an equivalent field. OGTP builds upon the existing statewide credit transfer guarantees including the Ohio Transfer 36, Transfer Assurance Guides, Military Transfer Assurance Guides, and Career-Technical Assurance Guides.
OGTPs can be found on the Ohio Department of Higher Education’s website at https://www.ohiohighered.org/OGTP.
Apprenticeship Pathway Programs
The Apprenticeship Pathways initiative advocates for individuals completing apprenticeships by incorporating their learning into academic credit, thereby saving them time and money and encouraging them to advance their academic credentials to contribute to a strong, educated workforce.
Ohio apprenticeship programs partner with public two-year institutions to provide technology-specific statewide articulation agreements that recognize non-traditional prior learning. College credit is awarded toward a technical associate degree. Each agreement simplifies student advising by outlining how apprenticeship training in a certain pathway applies to an applied associate degree and lists remaining courses required to complete the degree. The application of the credit toward a technical associate degree in these agreements is guaranteed at the participating receiving institutions.
Advanced Placement (AP) Exams
The State of Ohio, working with public institutions of higher education, has initiated policies to facilitate the ease of transition from high school to college, as well as between and among Ohio’s public colleges and universities.
Beginning in the Fall term 2009:
Students obtaining an Advanced Placement (AP) exam score of 3 or above will be awarded the aligned course(s) and credits for the AP exam area(s) successfully completed.
General Education courses and credits received will be applied towards graduation and will satisfy a general education requirement if the course(s) to which the AP area is equivalent fulfill(s) a requirement.
If an equivalent course is not available for the AP exam area completed, elective or area credit will be awarded in the appropriate academic discipline and will be applied towards graduation where such elective credit options exist within the academic major.
Additional courses or credits may be available when a score of 4 or 5 is obtained. Award of credit for higher score values varies depending on the institution and academic discipline.
In academic disciplines containing highly dependent sequences (Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics - STEM) students are strongly advised to confer with the college/university advising staff to ensure they have the appropriate foundation to be successful in advanced coursework within the sequence.
A complete list of approved AP courses for Sinclair can be viewed at: https://reports-cems.transfercredit.ohio.gov
One-Year Option Credit Award
The One-Year Option builds upon Ohio’s articulation and transfer system to help more adults accelerate their preparation for work by earning a technical associate degree. Consistent with the philosophy of the Career-Technical Assurance Guides (CTAGs), the One-Year Option guarantees that college credit will be awarded for college-level learning that occurs through adult programs at public career-technical institutions.
Adults who complete a career-technical education program of study consisting of a minimum of 900 clock-hours and achieve an industry-recognized credential approved by the Chancellor shall receive thirty (30) semester hours of technical course credit toward a standardized Associate of Technical Study Degree (ATS) upon matriculation at a public institution of higher education that confers such a degree. The 30 semester hours will be awarded as a block of credit rather than credit for specific courses. Proportional credit is to be awarded toward the ATS degree for adults who complete a program of study between 600 and 899 clock hours and achieved an industry-recognized credential approved by the Chancellor.
The credit earned through the One-Year Option will be applied to ATS degrees bearing the following standardized degree titles:
- Associate of Technical Study in Building and Industrial Technology
- Associate of Technical Study in Business Technology
- Associate of Technical Study in Health and Allied Health Technology
- Associate of Technical Study in Information Technology
- Associate of Technical Study in Services Technology
College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)
The State of Ohio, working with public institutions of higher education and statewide faculty panels, has developed policies to recognize students’ prior learning and to facilitate the articulation and guaranteed transfer of such learning between Ohio’s public colleges and universities.
College credit is guaranteed for students who achieve an established College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) test score for exams that have been endorsed statewide as college level. Statewide faculty panels aligned CLEP exams to equivalent Ohio Transfer 36 and Transfer Assurance Guide (TAG) courses, as appropriate. If an equivalent course is not available for the CLEP exam area, by default, endorsed elective or area credit will still be awarded and applied towards graduation.
Specific endorsed alignments and scores for individual CLEP exams that are outlined in the College- Level Examination Program (CLEP) Endorsed Alignment Policies document are available on the Ohio Department of Higher Education website at https://www.ohiohighered.org/transfer/clep.
Conditions for Transfer Admission
- Graduates who are considered transfer students under the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) definition with associate degrees from Ohio’s public institutions of higher education and a completed, approved Ohio Transfer 36 shall be admitted to a public institution of higher education in Ohio, provided their cumulative grade-point average is at least 2.0 for all previous college-level courses and and other institutional admission criteria, such as space availability, adherence to deadlines, payment of fees, and grade-point average that are fairly and equally applied to all undergraduate students, have also been satisfied. Further, these students shall have admission priority over graduates with an out-of-state associate degree and other transfer students with transferable and/or articulated college credit.
- Associate degree holders who are considered transfer students under the IPEDS definition and have not completed the Ohio Transfer 36 from an Ohio public institution of higher education will be eligible for preferential consideration for admission as transfer students as long as the institution’s admission criteria, such as the minimum academic standards, space availability, adherence to deadlines, and payment of fees, are fairly and equally applied to all undergraduate students.
- In order to encourage completion of the baccalaureate degree, students who are not enrolled in or who have not earned an degree but have earned 60 semester/90 quarter hours or more of credit toward a baccalaureate degree with a cumulative grade-point average of at least a 2.0 for all previous college-level courses will be eligible for preferential consideration for admission as transfer students as long as the institution’s admission criteria, such as the minimum academic standards, space availability, adherence to deadlines, and payment of fees, are fairly and equally applied to all undergraduate students.
- Students who have not earned an associate degree or who have not earned 60 semester/90 quarter hours of credit with a grade-point average of at least a 2.0 for all previous college-level courses will be eligible for admission as transfer students on a competitive basis.
- Incoming transfer students admitted to a college or university shall compete for admission to selective programs, majors, and units on an equal basis with students native to the receiving institution.
The admission of transfer students by an institution, however, does not guarantee admission to any majors, minors, or fields of concentration at the institution. Some programs have additional academic and non-academic requirements beyond those for general admission to the institution (e.g., background check, a grade-point average higher than a 2.0, or a grade-point average higher than the average required for admission to the institution). Once admitted, transfer students shall be subject to the same regulations governing applicability of catalog requirements as native students. Furthermore, transfer students shall be accorded the same class standing and other privileges as native students on the basis of the number of credits earned. All residency requirements must be completed at the receiving institution.
Responsibilities of Students
To maximize transfer credit application, prospective transfer students must take responsibility for planning their course of study to meet both the academic and non-academic requirements of the institution to which they desire to articulate or transfer credit as early as possible. The student is responsible to investigate and use the information, advising, and other available resources to develop such a plan. Students should actively seek program, degree, and transfer information; meet with an advisor from both the current and receiving institutions to assist them in preparing a course of study that meets the academic requirements for the program/degree to which they plan to transfer; use the various electronic course/program transfer and applicability database systems, including Ohio Transfer to Degree Guarantee web resources; and select courses/programs at their current institution that satisfy requirements at the receiving institution to maximize the application of transfer credit. Specifically, students should identify early in their collegiate studies an institution and major to which they desire to transfer. Furthermore, students should determine if there are foreign language requirements or any special course requirements that can be met during the freshman or sophomore year. This will enable students to plan and pursue a course of study that will better articulate with the receiving institution’s major.
Appeals Process
Following the evaluation of a student transcript from another institution, the receiving college institution will provide the student with a Statement of Transfer and Articulated Credit Applicability (Degree Audit Report). A student disagreeing with the application of transfer and/or articulated credit by the receiving institution must file his/her appeal in writing within ninety (90) days of receipt of the Statement of Transfer and Articulated Credit Applicability. The institution shall respond to the appeal within thirty (30) days of the receipt of the appeal at each appeal level.
Student Complaints Following Transfer Appeals at the Receiving Institution
After a student exhausts the appeals process at the receiving institution and chooses to pursue further action, the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) responds to formal written complaints related to Ohio Articulation and Transfer Policy against public, independent non-profit, and proprietary institutions of higher education in Ohio. While the ODHE has limited authority over colleges and universities and cannot offer legal advice or initiate civil court cases, staff will review written complaints submitted through its established process and work with student complainants and institutions.
Articulation Agreements
Articulation agreements are formal agreements between organizations detailing the recognition of college credit between those organizations. Sinclair uses articulation agreements as a means to avoid duplication of resources and to encourage and enhance students’ interest in post-secondary education and transfer from one institution to another. The college has developed articulation agreements with secondary schools, hospitals, professional organizations, and colleges and universities.
Articulation agreements can be categorized in two ways:
- Incoming agreements with secondary schools, hospitals and professional organizations indicate how credits will be recognized at Sinclair Community College. Known as articulated credit, information regarding this option can be requested from an Academic Advisor by calling (937) 512-3700 or emailing plaprograms@sinclair.edu.
- Outgoing agreements with other colleges and universities indicate how Sinclair Community College programs and courses will transfer to those institutions. Information regarding current agreements can be viewed at: www.sinclair.edu/agreements
Transferology™
Students who have completed courses in higher education and want to know which colleges and universities will accept those courses and apply them to a degree should visit: www.transferology.com
Transferology will provide quick answers from hundreds of institutions in a streamlined and dynamic interface.
General Education
Sinclair Community College believes every educated person should possess a set of basic, common knowledge, skills and attitudes. Through Sinclair’s courses and programs of study, a student acquires breadth of knowledge and gains competence to achieve independent intellectual inquiry. Upon completion of the associate degree at Sinclair, the student will be able to demonstrate the following six general education outcomes:
- Oral Communication: the creation of common understanding through the use of verbal and nonverbal messages in a variety of contexts.
- Written Communication: the creation of understanding through composition and synthesis of the written word.
- Information Literacy: the ability to effectively locate, evaluate, and use information.
- Critical Thinking: the application of higher order analytical and creative cognitive processes.
- Cultural Diversity and Global Citizenship: the ability to apply knowledge of cultural diversity to real world context by acknowledging, understanding, and engaging constructively within the contemporary world.
- Mathematical Reasoning and Problem Solving: the application of quantitative problem-solving skills to the mathematical modelling, analysis and interpretation of real-world problems.
Note: For programs that require a multicultural elective, the following Ohio Transfer Module courses meet the multicultural requirement.
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