Degree Options

The Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer (AAOT) degree conforms to the state of Oregon guidelines and therefore allows students to transfer to an Oregon public university having met all lower-division general education requirements. With appropriate planning, all lower-division major requirements may also be met. Students should work closely with an advisor to select the best degree option and to review specific transfer requirements.

In addition to Oregon’s public universities, institutions accepting the AAOT include George Fox College, Linfield College, Marylhurst College, Pacific University, University of Portland, Warner Pacific College, Willamette University, Evergreen State College, Pacific Lutheran University, and Washington State University.

The AAOT is not associated with a major and is awarded as Associate of Arts/Oregon Transfer. However, the College provides focus areas (e.g., psychology, geology) within the degree that help students select courses aligned with their major (indicated as "recommended" on the course list and sample plan) and the transfer institution's degree requirements.

Advantages

• Fulfills the lower-division (freshman/sophomore) general education requirements for baccalaureate degrees at all Oregon public universities.
• Allows student to transfer with junior standing for registration purposes.

Considerations

• No formal agreements exist for this degree to meet general education requirements at out-of-state colleges, although courses for the AAOT parallel many of them.
• Students transferring to an Oregon public university should review any world language and specialty course requirements of the transfer institution.
• The AAOT does not guarantee that two additional years will suffice to earn a baccalaureate degree nor give students junior standing in their majors. Students must still meet their transfer institution’s admission requirements.
• Students may transfer before completing the AAOT. However, students risk losing credits that are usually accepted within the degree, or they may fall short of the transfer institution’s general education requirements.

Requirements

Required Courses

• 90 to 108 credits
• Course requirements align with state standard
• General education courses (foundational skills and discipline studies) must be a minimum of three credits (except health)
• Courses may only count in one requirement (except cultural literacy)
• Limit of 12 career and technical education credits
• See individual AAOT focus areas for recommendations for specific bachelor degree majors
• See Exploratory AAOT or Undeclared Transfer Major AAOT for a list of AAOT general requirements

Performance Standards

• Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.
• All courses must be completed with a C grade or higher. Transfer programs may have a higher grade requirement.

Pending approval by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).

Like the Associate of Science Transfer, a student who completes AAT will have met lower-division major and general education requirements of baccalaureate degree programs for transfer to a public university in Oregon and have junior standing in a specific major or have equivalent status to students who started at a public university in the same major.

Courses of study leading to a major in the humanities, social sciences, or arts will generally be embedded in the AAT.

Please note that class standing or grade point average requirements for specific majors, department, or schools are not necessarily satisfied by an AAT. Students should always work with their academic advisor and check with the receiving institutions to ensure they have the most current transfer and degree information.

Advantages

• Students can meet all or most general education and major requirements to transfer an Oregon public university with junior standing in the major if appropriate courses are chosen.
• The classes, outcomes, and completion standards for the major-specific elements within AAT are defined at the state level. In majors where junior standing within 90 credits is not possible, students who complete an AAT will have status equivalent to students who started at a public university in the same major.
• The AAT includes at least eight courses (minimum 30 credits) of embedded coursework, called the core transfer map, which will apply to at least 30 credits of general education requirements for a bachelor’s degree at any Oregon public university.

Considerations

• A student is encouraged to work with an advisor in the selection of courses in order to meet the degree requirements of the baccalaureate institution to which the student plans to transfer.
• All course, class standing, or grade point average requirements for specific majors, departments, or schools are not necessarily satisfied by an AAT.

Requirements

Required Courses

• 90-108 credits
• Course requirements align with state standard
• General education courses (foundational skills and discipline studies) must be a minimum of three credits
• Courses may only count in one requirement (except cultural literacy)
• Limit of 12 career and technical education credits

Performance Standards

• Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.
• All courses must be completed with a C grade or higher.

The state has approved the College to offer Associate of Science (AS) degrees to prepare students to transfer to specific baccalaureate programs. Identified classes assist students in transitioning to upper division programs.

Unlike the AAOT or ASOT, there is no guarantee how receiving institutions will treat the AS. Students should always check with receiving institutions to ensure they have the most current transfer and degree information.

Please see the full list of programs for AS degrees offered.

Like the AAOT, a student who completes the ASOT will have met the lower division general education requirements of baccalaureate degree programs of any Oregon public university. Unlike the AAOT, the ASOT includes courses that institutional representatives recommend as preparation for specific majors.

Please note that the degree does not guarantee completion of lower division major requirements for the major and that course, class standing, and grade point average requirements for specific majors are not necessarily satisfied. Students should always check with the receiving institutions to ensure they have the most current transfer and degree information.

The College currently offers ASOT degrees in Business and Computer Science.

Advantages

• Students can meet all or most general education and/or major requirements for a specific transfer institutions if appropriate courses are chosen.

Considerations

The ASOT degree:

• can limit a student’s flexibility in choosing both the major and the transfer institution,
• does not ensure junior standing at Oregon public universities,
• does not guarantee that a student will meet all lower-division general education and major requirements.

Requirements

Required Courses

• 90-108 credits
• Course requirements align with state standard
• General education courses (foundational skills and discipline studies) must be a minimum of three credits (except health)
• Courses may only count in one requirement (except cultural literacy)
• Limit of 12 career and technical education credits
• See individual programs for specific requirements aligned with a bachelor's degree major

Performance Standards

• Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.
• All courses must be completed with a C grade or higher. Transfer programs may have a higher grade requirement.

Like the AAT, a student who completes the AST will have met lower-division major and general education requirements of baccalaureate degree programs for transfer to an Oregon public university with junior standing in a specific major or have status equivalent to students who started at a public university in the same major.

Courses of study leading to a major in a science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) discipline will generally be embedded in the AST. 

Please note that class standing or grade point average requirements for specific majors, department, or schools are not necessarily satisfied by an AST. Students should always work with their academic advisor and check with the receiving institutions to ensure they have the most current transfer and degree information.

Advantages

• Students can meet all or most general education and major requirements to transfer an Oregon public university with junior standing in the major if appropriate courses are chosen.
• The classes, outcomes, and completion standards for the major-specific elements within AST are defined by the state. In majors where junior standing within 90 credits is not possible, students who complete an AST will have status equivalent to students who started at a public university in the same major.
• The AST includes at least eight courses (minimum 30 credits) of embedded coursework, called the core transfer map, which will apply to at least 30 credits of general education requirements for a bachelor’s degree at any Oregon public university.

Considerations

• A student is encouraged to work with an advisor in the selection of courses in order to meet the degree requirements of the baccalaureate institution to which the student plans to transfer.
• All course, class standing, or GPA requirements for specific majors, departments, or schools are not necessarily satisfied by an AST.

Requirements

Required Courses

• 90-108 credits
• Course requirements align with state standard
• General education courses (foundational skills and discipline studies) must be a minimum of three credits
• Courses may only count in one requirement (except cultural literacy)
• Limit of 12 career and technical education credits

Performance Standards

• Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.
• All courses must be completed with a C grade or higher.

Students may select individual courses at the College and transfer them to another institution.

Students not completing a degree at Central Oregon Community College are encouraged to research the receiving institution's degree requirements and select courses accordingly.

Oregon public institutions have equivalency guides for selecting equivalent courses. Every institution will have a transfer credit policy, often located on their website under the transfer admissions information. CAP Services and faculty advisors can help students find this information.

Core Transfer Maps

The Core Transfer Map (CTM) is designed for students who plan to transfer to an Oregon public university. Composed of 30 credits in writing, math, social sciences, sciences, arts and letters, and electives, the CTM meets at least 30 credits of general education requirements for a bachelor’s degree at any Oregon public university. Students interested in transferring in a specific major should consult with an academic advisor to select specific CTM classes that can also fulfill lower-division requirements in their planned major.

Students who believe they have completed CTM requirements and would like it notated on their transcripts should submit a request via the application for degree or certificate form.

Advantages

• Guarantees that Oregon community colleges and public universities will accept all credits toward the institution’s general education requirements, and depending on courses chosen, may meet some lower-division major requirements.
• Provides students with documentation of completion of a standard set of commonly accepted courses.

Considerations

• Students certain of their major should determine if there is a major transfer map (MTM) for their chosen discipline and use the MTM as a guide.
• Students transferring to an Oregon public university should review any world language and specialty course requirements of the transfer institution.
• The CTM is not designed to be an endpoint; it is a tool toward degree completion. The CTM is not a degree or certificate but can be noted on a transcript to confirm completion of a subset of general education courses common among Oregon’s colleges and universities.

Performance Standards

• All courses must be completed with a C or higher and be worth a minimum of three credits.
• Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.

Oregon Transfer Module (OTM)

The OTM is designed for students who plan to transfer to an Oregon community college or public university. Composed of 45 credits in writing, math, communication, social sciences, sciences, arts and letters, and electives, it is similar to many institutions’ first-year requirements.

Advantages

• Completion guarantees that Oregon community colleges and public universities will accept all credits toward the institution’s general education requirements, and depending on courses chosen, may meet some lower-division major requirements.
• Provides students with documentation of completion of a standard set of commonly accepted courses.

Considerations

• Depending on the institution, students may be required to take additional general education courses.
• Students transferring to an Oregon public university should review any world language and specialty course requirements of the transfer institution.
• The OTM is not designed to be an endpoint; it is a tool toward degree completion. The OTM is not a degree or certificate but can be noted on a transcript to confirm completion of a subset of general education courses common among Oregon’s community colleges and public universities.

Performance Standards

• All courses must be completed with a C or higher and be worth a minimum of three credits.
• Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.

For students not pursuing specific transfer or career and technical education programs, the Associate of General Studies (AGS) provides an opportunity to pursue a broad general education and accomplish personal educational goals. It is important for a student to work closely with an advisor in designing a course plan for this degree. Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.

Advantages

The AGS awards a degree for completion of college-level coursework in core skills and general education and allows students flexibility to customize more than half of the degree’s required number of credits. It can be used to enhance employment, meet sponsoring agency requirements, and/or meet unusual baccalaureate requirements.

Considerations

The AGS is not transferable as a block (individual courses will be evaluated by transfer institutions) and does not meet certification requirements for any career and technical education area.

The AGS does not guarantee that a student will meet all lower-division general education and major requirements; however, with careful academic advising and in consideration of transfer institution requirements, the AGS may be designed to do so.

Requirements

Required courses:

• 90 to 108 credits
• Contains general education and elective courses
• Elective credits must be numbered 100 and higher

Performance standards:

• Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0
• All general education courses in the program must be completed with a grade of C or higher

Students may elect to be an exploratory student at the beginning of their academic career at the College. This provides students the opportunity to explore different programs and majors before deciding on a program or degree. Students may choose the Exploratory - Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer, which allows room to explore different subjects while completing general education classes.