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Michigan Transfer Agreement

Michigan Transfer Agreement

Transfer Resources for the Michigan Community College student
Alpena Community College participates in the Michigan Transfer Agreement between public and private community colleges and universities in Michigan. This agreement provides ACC students more assurance of having completed their general education requirements when they transfer to a participating four-year college or university. Working closely with your academic advisor is recommended to assure meeting MTA requirements. To fulfill the Michigan Transfer Agreement, students must successfully complete at least 30 credits, with at least a 2.0 in each course. 

Options for the Transfer StudentAs a student in Michigan you have the advantage of an outstanding higher education system that provides many paths to a college degree.
The following tools are designed to help you as you navigate your educational experience:
• Transfer Guides/Plans
• Michigan Transfer Agreement
• Articulation Agreements (2+2, 3+1, etc.)
• Other Transfer Student Resources

Transfer GuidesIf you have decided on an academic program and you know which four-year college or university you plan to transfer to, a transfer guide is your best resource when selecting community college courses.

Usually, transfer guides (may also be referred to as curricular guides or transfer plans) will include courses offered by the community college that transfer to the four-year school and fulfill requirements within a bachelor’s degree. Transfer guides may also include other pertinent information such as admission requirements for a major, academic grade requirements, knowledge/skills gained within the major, and career information.

Although most four-year colleges and universities make transfer guides available on their institution’s website, many community colleges will also link to them from their website. You are encouraged to contact your community college counselor/advisor and an advisor from the four-year school that you plan to attend.

Student ResponsibilitiesMany Michigan colleges and universities participate in the MTA, but it is the responsibility of the student to understand how the MTA fulfills general education requirements at their preferred transfer institution.

Some participating colleges and universities may require you to complete additional courses that cannot be satisfied with the courses listed within the categories of this agreement. To learn about a four-year institution’s requirements, you should contact your college counselor or academic advisor.

Michigan Transfer AgreementThe Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) was designed to help you transfer from your community college to a Michigan four-year college or university. The MTA replaced the previous MACRAO Transfer Agreement in the Fall of 2014. Students pursuing the MACRAO Transfer Agreement are encouraged to work with their advisors in order to ensure timely completion.

If you are unsure about which academic program to pursue and/or about which four-year college or university to transfer to, the MTA is an excellent resource to utilize when selecting community college courses. Within this plan, one completes a minimum of 30 semester hours of college-level credit which will fulfill a portion of the lower-division general education requirements at participating four-year colleges or universities. This plan includes the following:

• One course in English Composition
• A second course in English Composition or one course in Communications
• Two courses in Social Sciences (from two different disciplines)
• Two courses in Natural Sciences including one with laboratory experience (from two different disciplines)
• Two courses in Humanities/Fine Arts (from two different disciplines excluding studio and performance classes)
• One math course in College Algebra, Statistics, or Quantitative Reasoning. An advanced-level course in any of these areas will also be accepted in place.

Please refer to the Academic Information section of the current ACC Catalog for specific disciplines and course levels that will fulfill MTA requirements.
* Note: Each course must be completed with a grade of 2.0 or higher. To review the previous MACRAO requirements visit https://www.macrao.org/macrao-transfer-agreement

“When I am ready to transfer, how can I be sure that the Michigan Transfer Agreement will be applied to my four-year degree?”You are encouraged to inquire about your community college’s policy regarding the review of your transcripts in order to determine whether or not the MTA has been satisfied. Note that some schools automatically include the MTA on your transcripts when you have earned an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree. If you do not plan to earn a two-year degree, you may be required to request a review of your transcripts.

To be eligible for the Michigan Transfer Agreement at Alpena Community College, a minimum of 1 college-level course must be taken at Alpena Community College. Transcripts of ACC graduates who meet the MTA requirements will automatically be certified for MTA when degrees are posted to academic records. Students who transfer prior to the completion of a degree program but have completed the MTA requirements may also be certified upon request. Requests should be made to the Registrar. 

Upon receipt of your community college transcripts, which include the “Michigan Transfer Agreement Satisfied” statement, the participating four-year school will appropriately apply the agreement towards your bachelor’s degree requirements.

Articulation AgreementsAn articulation agreement is a formally signed agreement between two partner colleges or universities. Depending on your situation, it can be an excellent path towards completing your personalized educational goals.

Although an articulation agreement is similar to a transfer guide, it usually includes a value-added component. This could be pre-approved course substitutions, a block of two-year college courses which fulfill a block of four-year college or university courses, full acceptance of a two-year technical or applied degree as fulfilling half of a four-year degree (2+2), and/or allowance of more than the maximum number of credits transferring from the community college (3+1).

As you can see, an articulation agreement is a more detailed transfer guide. For more information regarding articulation agreements, you should contact your college counselor or academic advisor. 

Other Transfer Student ResourcesThere are many resources available to help make your path to a bachelor’s degree a smooth one; you are encouraged to take advantage of them.

College Advising/Counseling Office:
Your two-year college counselors and academic advisors can assist you with career information, four-year college options, and transfer plans.

MACRAO’s website:
www.macrao.org provides links to Michigan college websites, transfer fairs hosted by community colleges, and the Michigan Transfer Network.

Michigan Transfer Network:
The Michigan Transfer Network allows students to view transfer course equivalencies between many Michigan colleges and universities. If you wish to view how your courses will transfer to another college or university, go to www.mitransfer.org.

Admissions representatives:
Representatives from four-year colleges and universities can help you with the transfer admissions process. They can also provide information regarding transfer credit, transfer guides and articulation agreements, transfer scholarships, and other transfer student information.

Michigan College Access Network:
www.micollegeaccess.org coordinates Michigan college access resources, programs, and services.

For more information, contact the ACC Registrar:

Sheila Rupp, Registrar
108 Van Lare Hall
989.358.7353
rupps@alpenacc.edu