- What is the benefit of a transfer associate’s degree for a student?
- If I intend to pursue a bachelor’s degree, what are my choices?
- If I am undecided about my educational goal, should I be a non-degree student?
- Does KCC have services to help undecided students discover areas of interest?
- Will my courses transfer to a university?
- What is a credit hour?
- What is considered full-time study?
- What is a transfer level course?
- How many courses should I take each semester?
- To be successful, how much time should I allow for class preparation?
- How many hours should I be able to work at my job?
- Do I need to take a foreign language?
- Is it in my best interest to receive my associate degree before I transfer to a university?
- Can I transfer with an Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree?
- Can I take courses at KCC if I want to transfer to another community college for degrees not offered at KCC, such as dental hygiene or veterinary technician?
- Can I complete a bachelor’s degree online?
- Notes and extra info
- Document requirements
- KCC forms you may need
- Electives
- Planning to transfer
- More information about transferring
- Transfer contacts
What is the benefit of a transfer associate’s degree for a student?
Completing a transfer associate degree, (1) ensures you have completed general education requirements toward a bachelor’s degree, (2) provides a foundation for your major, and (3) provides an opportunity to explore new areas of study, especially for undecided students. return
If I intend to pursue a bachelor’s degree, what are my choices?
KCC transfer programs are:
Associate in Arts (A.A.): “General” A.A.* & specialized options – Criminal Justice, English, Elementary Education, History, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology and Visual Arts
Associate in Science (A.S.): “General” A.S.* & specialized options – Agriculture, Biological Sciences, Business, Chemistry and Mathematics
Associate in Engineering Science (A.E.S.)
Associate in Fine Arts (A.F.A.)
Associate in Arts in Teaching (A.A.T.), with Secondary Mathematics and Special Education options
If you choose a specialized A.A. or A.S. curriculum, some general education courses are prescribed. For example, the A.S. in Business requires Introduction to Psychology or Sociology; Principles of Macroeconomics; and Principles of Microeconomics. A general A.S. student can choose from among 18 social sciences courses.
*Note: A “general” A.A. or A.S. degree allows students the flexibility to select many courses required for the first two years of most bachelor’s degrees. Consult with the transfer university. return
If I am undecided about my educational goal, should I be a non-degree student?
If you plan to complete a bachelor’s degree, you are advised to choose a “general” A.A. or A.S. degree. These degrees give you maximum flexibility to try courses in different disciplines. It will also help ensure that courses will satisfy degree requirements. If you do not select a degree program, you are not eligible for financial aid. return
Does KCC have services to help undecided students discover areas of interest?
Consider taking advantage of personality and career interest testing available at a nominal fee for KCC students. After the tests, you can attend a free workshop to interpret the results. You also can make an appointment with the Career Services coordinator to discuss career options. Another comprehensive option is enrolling in the new course, “Career Exploration” (ORIN 1601). return
Will my courses transfer to a university?
All Illinois community colleges use the same general education core requirements. This system, called the Illinois Articulation Initiative, is designed to simplify the transfer process. Completion of the core courses ensures that general education requirements are completed for transfer to state universities in Illinois and other participating four-year colleges and universities. You have to be careful to select courses that are specified for certain majors. Your KCC advisor will work with you to choose appropriate transfer-level courses; it is your responsibility to consult an advisor at the transfer college/university to confirm you are fulfilling their requirements. return
What is a credit hour?
Credit hours relate to the total number of hours of instruction and lab/clinical time for the course. The last digit of the course number indicates the number of credit hours earned for the course. return
What is considered full-time study?
To be classified as a full-time student during a 16-week semester, you must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours. For the 6 or 8-week summer term, 6 credit hours is the minimum. return
What is a transfer level course?
The answer is within the course number. Transfer-level courses at KCC have a first digit of 1 or 2 and a second digit of 5 to 9. For example: BSNS 1553 is a transfer-level course. return
How many courses should I take each semester?
Generally, we recommend full-time students start with 12 to 15 credits, which is usually 4 or 5 courses. Later, an average course load would be 15 to 16 credits, but may vary depending on your personal responsibilities. return
To be successful, how much time should I allow for class preparation?
Unlike high school, college students have extensive preparation and studying obligations outside of class. Expect to invest an additional two to three hours for each hour in the classroom. The most successful students schedule and stick to specific times for study. return
How many hours should I be able to work at my job?
To decide how much you can work, consider your individual responsibilities. Generally, full-time students should limit themselves to 20 or fewer hours per week during the transition to college. It is better to be successful with a lighter load than to over-extend and struggle or fail. return
Do I need to take a foreign language?
For admission, most state universities require at least two years of high school foreign language or two semesters of college foreign language. For graduation, two or more semesters of college-level foreign language is sometimes required. Check with your KCC advisor or the advisor at your transfer institution. If your foreign language requirements are not complete, it is wise to begin the sequence at KCC as soon as possible. return
Is it in my best interest to receive my associate degree before I transfer to a university?
Typically, it is in your best interest to transfer with a transfer degree (A.A., A.S., A.F.A., A.E.S. or A.A.T.). Consult your KCC advisor and an advisor at the transfer institution for the best answer. If you are in a very specialized program – such as architecture – you may find it better to transfer early, but only after finishing brush-up courses and, most of all, general education courses at KCC. return
Can I transfer with an Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree?
An A.A.S. is an occupational/career degree, such as Registered Nursing or Electrical Technology. KCC has cooperative agreements with universities including Governors State University and Illinois State University that allow students with specified A.A.S. degrees to use those courses toward completion of bachelor’s degrees. Some universities also offer “2 plus 2” or “capstone” programs for students with A.A.S. degrees. return
Can I take courses at KCC if I want to transfer to another community college for degrees not offered at KCC, such as dental hygiene or veterinary technician?
In most cases, your general education courses need to be taken at KCC. Meet with an advisor at the transfer college to determine which courses will be accepted toward their program. Your KCC advisor can work with you to plan the appropriate sequence of the courses to take here if needed. return
Can I complete a bachelor’s degree online?
KCC has online bachelor’s degree completion agreements with the University of Illinois Online; Franklin University of Columbus, Ohio; the University of Illinois at Springfield and Western Illinois University.
An online bachelor’s degree completion program usually combines on-campus classes at KCC with online courses through these universities. After students earn an associate degree from KCC, they can complete “bridge” courses at KCC and take online classes through these universities. return
Notes and extra info
Document requirements
To transfer from KCC to pursue a bachelor’s degree, you must have the following documents on file at KCC:
• Official high school transcripts from all institutions attended.
• Students with college credit elsewhere should (1) submit an official transcript, (2) complete a Transcript Evaluation request, and (3) submit it at the Registration Desk in order to have that credit evaluated. If possible, transcripts should be evaluated before meeting with your academic advisor.
• Official placement test scores, either ACT – sent directly from ACT; or COMPASS. return
KCC forms you may need
KCC admissions form
Illinois Articulation Agreement – IAI
Completing the IAI general education curriculum (about 12 courses) guarantees the courses will transfer to any state university in Illinois and other participating colleges and universities. It also guarantees that general education requirements are met. More information is at http://www.itransfer.org/.
Because the Associate in General Studies (A.G.S.) can contain non-transfer courses and may not complete the IAI general education core, this degree is not guaranteed to be accepted in whole by senior institutions.
http://www.transfer.org/ & U.Select
To see how your courses transfer, log on to U.Select at http://www.transfer.org/. U.Select is an online tool with program requirements, course equivalencies, and information on how courses will transfer to another college or university. return
Electives
• Most transfer curricula include some elective courses.
• Up to four credits of electives can be one-credit activity courses, such as the Fitness Center or Yoga.
• When choosing electives, transfer students should be cautious to choose transfer-level courses and check with their transfer institution. return
Planning to transfer
As you pursue your college studies, you should regularly make appointments with your advisor to plan your academic program and make sure you are staying on track toward your associate’s degree. Your KCC advisor will work with you to ensure that your transfer will go as smoothly as possible. During your first year at KCC, begin researching colleges or universities. Then, when you narrow down the options, visit your top two or three choices. Communicate with an advisor at your top-choice schools to verify their requirements. Check the dates they will accept transfer applications. return
More information about transferring
Phone 815-802-8500 to schedule an appointment with a KCC advisor; or visit the Student Services information desk. return
Transfer contacts
Susan LaMore
Transfer coordinator • slamore@kcc.edu • 815-802-8208
Denise Burklow
Transfer advisor • dburklow@kcc.edu • 815-802-8518
Meredith Purcell
Transfer advisor • mpurcell@kcc.edu • 815-802-8514
Elise Schultz
Transfer advisor • eschultz@kcc.edu • 815-802-8482
Kimberlee Harpin
TRiO advisor • kharpin@kcc.edu • 815-802-8472
Delithia Love
TRiO advisor • dlove@kcc.edu • 815-802-8473
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