Transfer Terminology
All colleges have their own special lingo or language. Learn about terms that pertain to transferring to a baccalaureate or four-year institution.
Articulation Agreement/Transfer Agreement
A formal written agreement between Highline and baccalaureate institutions that outlines what transfer students must do in order to be accepted by the universities. Transfer Agreements may indicate requirements that must be satisfied for general admission and/or admission to the academic major.
Bachelor’s degree
A degree earned from a college or university upon completion of at least 180 college level quarter credits in a specific major. A bachelor’s degree may also be referred to as a “baccalaureate” or “undergraduate” degree.
College Grade Point average (GPA)
The college GPA is a calculation based only on college-level courses (numbered 100 or higher) attempted at Highline and includes courses with passing grades, failing grades, incompletes and classes where no credit was earned.
Course/Transfer Equivalency Guide
A guide listed on the website of many of the universities that outlines how Highline courses transfer into their institutions. Not all universities publish this guide.
Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA)
The cumulative GPA is a calculation based on all course attempted at Highline and includes courses with passing grades, failing grades, incompletes and classes where no credit was earned. The cumulative GPA takes into consideration, all college-level (numbered 100 or higher) as well as pre-college courses (numbered below 100).
Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA)
Applies to the Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree that transfers to all of the public and most of the private colleges in Washington State. Students with an AADTA enter the university with most if not all of their general education requirements completed and transfer as a junior. Learn about Direct Transfer Agreements.
Double Major
The double major gives students an opportunity to graduate from the university with two academic fields of study simultaneously.
General Education Requirements/General University Requirements
Refers to courses in the social sciences, humanities, globalism/diversity, communications and the sciences. Students must take a set number of courses from each of the listed areas before graduating with the bachelor’s degree.
Lower Division Classes
These are usually general education type classes that students complete during their freshmen and sophomore years. They are usually numbered 100 & 200 level and are for the most part, introductory or survey courses (for example: psychology 100, sociology 101, English 101) Lower division is freshmen and sophomore level classes. Upper division is junior and senior level classes.
Major
An area of subject specialization that is required to complete within a bachelor’s degree such as business, history, economics, among hundreds of other majors. A major is usually only offered at a baccalaureate institution and is normally aimed at an intended career.
Major Prerequisites
Courses that must be completed before you can be admitted into a
specific major.
Major Ready
Transfer students who select their classes strategically can complete their associate degree and most, if not all, of the prerequisites they will need to enter their major.
Minor
A minor is a secondary field of study that can be taken while completing a major. The extra set of classes required to complete a minor is substantially less compared to a major. Minors are optional and not required for graduation.
Official Transcript
A record of all classes completed (including GPA) at Highline that must be submitted to the baccalaureate institutions when a student applies for admission. Students must also submit transcripts showing courses completed at other institutions, besides Highline.
Pre-Major
Pre-major status applies to specific majors that require students to fulfill prerequisites or meet department requirements before being admitted to the major.
Quarter
Term of instruction, usually 10-11 weeks except in the summer when it is 8 weeks long.
Semester
Most Washington colleges and universities are on the quarter system but a few use the semester term which is about 15 weeks in length. There are usually two semesters in an academic year (Fall term: August –December; Spring term: January-May).
Transferable courses
These are courses that can usually be applied toward graduation at the baccalaureate institution. They are numbered 100 level and above and generally parallel the courses offered at the university.
Upper Division Classes
This term refers to courses completed at the junior and senior years of study and are generally classes in the student’s major field of study.