If you are a student planning to transfer, the information here will help you take advantage of some of the unique tools available to students in Oregon. The Higher Education Coordinating Commission works with public college and university partners to develop transfer tools to help you navigate the transfer process. This growing set of tools is called the Oregon Transfer Compass.
The resources on this page focus primarily on transfer between public institutions in Oregon. To take advantage of the tools and maps described on this page, explore the transfer section of your college or university (institutional) website or talk to an advisor at your campus:
Find quick tips to plan your transfer here
Completing General Education Requirements?
Tools are Available to Choose Transferable Coursework
If you are planning to transfer from an Oregon community college to a public university, there are several tools available to guide you in taking courses that can be applied toward a degree or certificate.
Core Transfer Maps
Core Transfer Maps are groups of classes that add up to at least 30 credits. If you complete the full set courses at an Oregon community college and meet public university admissions requirements, you are guaranteed the courses will transfer as a block to any Oregon public university, and your coursework will count toward that university’s core bachelor’s degree requirements.
Learn more about Core Transfer Maps here.
Oregon Transfer Module
The Oregon Transfer Module is similar to the Core Transfer Maps, but includes more credits. This is a 45-credit subset of general education courses that all count as a transferable block toward a university’s core bachelor’s degree requirements.
Courses with Common Course Numbering
Some courses offered across Oregon’s community colleges and universities are aligned using Common Course Numbering (CCN). For CCN-approved courses, all Oregon community colleges and public universities are required to accept a transfer of academic credit for each course as if the credit was earned identically at the accepting institution. All CCN aligned courses end in a Z. For more information on CCN, please speak with an admissions officer or advisor at a college or university.
Talk to an advisor at your institution to select the plan that is right for you.
You can also learn more about Oregon's policy work to expand Common Course Numbering here.
Know your Major? Follow a Major Transfer Map
Major Transfer Map
A Major Transfer Map (MTM) is a course plan to help you transfer in a specific major. An MTM allows you to transfer credits from an Oregon community college to an Oregon public university and is available if the participating institutions offer programs in the MTM subject area. If you complete a MTM and meet public university admissions requirements, you are guaranteed transfer to the participating Oregon four-year public university with junior standing, and your coursework will count toward a bachelor’s degree in that specific major.
Currently, Major Transfer Maps have been developed in these program areas:
- Biology, Associate of Science Transfer (AST)
- Business, AST
- Computer Science, AST
- Elementary Education, Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer (AAOT)
- English Literature, Associate of Arts Transfer (AAT)
Some but not all Oregon community colleges offer these MTMs. Major Transfer Maps (MTMs) are currently being developed in other areas, like Psychology, Sociology, and Human Development and Family Services. Speak with an advisor about the availability of the MTMs at your institution.
You can also learn more about Oregon's policy work to develop MTMs here.
Statewide Transfer Degrees
If you complete a statewide transfer degree at an Oregon community college and meet admissions requirements, you can be assured that you will transfer with junior status at a public university for registration purposes. Statewide transfer degrees satisfy the lower division general education requirements of baccalaureate degrees at the public universities in Oregon.
Explore your community college website to find degree options, including the following.
- Associates of Arts Oregon Transfer (AAOT)
- Associate of Science Oregon Transfer Business (ASOT-Business)
- Associate of Science Oregon Transfer Computer Science (ASOT-Computer Science)
- Associate of General Studies (AGS)
- Associate of Science (AS)
Please note: a transfer degree does NOT guarantee admittance to a university or to a program, nor does it assure junior-level standing in a particular major. If you want to be sure your credits fill requirements for a specific major, ask your advisor about Major Transfer Maps.
Explore More Tools at Your College or University
High school and college educators across Oregon work together to offer college credit in high school, also called "Accelerated Learning" courses for high school students. Through these courses, students can earn college credit in high school and get a head start on a pathway to a college degree or certificate. If you are a student interested in earning credit while in high school, learn more through the Oregon Department of Education here.
Several Oregon institutions participate in the Interstate Passport, a multi-state initiative that empowers students to transfer among participating institutions in the United States. It is a Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE)-led initiative to create a multi-state lower-division general education transfer framework.
Reverse Transfer is the practice of retroactively awarding an associate degree to students who complete the required credits for a degree following transfer to a university or four-year college. All public institutions are required to participate in Reverse Transfer, but institutions implement it differently from campus to campus. Talk to an advisor at your institution about this option.
Stay Engaged in Public Processes About Transfer Policies