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Higher Education Coordination Commission

Educator Resources – Common Course Numbering

The State of Oregon, community colleges, and public universities are working together to expand Common Course Numbering (CCN) across Oregon public institutions. CCN focuses on aligning the most transferred, lower-division coursework to help students receive credit when they transfer between public institutions in Oregon. Here you can find information on courses approved for CCN as well as resources for institutions and educators.

Resources for Institutions and Educators

Courses approved for CCN are from a list of the most transferred, lower-division courses, and are aligned as directed by Senate Bill (SB) 233 (2021). Alignment includes course title, name, number, subject code, credits, description, and learning outcomes. On this page, educators and partners can find the current list of approved CCNs, as well information guiding the ongoing development of CCNs in Oregon.

The Transfer Council develops recommendations on CCN alignment, which is then considered for approval by the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC). SB 233 requires the HECC to establish, by rule, a CCN system and system of transfer and articulation, based on recommendations from the Transfer Council. When CCNs are approved and implemented, all Oregon community colleges and public universities are required to adopt CCN course information (if they offer a similar course) and accept a transfer of academic credit for each course as if the credit was earned at the accepting institution.

Resources for Students

Students can find tips at the link below for starting the transfer process, including introductions to the resources in the Oregon Transfer Compass (Core Transfer Maps, Major Transfer Maps, and other tools).

Plan to Transfer — The Oregon Transfer Compass

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

FAQ on Common Course Numbering

Common Course Numbering (CCN) is a process for aligning course information for the most transferred lower-division courses in Oregon. These courses are usually transferred between community colleges and public universities (vertical transfer), but students also transfer between institutions for other reasons (for example, community college to community college, university to university). ​The intent of CCN is to streamline transfer by reducing excess credit accumulation (or credits that don’t apply toward a degree or program) by ensuring that course information is exactly the same at all Oregon public colleges and universities. According to the Education Commission of the States (July 2022), 20 states have CCN.

In Oregon, courses that end in a "Z" are part of CCN (for example, MTH 111Z, WR 227Z). When transferring to an Oregon public college or university, CCN courses will be accepted as if they were taken at the institution students transfer to (that is, the receiving institution).

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Only the most transferred lower-division courses are part of CCN. The process of aligning course information (for example, course title, number, description) requires a great deal of time and collaboration between public college and university faculty, which is very labor intensive. Additionally, not all institutions offer degree-specific coursework. Therefore, the most popular, most transferred courses are part of CCN—not all courses at all institutions.

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No. If a student took a course before it went through CCN alignment, they do not need to retake the course. Receiving institutions (public) will accept the course with or without a "Z."​ Remember, accepting a course for credit and having that course apply toward a degree or program are not the same thing.

For questions about CCN, please contact Transfer Council at transfercouncil@hecc.oregon.gov.

List of CCN Approved Courses

The following list provides a summary of the CCN courses recommended to the HECC by the Transfer Council and approved by the full HECC Commission. For more information on approved courses, you may view the following summaries. SB 233 requires that all 24 Oregon public higher education institutions offer the approved list of courses starting in the years designated below.

CCN Approved Courses

Business 
 101Z, 211Z, 213Z 
Communication  
 100Z, 111Z, 218Z
English
 104Z, 105Z, 106Z
Math
 105Z, 111Z, 112Z
Psychology
 201Z, 202Z 
Statistics
 243Z
Writing
 121Z, 122Z, 227Z

CCN: Courses Under Development

Several new commonly numbered courses are being aligned and will become available once they are recommended by the Transfer Council to the HECC Commission for final approval. 

In Development:
  • Biology 221, 222, 223
  • Business 226, Excel-only course
  • Chemistry 221, 222, 223
  • *Economics 201Z, 202Z
  • *Math 251, 252, 253
  • *Sociology 204Z, 205Z, 206Z
*These courses have completed alignment work and will be forwarded to the HECC Commission for final approval when all courses are aligned for 2024. 
Development for 2025:
  • Biology: 231, 232, 233 (Anatomy & Physiology series)
  • Chemistry: 104, 105, 106 
  • Communication: Small Group; Intro to Intercultural Communication; Communication, Gender, and Culture
  • History: History of US pts. I, II, III OR Western Civ/History of Europe pts. I, II, III
  • Spanish: 101, 102, 103
Under Consideration (2026-2027):
  • Art
  • Anthropology
  • Computer Science
  • Health
  • Music
  • Philosophy
  • Political Science

Institution and Educator Resources for Development of CCN

Resources

Learn about CCN Subcommittees including charges. 

2024

2023

2022

Stay Engaged

Transfer Council meetings are public, and public testimony is welcomed at all public meetings of the HECC. Legislation passed in 2024 (Senate Bill 1152) excluded certain subcommittees of the Transfer Council, including those related to Common Course Numbering (CCN), from public meeting law requirements. However, we continue to post the schedule of upcoming CCN meetings and video links on the page linked to below.Attend a Transfer Council public meeting or a CCN Subcommittee meeting. 

Common Course Numbering Subcommittees

The Transfer Council convenes numerous subcommittees focused on CCN. Learn more.

Learn about membership and charges of the Transfer Council subcommittees.

Legislative Reports on Transfer

See all legislative reports on student transfer on our reports archive page.



 

Additional Resources

 

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