Mar 19, 2024  
2020-2021 Catalog 
    
2020-2021 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Transfer


Many of our academic programs are designed for transfer to four-year colleges and universities. The information below will prepare you to prepare for transfer to another institution.

Transferring CMC Credits to Other Institutions

This section of the catalog describes the transfer policies pertaining to the Colorado State Guaranteed Course Transfer, as well as program-specific and school-specific transfer policies.

Because policies related to credit transfer are continually evolving, we strongly recommend close and ongoing communication with your Academic Advisor or College Counselor to ensure a smooth transfer of credits to the receiving institution.

For the latest list of Colorado State Guaranteed General Education Courses and participating institutions, go to cdhe.colorado.gov.

See Getting Help from CMC Counselors for contact information and advice.

If you do not complete the AA or AS degree in its entirety, your courses will be evaluated on a course-by-course basis. Individual courses may transfer, but the full, 60-credit transfer will not be guaranteed.

By agreement, Colorado public four-year higher education institutions honor the full transfer of an Associate of an AA/AS degree earned at Colorado Mountain College within certain guidelines. When you earn an AA/AS degree at Colorado Mountain College, completing the State Guaranteed General Education Courses with a grade of “C-” or better in each course applied to the degree, you will transfer with junior standing into any Arts and Sciences degree program offered by a Colorado public four-year college.

You should be able to complete your AA/AS degree program in no more than 60 credit hours and your Bachelor’s degree in no more than a total of 120 credit hours, unless there are additional degree requirements recognized by the Colorado Department of Higher Education. This means that if you complete your AA/AS degree at Colorado Mountain College, you can complete your four-year degree with the same number of credits as students who began at the receiving institution. If you have received credit for prior learning, advanced placement, or correspondence courses, this will be reviewed by the receiving institution.

The statewide transfer agreement will not apply in your case if you substitute a non-Guaranteed Transfer (GT) course for a required GT course.

It is also possible to transfer out credit for certain examinations and independent study courses. See the following sections for details.

General Education Transfer FAQ

Where can I find a list of approved general education courses that apply to the statewide guaranteed transfer program?
Visit the Transfers page at the Colorado Department of Higher Education.

Since there is a list of approved general education courses guaranteed to transfer statewide, does this mean that if I take these courses I am guaranteed admission if I apply to transfer to another Colorado public institution?
No. There are separate admission policies approved by the Colorado Department of Higher Education for first-time and transfer students for all public higher education institutions in Colorado. The statewide guarantee applies to general education courses successfully completed (grade C- or better) upon acceptance for transfer. Business and Engineering degrees have additional admissions requirements. Please check with the receiving institution.

What is the advantage of completing my community college degree requirements under the new statewide transfer policy? 
By finishing your AA or AS degree requirements before transferring to a public four-year institution in Colorado, you may expect, upon acceptance, to transfer 60 community college semester credits and enter the four-year institution with junior standing. In liberal arts and science majors, you will be able to finish a BA or BS degree with 60 additional credits at the transfer institution. In other words, if you complete an AA or AS degree program with 35-37 credits of state-guaranteed general education, all of your course credits (up to 60 hours) applied to your community college degree will be guaranteed to transfer, upon acceptance, to a four-year college or university. Please see a CMC Academic Advisor or College Counselor for further information.

What if I change my major while enrolled in a public higher education institution in Colorado? 
If you change your major between two liberal arts and sciences programs, the same general education guarantee applies. However, students who change their major after the first 60 hours accept that this decision may require additional courses. Please note that changing a major at any time, for any reason, may affect financial aid eligibility.

What if I took a general education course that was not guaranteed to transfer until after I completed it? Will I still be able to transfer the course?
Yes, with certain restrictions:

A. If you FINISH the AA or AS with 35-37 state guaranteed general education course credits completed, the non-state guaranteed general courses will transfer under the 60+60 concept.
B. Non-state guaranteed general education courses may transfer. This decision is at the discretion of the receiving institution; but it is highly likely these courses will transfer.

If I am thinking of transferring, where can I find out about another college’s degree requirements? 
For additional information, visit the Transfers page at the Colorado Department of Higher Education, or Collegeincolorado.org.

Colorado State Guaranteed Transfer Courses

The state of Colorado has developed a transfer policy to make it easier to transfer course credits to all state institutions. Under this policy, courses that are designated State Guaranteed Transfer Courses are guaranteed to satisfy general education requirements at all Colorado public higher education institutions and will count toward graduation for an Associate of Arts or Bachelor’s degree.

Within this catalog, Colorado State Guaranteed Transfer Courses are delineated by a diamond (◆) icon.

Colorado State Guaranteed Transfer Acronyms

The Colorado State Guaranteed Transfer Courses are grouped into larger academic/program categories indicating programs they intend to transfer into and the appropriate grade level. For degree planning, our AA and AS degree checklists group required and elective State Guaranteed General Education Courses into these categories. The link below summarizes these codes and their meanings.

See the Transfers page at the Colorado Department of Higher Education for the most current list.

Transferability Symbols

The diamond symbol (◆) designates courses that are part of the approved State Guaranteed General Education Transfer Course list. The complete list of these state guaranteed general education courses is available on the Colorado Department of Higher Education website.

The asterisk (✽) symbol designates courses that apply to the CMC AA/AS degree, and that satisfy program-specific transfer agreements for the business, engineering, and elementary education programs.

Transferring Credit Through Examinations

Colorado Mountain College awards credit through examinations such as Advanced placement (AP), DSST, CLEP, and International Baccalaureate (IB). Although these types of tests are standard throughout the country, they will often be reevaluated when you transfer, and the admissions office at any four-year institution may choose to award a different amount of credits or equivalent courses than awarded by Colorado Mountain College.

Transferring Special Topics Credits

Special Topics courses (numbers 175, 275, 375, and 475) are courses providing the chance to study subjects not included in the standard curriculum. When a student transfers, each institution will evaluate these courses according to its own guidelines. If you wish to have these kinds of courses considered for transfer, you must keep all records of the class (syllabus, tests, papers and other projects) to be evaluated by the receiving institution.

Transferring Out Credits for an Entire Program

Completion of the Guaranteed General Education Transfer Courses and an AA or AS degree with a grade of “C-” or better in each of the courses in the transfer qualifies the student to transfer under the Colorado Statewide Transfer Policy (60+60).

Statewide and Program-Specific Transfer/Articulation Agreements

Statewide Transfer/Articulation Agreements

Several bachelor degree programs in Colorado offer transfer under separate agreements. Colorado has developed state-wide transfer agreements for the Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degree programs. See the Colorado Department of Higher Education website for a list of these state-wide transfer requirements and four year advising guides.

Program-Specific Transfer/Articulation Agreements

Colorado Mountain College maintains further articulation agreements with public Colorado colleges and universities that address the transfer of some courses that are part of specialized degree or certificate programs.

Colorado Mountain College has signed agreements outlining transfer of degrees in many areas. Go to the Transfer Agreements page for the complete listing. 

Please consult the appropriate certificate and degree checklists, Colorado Mountain College Counselor or Academic Advisor, and the receiving institution for current information about transferring your credits using state-wide or program-specific articulation agreements.

Please note: not every degree is offered at every campus or location.

Transferring AAS and Certificate of Occupational Proficiency (COP) Course Credits

Career and Technical Education (CTE) degrees and correspondingt courses are designed for immediate employment. However some courses leading to an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree or Certificate of Occupational Proficiency (COP) at Colorado Mountain College may transfer into four-year degree programs. Please visit the Transfer Agreements page for more information on CMC transfer agreements.

For students wishing to transfer their CMC AAS degree, please keep in mind that each four-year institution uses its own discretion for the credits it will accept in transfer. CMC’s Associate of Applied Science degrees provide a seamless pathway into College’s Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degree.

Please see your Academic Advisor or Counselor for further details.

Additional Transferability Considerations

Not all courses at Colorado Mountain College will transfer. Developmental (numbered 000-099 and 900-999) and Career and Technical Education courses are not intended to transfer. If you plan to transfer, you should meet regularly with an Academic Advisor or College Counselor to ensure a smooth transition to the four-year college of your choice. Transfer guidelines for public Colorado institutions may be available from your Academic Advisor or College Counselor. These should be used only as general guides. Contact the receiving institution for the latest requirements.

Courses in this catalog that are marked with an asterisk (✽) apply to the Colorado Mountain College Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, Associate of General Studies and the Associate of Applied Science degrees. When choosing electives, choosing courses with this symbol may provide a smoother transfer for you. To ensure that elective courses will transfer, always check with the receiving institution first, and work with your CMC Academic Advisor or College Counselor.

Higher Education Admission Requirement (HEAR)

While Colorado Mountain College is an open enrollment college, students planning on transferring to another Colorado Institution may need to meet additional admissions requirements, including an evaluation of their high school academic records. Students should proactively contact with the Admissions Department at their intended institution to discuss transfer admissions policies. Students graduating high school in 2010 and beyond must fulfill the following requirements for admissions into selective institutions.

The Colorado Commission on Higher Education, the Colorado Department of Education, and School Districts are developing standards for alternative demonstration of proficiency to be accepted in lieu of course completion. For course guidelines, see paragraph 4.01 of the Admissions Standards Policy.

English: 4 years. Two units of ESL English may count for HEAR requirements when combined with two units of successfully completed college preparatory English.

Mathematics: 4 years, which must include Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II, or equivalent courses.

Natural/Physical Sciences: 3 years, of which two years must be lab-based. College-preparatory ESL mathematics/science courses that include content and academic rigor/level comparable to other acceptable courses may satisfy HEAR requirements.

Social Sciences: 3 years, with at least one unit of U.S. or world history.

Foreign Language: 1 year. Please note the Colorado Department of Education’s policy for Higher Education Admissions Requirements (HEAR) stipulates that students wishing to enter or transfer to any public four-year school in Colorado must successfully complete at least one year of foreign language at the high school level. If this requirement is not fulfilled, please be advised that it may be required for students to take FRE 111 , GER 111, ITA 111, JPN 111, RUS 111, or SPA 111   to gain admittance to a four-year school. Not all of these languages are available at CMC. Although these courses do not fulfill the Guaranteed Transfer Arts and Humanities requirement, they do count as five elective credits within the Associate of Arts degree.

Academic Electives: 2 years. Acceptable Academic Electives include additional courses in English, mathematics, natural/physical sciences and social sciences, foreign languages, art, music, journalism, drama, computer science, honors, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate courses, and appropriate CTE courses.

Reverse Transfer Program

After transferring to a public four-year institution in Colorado, you may be eligible to receive an Associate’s Degree from Colorado Mountain College through the Colorado Department of Higher Education’s Reverse Transfer program (formerly Degree Within Reach). Visit CDHE’s Reverse Transfer website for more information.

Requesting CMC Transcripts

Transcripts including the current semester will be available approximately one week after classes end. However, copies of records, including transcripts, may be withheld due to a student’s outstanding financial obligations to Colorado Mountain College. Please allow adequate processing and mailing time if transcripts are to be sent to other institutions.

Non-Credit Transcript: Prior to summer 2003, non-credit courses did not appear on the students’ academic record.

CEU Transcript: Starting with the 2005 fall semester, students who took a CEU designated course will have a CEU transcript listing those courses.

Please see the CMC Transcripts page for further information about ordering CMC transcripts, or call 970-947-8333.

Student Privacy, Records, and Rights after attending CMC

Regarding the confidentiality of your student records, please refer to the section on the Student Educational Rights and Privacy Act  in this catalog.