If you’re hoping to earn your bachelor’s degree, remember there’s no one way to go. You can use different strategies to achieve your goal of graduating from college, one of which is to earn an Associate’s Degree for Transfer, also known as an ADT.

An ADT is a guaranteed pathway for transfer from a community college to a four-year university. But is this the right path for you? Here’s what you need to know.

How does the ADT course work?

An associate’s degree for transfer allows community college students to earn an associate’s degree and guarantees acceptance as a transfer student to a four-year college or university in the program. Students who transfer with an approved ADT degree will enter college as a junior and complete their bachelor’s degree in up to 68 units if they follow an academic plan. ADT-approved pathways include English, Theater Arts, Business, and Design Studies, among others.

The ADT pathway makes it much easier for students to transfer between a community college and a university, according to Mona Thaxter, undergraduate registrar at Azusa Pacific University. For example, she says that at APU, students have the option of completing two degrees with only 120 credits; if they apply and meet the minimum eligibility requirements, they will be admitted to an APU-approved similar degree program to earn their bachelor’s degree.

Why choose the ADT course?

Not all high school graduates are ready to go to college. this may be due to finances, transcripts, or the fact that the student has not decided on their major.

Attending a community college first is a great option if you need to improve your grades or want to try out a few classes before deciding on a degree to pursue. An ADT program reduces the need to take unnecessary courses, effectively shortening your time to graduation and lowering the overall cost.

It’s also a good choice for professionals looking to advance their careers but don’t have time for the traditional four-year college experience. If you balance a job or other commitments with your studies, you can earn your associate’s degree at an accredited community college and then work toward a bachelor’s degree. For example, under APU’s professional license completion programs, you can earn a degree in criminal justice, psychology, or business at one of APU’s regional campuses in the High Desert, Inland. Empire, Murrieta or San Diego.

What APU offers ADT students

Azusa Pacific University has always been a transfer-friendly school, but with the new ADT program in place, you can have guaranteed acceptance if you meet the requirements. Heather Petridis, Ph.D., vice president for enrollment management at APU, notes that, “Under a new agreement, signed by the Office of the Chancellor of California Community Colleges and the Association of Colleges and independent universities in California, students will be guaranteed acceptance and granted a more seamless path to APU in certain majors.

The APU will still review transfer candidates annually. However, transferring outside of the ADT track means there is always a chance that your application will not be accepted. And, unlike the ADT option, not all of your community college courses can be transferred as credits toward your college degree. Importantly, as an ADT candidate, you will receive priority admission and be guaranteed to complete your bachelor’s degree in up to 68 units, which equals four semesters (or two years) if you take 18 units per semester. . There is no potential confusion as to which units count, since the ADT program meets most general lower division training requirements at the APU.

Petridis herself was a transfer student from a local community college and says she chose APU because of the school’s supportive environment, small class sizes, and consistently high graduation rates. Even if you’re not sure if APU is the right school for you, the ADT route can help you gain transfer acceptance to many California colleges and universities because the program satisfies IGETC/CSU Breadth certification. . A guaranteed ADT program takes the guesswork out of transferring schools and is a great solution for community college students and working professionals.

Does the associate degree path for transfer sound like an opportunity you would be interested in pursuing? Learn more about the different opportunities available at Azusa Pacific University.

Posted: August 13, 2018