At the University of Washington, the general-education breadth requirements (Areas of Knowledge) are divided somewhat differently from the traditional division into humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Some courses that would count as humanities at many other schools, particularly in such disciplines as history, philosophy, and religion, are grouped with the social sciences into the Individuals and Societies category at the UW, rather than with the courses in the Visual, Literary, and Performing Arts category.
The Transfer Associate Degree Agreement
Transfer students who do not have an academic transfer associate's degree from a Washington community college must use their transfer courses according to the way that the UW divides the categories. However, because of an agreement that UW has with the community colleges, students who do have an academic transfer associate's degree from a Washington community college are allowed to count courses as VLPA, for example, if they were counted as humanities by the Washington community college that awarded the degree. For more on this, see the Transfer Associate Degree Agreement web page.
Courses that Count Toward More than One Area of Knowledge
Some colleges (including the UW) may list a course under more than one Area of Knowledge. In such cases, the student chooses the Area in which s/he wishes to count the course. One course may not count simultaneously toward two Areas of Knowledge, although a student may split a course's credit between two areas. For example, UW counts PHIL 120 toward I&S or NW. A student who completes PHIL 120 at the UW may count it toward I&S, or toward NW, or count 3 credits of the course toward I&S and the other 2 credits toward NW.
History, Philosophy, and Journalism
History and philosophy courses make up most of the courses affected by the Transfer Associate Degree Agreement. Journalism courses are often counted toward requirements differently at community colleges than they are at the UW. For the convenience of students and advisers, the following list indicates how Washington community colleges count history, philosophy, and journalism courses toward general education requirements. Questions about any other courses may be directed to the Gateway Center. Course numbers below are the community college's numbers. If no numbers are listed, the note applies to all courses in the department. For example, at Big Bend Community College, all history courses count as I&S.
Please select your college of interest from the drop-down menu below to view further details about their involvement in the Transfer Associate Degree Agreement.
Bellevue Community College
| History | VLPA — all
I&S — all except 194-199, 294-299 |
|---|---|
| Philosophy | VLPA — all except 120, 160, 185
I&S — 102, 112, 201, 240, 248, 255, 260, 265 NW — 120 |
| Journalism | VLPA — all COMM except 150, 199, 299
I&S — 150 |
Reference page at community college website 
Big Bend Community College
| History | I&S |
|---|---|
| Philosophy | VLPA |
| Journalism | VLPA — all JOU except 161 |
Reference page at community college website
Cascadia Community College
| History | I&S |
|---|---|
| Philosophy | VLPA — 100, 115, 150 |
| Journalism | VLPA — CMU 203, 211-213, 230, 250 |
Reference page at community college website
Centralia College
| History | I&S |
|---|---|
| Philosophy | VLPA |
| Journalism | VLPA — JOUR 106,160 |
Reference page at community college website
Clark College
| History | I&S |
|---|---|
| Philosophy | VLPA |
| Journalism | VLPA — all JOUR |
Reference page at community college website
Columbia Basin College
| History | VLPA — 101, 102, 103
I&S — 104, 105, 110 |
|---|---|
| Philosophy | VLPA |
| Journalism | VLPA — COM 201 |
Reference page at community college website
Edmonds Community College
| History | I&S |
|---|---|
| Philosophy | VLPA — 100
I&S — all NW — 120 |
| Journalism | VLPA — COMM 101
no AoK — all JOURN |
Reference page at community college website
Everett Community College
| History | VLPA or I&S |
|---|---|
| Philosophy | VLPA — all except 120
I&S — all except 120 NW — 120 |
| Journalism | VLPA — JOURN 150 and all Media
I&S — JOURN 150 |
Reference page at community college website
Grays Harbor College
| History | I&S |
|---|---|
| Philosophy | VLPA |
| Journalism | none — all JOURN |
Reference page at community college website
Green River Community College
| History | I&S |
|---|---|
| Philosophy | VLPA — all except 120
NW — 120 |
| Journalism | VLPA — all JOURN except 100.1, 110, 200 |
Reference page at community college website
Highline Community College
| History | I&S |
|---|---|
| Philosophy | VLPA |
| Journalism | VLPA — JRNL 100 |
Reference page at community college website
Lower Columbia Community College
| History | VLPA — 106,116
I&S — all except 106, 116 |
|---|---|
| Philosophy | VLPA — all except 120
NW — 120 |
| Journalism | no AoK — all JOUR |
Reference page at community college website
Northwest Indian College
| History | I&S |
|---|---|
| Philosophy | VLPA — all except 120 |
| Journalism | no courses offered |
Reference page at community college website
Olympic College
| History | I&S |
|---|---|
| Philosophy | VLPA — 101, 115, 185, 240
I&S — 101, 115, 120, 240 NW — 120 |
| Journalism | VLPA — all JOURN |
Reference page at community college website
Peninsula College
| History | I&S |
|---|---|
| Philosophy | VLPA |
| Journalism | VLPA — JOURN 101, 110 |
Reference page at community college website
Pierce College
| History | VLPA or I&S |
|---|---|
| Philosophy | VLPA or I&S — all except 120
NW — 120 |
| Journalism | VLPA — 101,102,103 |
Reference page at community college website
Seattle (N, S, Central) Community Colleges
| History | I&S |
|---|---|
| Philosophy | VLPA — 100, 118, 151, 160, 215, 240, 244, 267
I&S — 100, 102, 110, 111, 118, 122, 151, 160, 215, 240, 255, 267 NW — 120, 122 |
| Journalism | VLPA — JRN 100,101,102,103 |
Reference page at community college website
Shoreline Community College
| History | I&S |
|---|---|
| Philosophy | VLPA — all except 120
NW — 120 |
| Journalism | VLPA — all CMU
I&S — 203 |
Reference page at community college website
Skagit Valley College
| History | I&S |
|---|---|
| Philosophy | VLPA |
| Journalism | VLPA — Media Communication 101 |
Reference page at community college website
South Puget Sound Community College
| History | I&S |
|---|---|
| Philosophy | VLPA |
| Journalism | VLPA — MCOM 101 |
Reference page at community college website
Spokane/Spokane Falls Community Colleges
| History | I&S |
|---|---|
| Philosophy | VLPA |
| Journalism | VLPA — JOURN 110 |
Reference page at community college website
Tacoma Community College
| History | VLPA — 231
I&S — all |
|---|---|
| Philosophy | VLPA |
| Journalism | VLPA — JOUR 101, 103, 209 |
Reference page at community college website
Walla Walla Community College
| History | I&S |
|---|---|
| Philosophy | VLPA |
| Journalism | — |
Reference page at community college website
Wenatchee Valley College
| History | I&S — all except 162, 210, 230 |
|---|---|
| Philosophy | VLPA — all except 211 |
| Journalism | no AoK |
Reference page at community college website
Whatcom Community College
| History | I&S |
|---|---|
| Philosophy | VLPA — 100,110,200,295 |
| Journalism | no AoK |
Reference page at community college website
Yakima Valley Community College
| History | VLPA — 101, 102, 209, 220
I&S — all |
|---|---|
| Philosophy | VLPA — all except 120
NW — 120 |
| Journalism | VLPA — 140
I&S — 150 |
