April 4, 2017
CWID Data Note 8: Degree Types Awarded via Reverse Transfer
Using data from seven CWID states, the Data Note 8 examines the types of associate’s degrees awarded via reverse credit transfer. As universities and community colleges collaborate to award associate’s degrees via reverse credit transfer, it is important to know what type of associate’s degrees students are receiving.
The multi-state Credit When it’s Due (CWID) initiative supports the development and implementation of reverse credit transfer programs and policies that confer associate’s degrees to transfer students when they complete degree requirements while en route to the baccalaureate degree. Although the degrees awarded via reverse credit transfer may share the same name across states (e.g., Associate of Science), the meaning of these degrees varies. Below is an overview of some of the most common degrees in the seven states studied for Data Note 8:
- Transfer Associate’s Degrees: A transfer associate’s degree is designed for students who begin their college education at a 2-year institution and intend to transfer to a 4-year institution to complete a bachelor’s degree after earning their associate’s degree. Associate’s of Arts and Associate’s of Science degrees also fall into this category.
- Applied Associate’s Degrees: Applied associate’s degrees are designed for students who plan to enter the workforce after degree completion and are not intended to be transfer degrees.
- Other/Unreported Associate’s Degrees: Degrees other than the A.A., A.S., and A.A.S. degrees were conferred via reverse credit transfer in two of the CWID states included in this analysis.
In Data Note 8, researchers asked which of these degree types was the most common. The Associates of Arts – which is a transfer associate’s degree – was the most common. View the full data note below for more information about these results and other findings.
Credit When It’s Due (CWID) is a multi-foundation funded, multi-state initiative designed to facilitate the implementation of reverse transfer policies and processes that benefit college students who have transferred from the community college to the bachelor’s level and have not secured an associate’s degree at the time of transfer. CCRI is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to research this initiative. Learn more about the full initiative here.