Degree Articulation Process
Articulation Agreements are partnerships between a community college and a university. These partnerships are created to help students transfer into specific programs or degrees and bring a block of credit which may have not been transferable otherwise.
The curriculum from the community college is compared to the curriculum for the program at EWU to look for similarities and course equivalencies.
Identify Goals
- Identify the needs and goals of your idea.
- How does does your idea support the mission of the University? What is the size and scope of the population you hope to serve?
- How will this help transfer students?
- Are you interested in creating a pathway using coursework that is already transferable? — then maybe consider a transfer map
- Are you interested in creating new equivalencies? —Fantastic! No articulation agreement needed!
- Are you interested in creating a pathway or equivalencies using coursework that is normally non-transferrable? –then an articulation agreement is the right way to go!
Pathway – Creating a Transfer Map
- Reach out to Credit Evaluation Manager at jfournier3@ewu.edu to begin the process and obtain template.
New Equivalencies
- Reach out to Credit Evaluation Manager at jfournier3@ewu.ewu to begin process.
- Identify transfer institution
- Identify specific courses
Articulation Agreement Creation
- Identify the community college you’re interested in partnering with and meet with the community college contact (usually the department chair of the program).
- Is the community college program a good match for EWU’s programs?
- How does the transfer program compare with EWU’s program?
- What courses are similar and could be equivalents?
- What course work could be accepted as transferrable because it is applicable to the EWU’s degree program?
- What is the ideal path you would hope a student to take from beginning community college to graduating from EWU?
- Connect with the Credit Evaluation Manger to draft an articulation agreement using a supplied template.
- With your contact, identify the courses that must be completed at the community college.
– Pay special attention to equivalencies that can fulfill GECRs or graduation requirements. - Create course equivalencies and substitutions between EWU major courses and prerequisites where appropriate.
- Identify the location courses will be offered (Cheney, Riverpoint, online?).
- Finalize an articulation agreement draft.
- Finalize the articulation agreement collaboratively with the community college contact and the community college relations officer.
- Secure EWU department/program and school/college signatures. (The provost does not sign at this time, but will sign later as part of official approval).
- Initiate the community college’s signature process with your contact. They will forward the signed document to the community college’s relations officer who will seek final approval from their senior administration.
- EWU’s Provost’s office will then sign the original agreement and submit it to the EWU Transfer Center. The Transfer Center will distribute copies of the agreement to the community college President, the community college Relations Officer, and to your department.
Elements of a Template
- Title:
a. Identify Degree/Program to Degree/Program Transfer. - Terms:
a. Define shared advising responsibilities.
b. List materials developed jointly.
c. Announce the start date for the agreement.
d. Disclose the location courses will be offered (Cheney, Riverpoint, online?). - Maintenance
a. Write down the year and month that the first agreement maintenance will take place on. This will be exactly five years from the start date.
b. Indicate termination date of agreement. - Provisos
a. Explain what is the deal that students are getting?
b. List the conditions for credit transfer.
i. Specify what associate’s and bachelor’s degrees will be awarded.
ii. Explain what requirements must be complete to be awarded both degrees.
iii. List what courses in the agreement will fulfill the requirements for the degrees.
c. State that a student will still need to apply to EWU in addition to the community college.
d. Mention degree requirements for the bachelor’s degree that will remain after completing the associate’s degree. - Coursework at the Community College.
a. Create a table listing courses titles, codes, and credits at the Community College to complete the associate’s degree specified. - Coursework at Eastern Washington University.
a. Create a table listing courses titles, codes, and credits at Eastern Washington University to complete the bachelor’s degree specified. - Substitutions and Equivalencies
a. List side-by-side course codes from the Community College with EWU that will be treated as equivalent. - Curriculum Plan
a. Outline a 4-year sample path to degree that will include credit totals per quarter and overall. - Signatures Page
Need help with Articulation Agreements?
Take an AP class in high school?
Visit the prior learning credit section of the catalog
Applying as a transfer student?
Start the application process now!
