College Transfer
Planning to attend another college or university after earning your degree at CCC? This page will give you information resources to help you plan your transfer.
What is a Transfer Student?
A transfer student completes coursework toward an eligible associate degree program at CCC, then transfers to attend another college or university in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree.
At CCC, the Associate in Arts and Associate in Science are the most popular college-transfer options. They are long-standing degrees designed for students who wish to complete general education coursework that is transferable towards a bachelor’s degree within specified transfer agreements. We also offer specialized college-transfer options across various other degree programs, as listed below.
Transferring from a Community College to a University in North Carolina
There are 58 community colleges in North Carolina, which make up the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS). The Associate in Arts (AA) and Associate in Science (AS) degrees at an NC community college are equivalent to the first two years of general education courses at a university. Students who go straight to a university after high school take coursework equivalent to that in AA or AS degrees at a community college.
Transfer Agreements
As a member of the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS), Cleveland Community College participates in numerous transfer agreements for college transfer programs. These agreements provide a smooth transfer of credits from NC community colleges to any of the 16 North Carolina public universities or to any of the 30 private signatory institutions across the state.
These co-admissions partnerships are guaranteed transfer admissions pathways for students participating in eligible programs.
- Wolfpack Connect – NC State University
- Aspire Appalachian – App State University
- Bear Bound – Lenoir Rhyne University
- Bulldog Bound – Gardner-Webb University
The NCCCS and the public universities in North Carolina, known as the University of North Carolina System (UNC System) have a Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA) under which community college students can transfer to any of the 17 public universities in the UNC System. The CAA is a statewide agreement designed to create a smooth transfer of community college students to public universities within the UNC System.
The Independent Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (ICAA) is an agreement between the North Carolina Community Colleges System (NCCCS) and the Signatory Institutions of the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU). The ICAA is intended to provide smooth transfer, with minimal loss of credit or repetition of work, for community college students who wish to continue their education at an NCICU Signatory Institution. Please note that not all NC independent colleges and universities participate in the ICAA. View the list of Signatory Institutions to see if the school of your choice participates in the agreement.
Participating institutions located near CCC are:
- Queens University of Charlotte (Queens Transfer page)
- Gardner-Webb University (GWU Transfer page)
- Lenoir-Rhyne University (LRU Transfer page)
- Belmont Abbey College (Belmont Abbey Transfer page)
- Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU Transfer page)
- Montreat College (MC Transfer page)
In addition to the articulation agreements with the UNC System and the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, the NCCCS also has agreements with select colleges for other associate degree programs (listed below). These are called Uniform Articulation Agreements, and CCC’s participating degrees include the following:
- Associate in Arts for Teacher Preparation (AATP)
- Associate in Science for Teacher Preparation (ASTP)
- Associate in Fine Arts (AFA) for Music
- Associate in Fine Arts (AFA) for Visual Arts
Learn more about the agreements for these degrees on the NCCCS website under College Transfer Articulation Agreements.
Cleveland Community College also has agreements with the following individual universities for the programs specified:
Appalachian State University
- Various AAS Degrees (Associate Degree Nursing, Emergency Medical Science, Medical Assisting, Medical Office Administration, Medical Sonography, Radiography, and Surgical Technology) to B.S. in Health Sciences
Catawba College
East Carolina University:
- AAS in Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Technology to Industrial Technology B.S.
- AAS in Automation Engineering Technology to Industrial Technology B.S.
- AAS in Business Administration – General to Industrial Technology B.S.
- AAS in Business Administration – Operations Management to Industrial Technology B.S.
- AAS Early Childhood Education to Birth-Kindergarten Teacher Education B.S.
- AAS in Electrical Systems Technology to Industrial Technology B.S.
- AAS in Industrial Systems Technology to Industrial Technology B.S.
- AAS in IT – Cyber Security to Industrial Technology B.S.
- AAS in IT – Network Technician to Industrial Technology B.S.
- AAS in Mission Critical Operations – Operations Tech to Industrial Technology B.S.
- AAS in Mission Critical Operations – Information Tech to Industrial Technology B.S.
Gardner-Webb University:
- Bulldog Bound: A Direct-Entry Admission Program
- AAS in Business Administration to BS in Management
- AAS in Business Administration for Operations Management to BS in Management
- AAS in Criminal Justice Technology to BS in Criminal Justice
- AAS in Criminal Justice Technology to BS in Homeland Security
- AAS in Early Childhood Education Birth-Kindergarten (Licensure or Non-Licensure) to BS in Birth to Kindergarten Education
- AAS in Early Childhood Education – General to BS in Birth to Kindergarten Education
- AAS in Early Childhood Education Non-Licensure to BS in Elementary Education
- AAS in Medical Office Administration to BS in Management
- AAS in IT Cybersecurity to BS in Cybersecurity
- AAS in IT Network Technician to BS in Cybersecurity
- AAS Nursing to BS in Nursing
- Associate Degree Nursing Bridge to Professional Advancement in Nursing (ADN to DNP)
Grand Canyon University
Lees-McRae College:
- AAS Criminal Justice Technology to BAAS in Criminal Justice
- AAS Criminal Justice Technology to BAAS in Human Services
Montreat College
- AAS in Criminal Justice Technology to Criminal Justice B.S.
NC A&T
- AAS in Applied Animal Science Technology to Agricultural Education B.S. for Agricultural Professional Service or Secondary Education
North Carolina Wesleyan College:
University of Mount Olive (UMO):
- Applied Animal Science Technology AAS to UMO Bachelor Degree programs (such as BS in Animal Science)
UNC – Greensboro:
- AAS in Early Childhood Education to BS in Elementary Education
- AAS in Early Childhood Education to BS in Early Childhood Education and Development
- AAS in Early Childhood Education to BS in Special Education
- Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) to BS in Nursing
Western Carolina University:
- AAS Early Childhood Education (Non-Licensure) to BS Birth-Kindergarten, Early Childhood Concentration
- AAS Early Childhood Education (BK Licensure) to BS Birth-Kindergarten, Professional Education Concentration
Talk to your advisor for more information on these transfer choices.
Why Is It Important To Choose A Transfer University And Major?
Many universities post four-year transfer guides (by major) on their websites. These guides list the courses students should take at the community college to complete their AA or AS degree before transferring to the university.
When choosing courses to take at the community college, students should follow the transfer guide for the major they want to pursue at the university they plan to transfer to.