Students can pursue a bachelor's degree by first attending a community college and then transferring to a 4-year institution.

Community/junior college students who plan to transfer to a four-year college or university should be aware of the transfer requirements that may apply in their particular cases. These requirements vary with age, ACT score, high school preparation, high school GPA, and the individual transfer college.

An articulation agreement is an understanding between two academic institutions that a course offered at one institution will be accepted for transfer credit at the partnering institution. Articulation agreements help students take appropriate courses at the community/junior college that will transfer for credit toward a bachelor's degree at the university of their choice. Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning and the Mississippi Community College Board have a statewide articulation agreement which governs the transfer of credits between Mississippi community/junior colleges and Mississippi public universities.

Students may take freshman and sophomore level transferable academic courses while at the community/junior college. Generally, one-half of the hours required for a bachelor's degree may be transferred from a community college and applied to that degree at a four-year college or university.

It is important to choose courses wisely. The transfer steps and transfer guide tool below have been created to ensure that those seeking transfer select the correct courses.

Be Prepared for Transfer

1. Meet with your community college academic advisor.
2. Consider which degree/major and university you want to transfer into; Utilize the transfer guide tool below to identify that degree/major and its required courses
3. Declare a major or pre-major (at 24 college credit hours or sooner).
4. Monitor your progress by reviewing your transcript after each semester.
5. Contact the admissions office at the transfer institution to obtain information relating to application deadlines, transfer policies, financial aid opportunities, and other available assistance.
6. Plan to meet and/or exceed the admission requirements for the university and program.
7. Complete the AA degree and prerequisite courses prior to transfer.

The articulation agreement serves as a "minimum" course transfer agreement and is not intended to replace any individual articulation agreement between a particular community/junior college and a university which would allow additional courses to transfer into a specific program of study.