Arts and Sciences

Print this Page

College Transfer Programs

Lenoir Community College offers five college transfer programs. These programs include two years of courses paralleling the freshman and sophomore years at most senior colleges and universities.

Students desiring to pursue an academic transfer program at Lenoir Community College will, through guidance and program advisement, enroll in courses in which they have an interest. By maintaining a 2.0 GPA and completing two years of a planned program of study, students will be able to transfer as juniors to most senior institutions without loss of creditor time. See the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement between the North Carolina Community College System and the University of North Carolina System in this section for further information.

Students who successfully complete a college transfer program are awarded one of five degrees by Lenoir Community College: the Associate in Arts degree, the Associate in Engineering degree, the Associate in Science degree, the Associate in Fine Arts Music degree, or the Associate in Fine Arts Visual Arts degree.

State Employees Credit Union Partnership East Consortium for Education Majors

East Carolina University College of Education with the support of State Employees Credit Union has established consortium partnerships with community colleges and public schools within the university’s service region. The State Employees Credit Union Partnership East South Central Consortium makes it possible for students throughout eastern North Carolina to obtain a four-year degree in Elementary or Special Education from East Carolina University without traveling to the main campus.

Students graduate with a four-year degree from East Carolina University by completing the first two years of the program at Lenoir Community College followed by taking East Carolina University courses online or through face-to-face instruction at the consortium hub site. For more information, please contact the Dean of Arts and Sciences.

Foreign Language Electives for Transfer Degrees

Students who graduate from LCC and who plan to transfer to many of the 17 UNC constituent institutions must have two units of a language other than English. These must be two units of the same second language (e.g. Spanish I and Spanish II). If these units have not been completed in high school, students will need to complete six (6) semester hours of the same language other than English at LCC or another institution of higher learning before being admitted to the UNC system. Students whose high school class graduated before 1990, students who are at least 24 years of age, and students already fluent in a second language or in American Sign Language may have these requirements waived by the UNC system. Students who plan to transfer should check the requirements of the receiving institution to determine if an intermediate sequence of a foreign language will be required for a particular major.

Associate in Arts Programs

The Associate in Arts Program is the first two years of the basic program of most four-year colleges and universities. The program is designed to give students a broad exposure to communications, humanities, sciences, and social sciences.

Transfer Student Responsibility

Courses should be selected on the basis of the recommended course of study of the senior institution (four-year college or university) to which the student intends to transfer. Students should review the online catalogs and transfer equivalencies from transfer institutions and work carefully with advisors in designing programs of study. If a senior institution requires additional courses which are not offered at LCC, students should consult with the Dean of Arts and Sciences (general studies/transfer programs) early in their programs of study.

The college staff cooperates with each student in planning a transfer program. However, it is the responsibility of the student to determine what courses and credits transfer to the receiving institution. The acceptance of courses taken at Lenoir Community College is determined solely by the institution to which the student transfers.

Lenoir Community College students have little difficulty in completing their transfer satisfactorily if they follow these steps:

1. Decide early which senior institution to attend. Contact the institution for recommendations concerning appropriate courses.
2. Review online catalog and transfer equivalencies for the prospective institution and study its admissions requirements.
3. Confer with Lenoir Community College academic advisors about transfer plans.
4. Check carefully at least two semesters prior to transferring to be sure that all necessary requirements are being met and all necessary steps have been taken.

Changes in the student’s major field of study or in the choice of senior institution may delay transfer. Such changes should be made only after careful study and consultation with a counselor or advisor.

College Transfer Degree Requirements

General Requirements for graduation for the Associate in Arts, Associate in Fine Arts, and Associate in Science degrees are as follows:

1. To qualify for a degree, specific course requirements must be met. However, when a student can demonstrate that specific requirements at a senior institution are in conflict with the associate degree requirements at Lenoir Community College, substitutions may be recommended by the Dean of Arts and Sciences.
2. All College financial obligations must be met.
3. A minimum of 60-61 semester hours with a program grade point average of at least 2.00 is required. Grade point average is computed as outlined in the Academic Regulations. Required courses and electives must be completed in accordance with the programs as listed in the catalog.
4. A minimum of 25% of the credit hours required for completion of a degree must be earned at Lenoir Community College.
5. Application for graduation must be made in accordance with the dates listed in the college catalog.

Transfer Course List Effective Fall 2014

Transfer Course List  

Comprehensive Articulation Agreement Between the North Carolina Community College System and the University of North Carolina System

The Comprehensive Articulation Agreement between The University of North Carolina and the North Carolina Community College System rests upon several assumptions common to successful statewide comprehensive articulation agreements. The primary assumption is that institutions recognize the professional integrity of other public post-secondary institutions that are regionally accredited for college transfer programs. All courses designated as approved for college transfer under this agreement will be taught by faculty who meet Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) credential requirements. Another assumption is that substantial commonality exists in the lower-division general education requirements and courses currently offered at all universities and community colleges for the purpose of transfer.

The general education courses and pre-major courses offered at the institutions that comprise The University of North Carolina and the North Carolina Community College System are similar in intended outcomes and competencies, and so, transferable between institutions. The general education requirements of the receiving institutions remain in effect for all students not participating in this comprehensive articulation agreement; any upper-division general education requirements and graduation requirements remain unaffected by this agreement. Institution-wide, lower-division general education requirements serve as the starting point for determining specific general education courses in each baccalaureate major. The specific lower-level courses required for each major are the subject of the pre-majors developed by joint discipline committees.

1. Transfer of Credits
   The CAA establishes the procedures governing the transfer of credits for students who transfer from a North Carolina Community College to a constituent institution of The University of North Carolina. The CAA does not address admission to a specific institution or to a specific major within an institution.
   1. Eligibility
      To be eligible for the transfer of credits under the CAA, the student must graduate from the community college with an Associate in Arts (AA) or Associate in Science (AS) degree and have an overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale and a grade of “C” or better in all CAA courses. Students who do not complete the degree are eligible to transfer credits on a course-by course basis.
   2. Definition of General Education Courses and Pre-major Courses
      The Associate in Arts (AA) and Associate in Science (AS) degree programs in the North Carolina Community College System require a total of sixty or sixty-one semester hours credit for graduation (see Appendix F) and are transferable to any UNC institution. The overall total is comprised of both lower-division general education and pre-major courses. This curriculum reflects the distribution of discipline areas commonly included in institution-wide, lower-division general education requirements for the baccalaureate degree.
      
      The Associate in Arts (AA) and Associate in Science (AS) degree programs include general education requirements that represent the fundamental foundation for success and include study in the areas of English composition, communications, humanities and fine arts, natural sciences and mathematics, and social and behavioral sciences. Within these discipline areas, community colleges must include opportunities for the achievement of competence in reading, writing, oral communication, fundamental mathematical skills, and basic computer use. Students must meet the receiving university’s foreign language and/or health and physical education requirements, if applicable, prior to or after transfer to the senior institution.
      
      The AA, AE, and AS degree programs of study are structured to include two components:
      
      Universal General Education Transfer Component comprises a minimum of 30 semester hours of credit, and Additional general education, pre-major, and elective courses that prepare students for successful transfer into selected majors at UNC institutions and bring the total number of hours in the degree programs to 60-61 semester hours.
      
      To ensure maximum transferability of credits, students should select a transfer major and preferred transfer university before completing 30 semester hours of credit.
      
      Additional general education, pre-major, and elective courses should be selected based on a student’s intended major and transfer institution. Each receiving institution will identify community college course equivalencies and publicize an equivalency course crosswalk to ensure transfer of credit uniformity and transparency.
      
      The specific number and distribution of courses used to fulfill the requirement in each of these areas will be identified by each community college as meeting its own general education requirements. The Universal General Education Transfer Component and Other Required General Education courses will be drawn from those courses designated in the North Carolina Community College Combined Course Library as being transferable general education. This will preserve the autonomy of each community college to develop its own general education program, including those aspects that make its program unique. Students are directed to the pre-majors for specifics regarding courses and distribution.
   3. Transfer of Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degree programs
      1. The CAA enables North Carolina community college graduates of two-year Associate in Arts (AA) and Associate in Science (AS) degree programs who are admitted to constituent institutions of The University of North Carolina to transfer with junior status.
      2. Universities cannot place requirements on students transferring under the CAA that are not required of their native students.
      3. A student who completes the Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree prior to transfer to a UNC institution will have fulfilled the UNC institution’s lower-division general education requirements.
      4. Due to degree requirements in some majors, additional courses at the UNC institution may be required beyond the general education courses and pre-major courses taken at the community college.
      5. Community college graduates of the Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree programs who have earned 60 semester hours in approved transfer courses with a grade of “C” or better and an overall GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale will receive at least 60 semester hours of academic credit upon admission to a UNC institution.
      6. Requirements for admission to some major programs may require additional pre-specialty courses beyond the pre-major taken at the community college. Students entering such programs may need more than two academic years of course work to complete the baccalaureate degree, depending on requirements of the program.
      7. All courses approved for transfer in the CAA are designated as fulfilling general education or pre-major/elective requirements (see Appendix G). While general education and pre-major courses may also be used as electives, elective courses may not be used to fulfill general education requirements.
      8. CAA courses taken beyond the 60-61 SHC of credit in which the student received less than a “C” will not negate the provisions of the CAA.
   4. UNC Minimum Admission Requirements (MAR) and Minimum Course Requirements (MCR)
      1. A student who completes the Associate in Arts or the Associate in Science degree will satisfy UNC’s minimum admission requirements (MAR) and minimum course requirements (MCR).
      2. A transfer student will also be considered to have satisfied (MAR) and (MCR) if he or she has:
         1. received the Associate in Arts, the Associate in Science, the baccalaureate, or any higher degree, or
         2. completed at least six (6) semester hours in degree-credit in each of the following subjects: English, mathematics, the natural sciences, and social/behavioral sciences, and (for students who graduate from high school in 2003-04 and beyond) a second language.
   5. Students not completing the Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degrees A North Carolina community college student who satisfactorily completes, with a grade of “C” or better, courses identified in the Universal General Education Transfer Component will receive credit applied toward the university’s lower-division general education course requirements, subject to the following distribution limit: maximum of 6 hours in English Composition, 9 hours in Humanities/Fine Arts/Communications, 9 hours in Social/Behavioral Sciences, 8 hours in Mathematics, and 8 hours in the Natural Sciences.
      
      A North Carolina community college student who satisfactorily completes a transfer course that is not designated as a Universal General Education Transfer Component course will receive transfer credit for the course. The receiving institution will determine whether the course will count as general education, pre-major, or elective credit.
   6. Certification of Universal General Education Transfer Component Courses, Associate in Arts Degree, or Associate in Science Degree Completion Certification of completion of the Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree is the responsibility of the community college at which the courses are successfully completed. Transcript identification of Universal General Education Transfer Component courses is also the responsibility of the community college at which the courses are completed. The transcripts of students who transfer before completing the degree will be evaluated on a course-by-course basis by the receiving university. The transferring student who has not completed the degree must meet the receiving institution’s general education requirements.
   7. Four-Year Degree Plan for Community College Transfer Students Beyond the Universal General Education Transfer Component courses, a program of study leading to the associate degree contains courses related to a student’s major or program emphasis. Pre-major course tracks prepare students to succeed in their chosen field and provide students with clear pathways to completion. Each UNC institution will develop, publish, and maintain four-year degree plans identifying community college courses that provide pathways leading to associate degree completion, admission into the major, and baccalaureate completion. Students who complete the AA or AS degree and the degree plan tracks published by a UNC institution, and who are accepted into that institution and into that major within four years of initial enrollment at the community college, will continue into that major at the UNC institution with all courses fulfilling lower division general education and other degree requirements.
   8. Transfer of courses taken in other associate degree programs Upon admission to another public two-year institution or to a public university, a community college student who was enrolled in an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) or Associate in Fine Arts (AFA) degree program and who satisfactorily completed the courses with a grade of “C” or better in all courses that are designated for college transfer (see Appendix G, CAA Transfer Course List) will receive credit for those courses. AAS or AFA students completing courses designated Universal General Education Transfer Component will receive equivalent general education course credit for those courses at the receiving institution. For courses not designated as Universal General Education Transfer Component, the receiving institution will determine whether the course will count as general education or pre-major/elective credit. Students in these programs who transfer must meet the general education requirements of the receiving institution. Articulation of Associate in Fine Arts or Associate in Applied Science degree programs may be handled on a bilateral articulation agreement basis rather than on a state-wide basis. Under bilateral agreements, individual universities and one or more community colleges may join in a collaborative effort to facilitate the transfer of students from AFA or AAS degree programs to baccalaureate degree programs. The TAC encourages the development of new bi-lateral articulation agreements among institutions; However, TAC will not maintain a current inventory of bilateral articulation agreements for AAS degree programs.
   9. Transfer courses that do not originate at a North Carolina community college or UNC institution may be used under the CAA with the following stipulations:
      1. Courses must be completed at a regionally accredited (e.g., SACS) institution of higher education;
      2. Courses must meet general education requirements; and
      3. Courses may total no more than 14 semester hours of general education course credit.
      4. For courses not originating at a NC community college, if the courses are used to complete the AA or AS, the courses will transfer as part of the degree. Otherwise, if 14 hours or less are presented without completion of the AA or AS, then the receiving institution will consider the courses on a course-by-course basis.
   10. Transfer of Advanced Placement (AP) course credit
       Advanced Placement (AP) course credits, awarded for a score of three or higher, are acceptable as part of a student’s successfully completed Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree under the CAA. Students who receive AP course credit at a community college but do not complete the Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree will have AP credit awarded on the basis of the receiving institution’s AP policy.
2. Impact of the CAA on other articulation agreements
   The CAA takes precedence over bilateral articulation agreements established between constituent institutions of the University of North Carolina and the North Carolina Community College System but does not necessarily preclude such agreements. Institution-to-institution articulation agreements that fall within the parameters of the CAA and enhance transferability of students from community colleges to senior institutions are encouraged. Institutional articulation agreements conflicting with the CAA are not permitted.
3. Compliance Procedures
   The Transfer Advisory Committee (TAC) is charged with ensuring compliance of institutional policies and practices regarding the CAA. To that end, a TAC Review Team comprised of one UNC representative and one community college representative will survey and review the institutional transfer credit policies and procedures of two UNC institutions per quarter. The TAC will report the findings to UNC-General Administration and the North Carolina Community College System Office.
4. Students enrolled prior to Fall Semester 2014
   Students officially enrolled in an AA or AS program at a North Carolina community college prior to Fall Semester 2014 are subject to the conditions and protections contained in the CAA in place at the time of their initial enrollment as long as they have remained continuously enrolled. Comprehensive Articulation Agreement Transfer Credit Appeal Procedure University of North Carolina/North Carolina Community College System Guiding Principle: If a student from a North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) college believes the terms of the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA) have not been honored by a University of North Carolina (UNC) institution to which the student has been admitted, the student may invoke the CAA Transfer Credit Appeal Procedure.

For additional articulation agreement information, please refer to https://www.nccommunitycolleges.edu/academic-programs-college-transferarticulation-agreements.

CAA Transfer Credit Appeal Procedure

Step 1:

• By the last day of classes of the first semester for which admission is offered, the student must submit a CAA Transfer Credit Appeal Form along with any supporting documentation to the director of admission at the UNC campus to which the student has been admitted. Students first enrolling at the senior institution in a summer session must submit their appeal by the end of the subsequent fall semester.
• The student must specify on the appeal form the specific CAA language that is in contention. Appeals that lack this information will not be considered.
• The Director of Admission will review the appeal and respond in writing (email or letter) to the student within 15 business days.

Step 2:

• If the student is not satisfied with the decision of the Director of Admission, he/she may appeal on the same form to the Chief Academic Officer (Provost) of the University within 15 days of written notice of the director’s decision.
• The Provost will review the appeal and respond in writing (email or letter) to the student within 15 business days of receiving the student’s appeal.

Step 3:

• If the student is not satisfied with the decision of the Provost, he/she may appeal to the Transfer Advisory Committee (TAC) subcommittee, composed of the Co-chairs, a representative from the UNC General Administration, and a representative from the NCCCS. The student must submit the appeal to the subcommittee within 15 days of the receipt of the Provost’s decision. The appeal to the TAC subcommittee should be sent to: UNC-GA Transfer Advisory Committee Member CAA Appeal, PO Box 2688, Chapel Hill, NC 27515.

If a consensus is reached by the subcommittee, the student will be notified within 15 business days; if a consensus resolution is not reached, the appeal will be forwarded by the subcommittee to the full TAC within 10 business days. The TAC will review the appeal and notify the student of the final decision within 10 business days of receiving the appeal.