North Carolina Community College Systems – University of North Carolina Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA)

Transfer Assured Admissions Policy (TAAP)

The TAAP assures admission to one of the 16 UNC System Institutions under the following conditions:

• Admission is not assured to a specific campus, program, or major.
• Students must have graduated from a North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) institution with an Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree.
• Students must meet all requirements of the CAA.
• Students must have an overall grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale, as calculated by the college from which they graduated.
• Students must be academically eligible for re-admission to the last institution attended.
• Students must meet judicial requirements of the institution to which they apply.
• Students must meet all application requirements at the receiving institution, including the submission of all required documentation by stated deadlines.

If a student is denied admission to a UNC System institution, the College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC) website is a helpful resource for students to find information about the admissions requirements of other UNC System institutions. It is the student’s responsibility to contact these other institutions' admissions office to receive specific information about admissions and available majors at those other institutions.

Transfer of Credits

The CAA establishes the procedures governing the transfer of credits for students who transfer from a NCCCS institution to a UNC System institution. 

Agreement Benefits

Students who graduate from a NCCCS institution with an AA or AS degree and have an overall GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale are guaranteed the following benefits: 

• Admission to a UNC System institution as outlined above in the Transfer Assured Admissions Policy section. 
• Fulfillment of the UNC System’s Minimum Eligibility Requirements (MER) and Minimum Course Requirements (MCR). 
• A General Education Waiver at any UNC System institution to which a student is admitted.
• Transfer credit for all courses (regardless of delivery method) originating at the NCCCS institution (completed with a “C-“ or higher) found on the CAA Transfer Course List used in earning the AA or AS degree. 
• Fulfillment of the Foundations of American Democracy course, as defined in the UNC Policy Manual 400.1.5 and 400.1.5 [R].

Students who do not complete the AA or AS degree prior to transferring are not guaranteed the same benefits of the CAA; however, they shall receive transfer credit for all courses found on the CAA Transfer Course List completed with a grade of “C-” or higher.

Explanation of Agreement Benefits 

The CAA guarantees graduates from a NCCCS institution with an AA or AS degree to receive a General Education Waiver at the UNC System to which they are admitted. The number of credits awarded at the UNC System institution will vary depending on: 

• Whether the coursework used to complete the associate degree was completed with a grade of C- or higher at the NCCCS institution.
• Whether the receiving university accepts credit by exam (AP, IB, CLEP, etc.) in the same manner as the NCCCS institution.
• Whether any other previously completed college coursework accepted by the NCCCS institution is transferable in the same manner to the UNC System institution. 

Under the provisions of the CAA, credit-by-exam course credits are acceptable as part of a student's successfully completed AA or AS degree. It is suggested that universities award equivalent course credit that aligns with the NCCCS institution’s course awarded for credit-by-exam course credits, as if the course credit had been earned through regular study at the community college. However, universities can determine course equivalencies for AP credit and other credits by exam based on their institutional policies as stated in UNC System Policy (700.10.1). 

UNC System institutions have institutional equivalency policies for accepting credit by exam and other university/college credits and therefore may award credit for these differently than NCCCS institutions. Students are responsible for reviewing university policy to understand how credit by exam and any previously earned college credit is accepted by a UNC System institution. 

A student who completes the AA or AS degree prior to transfer to a UNC System institution will receive a General Education Waiver at the receiving UNC System institution, regardless of total credits transferred (e.g., less than 60) or how the community college applied any previously earned credit (e.g., AP or CLEP exams, previous college/university coursework, etc.) toward associate degree completion. This General Education Waiver exempts a student from any requirement specified as part of the General Education curriculum outlined in the UNC System institution’s Undergraduate Catalog but does not exempt a student from any major-specific or institutional graduation requirements.

Additional Parameters 

• Admission to university major programs may require additional courses not available at the community college. Time to earn a baccalaureate degree may be impacted for students entering such programs, and students should plan accordingly. 
• A UNC System institution cannot place requirements on students transferring under the CAA that are not required of students that begin their higher education journeys at the university.
• Each UNC System institution will establish and publish an institutional policy/guideline outlining whether a student who receives an AA or AS degree through reverse transfer will have fulfilled the UNC System institution’s general education requirements. 
• CAA courses in which the student received less than a “C-“ will not negate the provisions of the CAA; however, individual course credit will not be awarded at UNC System institutions for NCCCS courses completed with a grade less than C-.

Associate Degree Structure

The AA and AS degree programs in the NCCCS require a total of 60 or 61 semester hours of credit for graduation (see Appendix E) and are transferable to any UNC System institution. The AA and AS degree requirements are in alignment with baccalaureate degree curricula across UNC System institutions. The AA and AS degree programs represent the fundamental foundation for general education 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, AA and AS degree earners will obtain competence in reading, writing, oral communication, fundamental mathematical skills, and basic computer use. 

The AA and AS degree programs of study are structured to include two components: 

• Universal General Education Transfer Component (UGETC) courses: NCCCS courses that constitute a minimum of 30 semester hours within the AA and AS degree programs and that award one-to-one equivalency credit toward general education requirements at any UNC System institution, and 

• Additional general education, pre-major, and elective courses: NCCCS courses that prepare students for successful transfer into selected majors at UNC System institutions that will bring the total number of hours in the degree programs to 60-61 semester hours. These courses will transfer with one-to-one equivalency if an equivalent course is offered at UNC System institutions; otherwise, elective transfer credit will be awarded. 

To ensure maximum transferability of credits, students should identify intended transfer major(s) and institution(s) as soon as possible and no later than the end of the first semester at the community college. Students should follow the Transfer Guide(s) (see section V.A.5) in an effort to select the most meaningful general education, pre-major, and elective courses recommended by the student’s intended major(s) and transfer institution(s). 

Students will receive instruction, guidance, and assistance in making these selections when enrolled in the NCCCS course ACA 122 – Transfer & Career Success. ACA 122 is a required course within both the AA and AS degree programs. To promote effective and efficient transfer, NCCCS institutions should enroll AA and AS degree students in ACA 122 during their first semester of enrollment. 

Each UNC System institution will identify NCCCS course equivalences and publicize an equivalency course crosswalk to ensure transfer of credit uniformity and transparency.

Transfer Guides

To help students select transferable and applicable coursework while pursuing an associate degree, each UNC System institution will develop, publish, and maintain Transfer Guides. Transfer Guides are academic guides for NCCCS students to identify applicable NCCCS courses that lead to associate degree completion and that align with their intended university and major. Transfer Guides are designed to prepare students for admission into their intended major and 7 baccalaureate degree completion at a receiving university. Transfer Guides are updated by universities annually and community colleges are expected to ensure students are accessing and following the most updated Transfer Guide each academic year. If NCCCS course recommendations on a Transfer Guide change during a student’s time at the community college, the student should contact the university for more information. For AA and AS degree completers, universities will honor NCCCS course recommendations published on Transfer Guides for up to 4 academic years, if the student has been continuously enrolled since the Transfer Guide was published. Students who complete the AA or AS degree and follow the Transfer Guides published by a UNC System institution will have met the university’s General Education requirements upon transferring and will receive NCCCS course transfer credit/have transfer credit applied toward university degree programs as outlined on the Transfer Guide. See UNC System Policy 400.1.5.3 [R] (Regulation to Foster Undergraduate Transfer Student Success) for more information.

Impact of the CAA on Other Articulation Agreements

The CAA takes precedence over uniform and bilateral articulation agreements established between constituent institutions of the NCCCS and the UNC 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 NCCCS institutions to UNC System institutions are encouraged. Institutional and uniform articulation agreements conflicting with the CAA are not permitted.

Transfer Credit Appeal

If a transfer student believes the terms of the CAA have not been honored, they may follow the Transfer Credit Appeal Procedure via the Transfer Student and Credit Appeals Portal as outlined in Appendix D of the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement. Each NCCCS and UNC System institution will provide a link to the Transfer Student and Credit Appeals Portal on its website.