For students who transfer college classes, making sure their switch fits perfect is key.

For Paul Schmidt, Registrar at Monroe County Community College, the newly-created transfer business program linked to Central Michigan University is the perfect fit for students majoring in business management.

“We’ve always had a transfer program with CMU that students follow and it makes it very easy for students to know which programs to take,” Schmidt said. “This (business) program is good because if students take the right courses we’re going to make sure they come into Central and they will all count towards their particular program.”

MCCC and CMU created the program partnership in January, which allows students who have earned an associate of applied science degree in business management, and have followed the minimum grade requirements from CMU, to be able to transfer all of their credits to CMU.

MCCC Dean of Business Paul Knollman said they are always excited to develop relationships with four-year institutions that can benefit their students.

“An articulation agreement with colleges and universities like CMU allow our students to seamlessly matriculate from their community college experience into working on a bachelor’s degree and beyond,” Knollman said.

The MCCC Business Division has had agreements with a number of colleges and universities for a number of years, he said.

“Because costs for higher education continue to increase and the need for advanced post-secondary learning becomes more evident, these articulation and transfer agreements have become more attractive to community college students,” Knollman said.

CMU is not the first school to engage in this type of program. Delta College, which is focused in the tri-county area of Bay City, Saginaw and Midland, is connected to 28 community colleges.

Angela Sinclair works in the students services area of the Registrar at Delta College office, and feels that transfer programs are beneficial for students.

“I think it is a great thing to be able to be right here in Michigan and transfer to colleges in your community,” Sinclair said. “And you can branch out in other universities and give the kids a start and we are working closer with other colleges now and trying to better prepare them so they can transfer on,” Sinclair said.

Lansing Community College offers several non-traditional transfer programs, including the Two-Plus-Two transfer programs deal with technical, business, or health science associate degrees are completed first. This is followed by transfer after a completion of the requirements at the transfer institution.

For transfer students that plan to move to another university, Schmidt said not all of their credits will transfer to those schools if they don’t follow a particular major. But that is not a waste of time or credit, he said.

“It is like an insurance policy (at MCCC), and if students follow this program, they won’t lose credits. It is called articulation agreement, and it is very beneficial,” Schmidt said.

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E-mail the author: Sherri Keaton