Community colleges in the Pittsburgh area?

[MissShona]

Originally Posted by Tallysmom

It's common for universities to not take other colleges credits, that's why you have to ask. Back when I was going to PSU all my non major credits were fine, but I did take a some sort of class at BC3 that PSU wouldn't take. It was a requisite course for my major and wouldn't transfer.

And after I left PSU 8 credits shy of a degree (Long story) I decided to go to Cal State Hayward to finish several years later. NONE of my PSU Journalism courses would transfer as requestites because my major at PSU was in the Journalism dept, but at Hayward it was in Business.... so I'd have to spend 2 years at school to get my degree in something I didn't care about to shut my mother up.

.

There is a big difference between a school "not taking your credits" and your past credits not being counted towards your degree. Especially if you have switched majors, or you are majoring in something that has outside accreditation (such as engineering, business, etc.). This can (and does) happen even if you leave and return to the same school. It has nothing to do with the community college not being "up to par".

Community colleges usually (from what I've seen in PA, GA & FL) have very good articulation agreements with the corresponding state universities where those who complete the proper AA or AS program go right into the BA or BS program with junior standing (and little, if any loss of credits).

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Tallysmom

It's common for universities to not take other colleges credits, that's why you have to ask. Back when I was going to PSU all my non major credits were fine, but I did take a some sort of class at BC3 that PSU wouldn't take. It was a requisite course for my major and wouldn't transfer.

And after I left PSU 8 credits shy of a degree (Long story) I decided to go to Cal State Hayward to finish several years later. NONE of my PSU Journalism courses would transfer as requestites because my major at PSU was in the Journalism dept, but at Hayward it was in Business.... so I'd have to spend 2 years at school to get my degree in something I didn't care about to shut my mother up.

So I went the PSU route and took a couple of simple marketing classes that did transfer to PSU (had to have written approval from the Dean at PSU) and got my degree in Advertising from PSU while I lived in California.

My sister decided a few years ago to go back to school for nursing, and for her it was not just community college credits it was time. She went to BC3 and took some classes in the 1970's, and some of it did transfer, but a lot didn't. She got conditional credit for a few math classes she had taken, on the condition that she get a better than passing grade in the higher up maths she had to take. If she got "B"s it clearly demonstrated that she had retained the building block math underneath it.

Most nursing schools require the science credits to have been earned within the past 5 years.

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by MissShona

There is a big difference between a school "not taking your credits" and your past credits not being counted towards your degree. Especially if you have switched majors, or you are majoring in something that has outside accreditation (such as engineering, business, etc.). This can (and does) happen even if you leave and return to the same school. It has nothing to do with the community college not being "up to par".

Community colleges usually (from what I've seen in PA, GA & FL) have very good articulation agreements with the corresponding state universities where those who complete the proper AA or AS program go right into the BA or BS program with junior standing (and little, if any loss of credits).

If the schools do have agreements, yes -- but not all junior colleges out here in California DO have those agreements, and unless you ask -- THEY don't tell you.

And when I was in community college back east (granted that was 30 years ago) some of the credits DIDN'T transfer at all -- math and science particularly. Maybe that's changed -- but in these matters one should be better safe than sorry...

[rickynk]

Originally Posted by raynist

If you plan on transferring to a major university you want to be sure that the credits you are taking at CCAC transfer. I lost some transferring to the Univerisity of Pittsburgh.

Also, keep in mind you will probably be paying out of state tuition if you enroll as soon as you move. I am not sure what their qualifications are for an in state student.

We just moved from Westmoreland County to Allegheny County. RMU accepts 30 of the 31 credits my son accululated at WCCC and gave us a list of what he could take at CCAC which would be accepted.

Pretty sweet deal so far.