Transfer Advising Resources
Many Madisonville Community College students decide to further their education by transferring to a four-year, or baccalaureate, institution. The Career and Academic Planning (CAP) Center has catalogs and application materials for all Kentucky colleges and several out-of-state schools. CAP counselors will be glad to work with you to plan a smooth transfer. You may also find the transfer student handbook 
to be a valuable resource.
Below are some frequently asked questions regarding the transfer process.
- What are my options for transferring to a four-year college?
- How do I choose a college and program of study?
- Can I get a four-year degree in Madisonville?
- What are my options for earning a four-year degree online?
- Are there scholarships specifically for transfer students?
- What are the steps in transferring to a four-year college?
What are my options for transferring to a four-year college?
The General Education Transfer Agreement, 2 + 2 agreements, Course Applicability System, and university-specific transfer guides represent the four possible ways to transfer successfully into a four-year college or university program. With so many good options to transfer students with, it is sometimes confusing finding the best option. The following information can be helpful in making the right choice.
General Education Transfer Agreement (GETA)
GETA is just another term for an Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree. The AA or AS degrees are guaranteed to transfer 48 credit hours to any public Kentucky college and are accepted by several private and out-of-state colleges as well. These degrees are a good choice for students who know they want to transfer to a four-year institution, but do not know exactly which school.
Learn more about these degrees and how they can help you transfer successfully. (18 K)
Transfer Guides for Regional Universities
University-specific transfer guides are best used with students who know the school they are transferring to. These students will be best served by using the transfer guide materials for their school and major. Most transfer guides list only the university’s general education program and others only list a course-to-course transfer matrix.
View transfer guides from regional universities. (76 K)
Western Kentucky University’s Owensboro Regional campus offers several bachelor’s degrees including business administration, communication disorders, computer information technology, elementary and middle school education, environmental science, health sciences, history, nursing, psychology, technology management. View guides
2 + 2 Agreements
Several universities have made agreements with KCTCS to accept specific associate degrees into their baccalaureate programs for seamless transfer. These agreements are helpful to students who know the school and major into which they will transfer.
View the list of 2 + 2 agreements here. While viewing the list, scroll to the right to see the links to each individual agreement.
Course Applicability System (CAS)
CAS is an online advising system that assists students and faculty advisors in planning for transfer. The Kentucky portion of CAS is part of a nation-wide network supported by CAS. Currently, the five Kentucky institutions participating include Eastern Kentucky University, Bluegrass Community and Technical College, Morehead State University, Murray State University and University of Kentucky. The CAS system allows students to manually enter their coursework and grades into a password-protected account which can be updated as needed. From there, students can indicate which baccalaureate institution and major to which they want to transfer. The system then compiles a degree audit on the coursework, producing a report indicating which requirements are met and which are left to be taken. Since the student’s coursework is saved in his or her account, he or she can request numerous degree audits quickly and easily.
Learn more about the Course Applicability System (CAS). (25 K)
Choosing a College and Program
Most four-year colleges and universities have put their catalogs on the Web. The catalog lists every degree program that the school has along with all courses required and any special admission requirements as well. Even if you use a transfer guide, you must also use a catalog, or you might miss important information.
View a list of colleges in the state of Kentucky and nearby out-of-state colleges. (52 K) For a list of catalogs at all colleges nationwide, please see http://www.collegesource.com.
Can I get a four-year degree in Madisonville?
Murray State University has their regional office here on the North campus, third floor John H. Gray building. They offer the junior and senior years of the following program right here in Madisonville: business administration, elementary education (75 K), health care administration, independent studies, interdisciplinary early childhood education (71 K), middle school education (78 K), nursing, social work, and special education (70 K). Contact a CAP Center counselor or the Murray State University Madisonville Regional office at 270-825-4379.
Mid-Continent University offers the completion of the Bachelor of Arts in Business Management (22 K) in Madisonville. This college also has a regional office located at Madisonville Community College North campus, first floor John H. Gray building. Students can complete this program in 18 months, attending classes one night per week.
What are my options for earning a four-year degree online?
For some students, having to move off to another city to attend a four-year college or university is just not an option. Work, family obligation, children and other reasons make a physical move impossible. Just a few years ago, those students would have been stuck at a permanent roadblock! But now, students can complete the last two years of several different bachelors degrees entirely online. All four-year schools in Kentucky offering a bachelors degree online are listed on KYVC.
A partnership with Regis University provides for students who earn an associate of arts or an associate of science degree from KCTCS to transfer to a bachelor’s degree program at Regis University with junior class standing, and between 60 – 90 academic credits toward the bachelor’s degree. All of the bachelor’s programs offered by Regis in the agreement can be completed online, including accounting, business administration, communication, computer information systems, computer networking, computer science, finance, marketing, and public administration.
Instructions for viewing available bachelor's degrees from KYVC
- Access http://www.kyvc.org/learning/AllPrograms.asp
- Select "Type" in the purple header at the top of the list to view all bachelors’ degrees together.
- Select the degree program you are interested in for more information.
Indiana Wesleyan University also offers online bachelors degrees in accounting, business administration, business information systems, management, criminal justice and nursing. These programs are delivered one course every five weeks over about an 18 month period. Registration into each course is automatic. Every five weeks you will be automatically registered for your next course, with textbooks being mailed to you automatically as well. Stop by the CAP Center to discuss this option further with a CAP Center counselor.
In addition, Strayer University offers online bachelors degrees in accounting, computer information systems, computer networking, database technology, economics, international business and internetworking technology.
Are there scholarships specifically for transfer students?
The following schools offer scholarships specifically for transfer students. Other colleges may offer scholarships that transfer students may apply for as well, so do not hesitate to contact any college and inquire about scholarship opportunities.
What are the steps in transferring to a four-year college?
Transferring to a four-year school can seem like a mysterious process, but it’s really quite simple. It actually mirrors the process you went through when you applied to Madisonville Community College.
Choosing a School
Take a day to go and visit the school(s) you are interested in. You will get the most service and best experience if you will call ahead the to admissions office a couple of weeks in advance to set up your day on campus.
- Take a copy of your transcripts and anything else you think may be helpful
- Ask for a campus tour
- Ask for parking directions and a visitor’s parking pass
- Ask to visit with an admissions counselor
- Ask to speak with a financial aid counselor (don’t forget to ask about scholarship opportunities!)
- Ask to speak with an advisor in your area of interest (make sure you get all program specific info you need)
- Ask to attend a class in your major
- Ask to view the dorms that you might be assigned to
- If it’s on a weekend, ask if they can provide you with tickets to a ballgame
- Ask about discount rates for local hotels if you have to spend the night
Apply for Admission
Contact the school you want to transfer to for specific requirements for admission. Most schools require the following:
- Admission application for that school
- Transcripts from all colleges attended (including MCC). These must be official transcripts, meaning they are sent directly from school to school, not going through you.
- ACT scores if transferring with less than 24 credit hours (excluding developmental work).
- High school transcripts only if transferring with less than 24 credit hours.
- Any other materials required for selective admission programs.
Schools have different deadlines for application, so contact your school for the correct deadline.
After you have applied, you will receive a letter of acceptance which will tell you when to come to campus to register. Usually, there will be an orientation day on which you will learn about the campus, meet with an advisor in your major who will help you plan your schedule and actually register. You will receive a copy of your transcript evaluation (credit that school will award you based on your work here at MCC or any other colleges) during the advising conference as well.
Apply for Housing
Even if you are planning to live off-campus, you are encouraged to apply for housing. You never know if your plan will fall through, and you do not want to be without housing when school starts.
Schools offer single, family and single parent housing options. Each school will provide you with a brochure describing all of their housing.
Usually housing plans come with a mandatory meal plan. This means you will deposit a set amount of money (usually $500 per semester) for you to draw from a debit card for meals at the various campus cafeterias and vending machines.
Fill out and sign the contract for housing. You will also be required to send in a deposit. The deposit will be refundable until sometime in the summer. Complete this process soon, to ensure you have a spot.