University Transfer Opportunities

Suggested University Transfer Programs

Trinity Valley Community College maintains contact with the senior institutions in the state to ensure that the university transfer courses offered at TVCC are equivalent in quality and content to senior institutions.

The Coordinating Board of the Texas College and University System has designated the Associate of Arts degree (AA), Liberal Arts (Multidisciplinary) Major and Associate of Arts degree (AAT), Teaching major as collegiate degrees related to baccalaureate degrees. 

At Trinity Valley Community College, a student who enters one of the programs listed below may earn a degree by completing a general education component or the core curriculum with additional suggested freshman and sophomore academic courses equivalent to 60 semester credit hours (SCH). The THECB approves these courses, which are listed in the Academic Course Guide Manual, and are transferable to senior colleges and universities in Texas.

TVCC's general education degrees are composed of the following:

  • Associate of Arts degree, Liberal Arts (Multidisciplinary) major (AA)
    • In accordance with Senate Bill 1189, passed by the 84th Legislative Session, Trinity Valley Community College has designated the AA as the multidisciplinary studies associate degree.
  • Associate of Arts degree, Teaching major (AAT)
    • Leading to initial Texas teacher certification
    • EC-6, 4-8, 6-12, and EC-12 special education
  • Associate of Arts degree, Music major (AAM)
    • The Associate of Arts curricula, Music major (AAM) degree is designed for students intending to transfer their coursework to a university music program. Core completion is not a requirement for the AAM degree, and a student will not transfer as core complete.

The AA and AAT provide general academic curricula in university-parallel and pre-professional pathways of study, which enable students to enter as juniors at senior colleges or universities of their choice. Students who attend TVCC for one or two years and transfer to senior colleges or universities should have no difficulty completing a transfer of credits if they follow these steps:

  1. Select a pathway of study and a senior college or university that offers a bachelor's degree in the chosen pathway;
  2. Write or visit the Registrar's Office of the senior College or University to obtain a current copy of its catalog and study the freshman and sophomore courses offered;
  3. Confer with an academic advisor and receive assistance selecting TVCC courses corresponding to those offered for freshman and sophomore years at the senior College or transfer university;
  4. Complete the TVCC transfer courses with a GPA of at least 2.0 (C average);
  5. Apply for admission to the senior College or University early in the last semester enrolled at TVCC and ask the Registrar's Office to send a transcript to the receiving institution.

Enrollment in University Transfer Programs

To enroll in an academic program, the student must first meet the entrance requirements to Trinity Valley Community College. Although the College is committed to the concept of open-door admissions, this does not imply that upon admission, the student is eligible to enroll in any curriculum offered by the College.

When academic deficiencies are identified, students must overcome these deficiencies before undertaking university transfer courses. Students entering with academic deficits or low scores on required placement tests will be required to enroll and complete developmental courses. Additionally, some academic courses have prerequisite or corequisite enrollment stipulations. Refer to the course descriptions section of this publication for prerequisite or corequisite enrollment stipulations.

Suggested University Transfer Curricula

The following curricula outline the suggested coursework sequence and selection for some of the more typical and popular baccalaureate programs. The degree plans/pathways have been constructed in accordance with the core curricula approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and after careful analysis of the degree requirements established by senior colleges and universities in Texas. The suggested curricula are not designed for any particular senior institution, nor are they the only curricula available. The academic courses offered at Trinity Valley Community College allow the flexibility to design special curricula applicable to other bachelor's degree programs.

Academic advisors will help students develop a degree plan/pathway appropriate to their situation. It is the student's responsibility to check the catalog of the senior College or university of their choice. Universities and colleges have different requirements for degrees. Students should confer with a TVCC advisor and contact the selected senior College or university before registration each semester.

The suggested order of courses by semester and year in the various degree plans facilitates registration and scheduling and guarantees that course prerequisites have been met. Students are encouraged to follow the sequence to avoid complications in completing their degrees.

Resolution of Transfer Disputes

For the resolution of transfer disputes for lower-division courses, TVCC follows THECB guidelines, which state:

If an institution of higher education does not accept course credit earned by a student at another institution of higher education, the receiving institution will give written notice to the student and the sending institution that the transfer of the course credit is denied.

The two institutions and the student will attempt to resolve the course credit transfer in accordance with Board rules and guidelines.

If the transfer dispute is not resolved to the student's satisfaction or the sending institution within 45 days of receiving written notice of denial, the institution whose credit is denied for transfer will notify the commissioner of the denial.

The commissioner of higher education or the commissioner's designee will make the final determination about the dispute concerning the transfer of course credit and give written notice of the decision to the involved student and institution.

Academic Education Advising

Since students enrolled in university transfer programs generally plan to seek a bachelor's degree at a senior college or university, selecting courses to complete the freshman and sophomore years should be done in consultation with an academic advisor, particularly the TVCC Transfer Advisor. Not all senior institutions agree on the same list of courses as meeting the same degree requirements. The advising staff is familiar with the various universities' requirements for specific degrees. Once the student at Trinity Valley Community College has selected a major field of study and identified the senior institution they plan to attend, the advisor can assist the student in developing a degree plan/pathway consistent with that institution's requirements. The student should also contact the senior College or university they plan to attend for advice on their course selection. This assures the maximum transfer credit for the courses taken at Trinity Valley Community College.

The student who has not declared a major field of study will develop a degree plan/pathway in consultation with the TVCC advising staff.

Students enrolled in an AA or AAS degree may take courses not listed in their degree plan/pathway. However, they must realize credits may accumulate that do not apply to their university degree. Financial aid will not cover Courses outside of a degree plan.