Scarlett Valencia Pulido
Staff Writer
If you are pursuing an A.A. or A.S. degree, you probably are thinking about transferring in the future.but when exactly do we need to start planning to move?. aren’t we too stressed with tests and work as it is? can’t we just stay at broward college?.
The answers to these questions depend on how far along you are with your credits and on what your plan is. But who are we kidding, even though we spend hours deciding what is our next educational endeavor, plans don’t always turn out as (ironically) planned.
The majority of universities offer transfer plans and resources to let you know about the prerequisites for the majors they offer. This can give you a better understanding of the coursesyou will need, and you can organize as you are trying to figure out what major you will pursue or are choosing your classes. These plans vary by university, state, and major.
The Florida Department of Education guarantees that the credits obtained at a
post-secondary institution transfer over to their new school, allowing students to receive credits for comparable coursework This is all thanks to articulation agreements that exist among public universities in the state.
This makes it easy to transfer your credits. But you will need to look out for the course requirements for your major to avoid taking classes that give you unnecessary credits. That is why it’s a great idea to contact the university you would like to be a part of and ask about the credits you need to transfer and the classes you would need to take to complete your degree with them. The prerequisites are usually found at the university’s website, but these transfer guides are often updated, so be on the lookout for any changes.
Wendell “Thomas” Johnson, Partnerships Coordinator for Transfer Services, believes students should begin researching the university(ies) they would like to transfer to during their third semester at BC, or when a student has completed 50 percent of their degree requirements.
“I would also recommend students contact schools (directly or via transfer events) they may not have considered initially. This opens additional options (scholarships, tuition discounts, waivers, other benefits, etc.) for the student as well as the transfer university,” shares Johnson.
Transfer Services works as a train station that can connect you to resources and universities as well as guide you on your journey. As Thomas points out, they “help students achieve their educational goals ensuring successful transfer from Broward College to a 4-year college or university. This includes associates to bachelor, and bachelor to graduate levels.”
Broward College actually offers bachelor’s degree programs, so if you wish to stay at BC, you can look at the majors available by going onto the school’s site.
There are also advisors from FAU and FIU on all campuses, available to answer any question and have one-on-one meetings with you. These two universities offer transfer programs that can give you access to their campuses before transferring and make you eligible for some transfer scholarships. They are known as FAU’s LINK program and FIU’s Connect4Success program. By joining Phi Theta Kappa or making an account at Raise.me you can become eligible for othertransfer scholarships.
Once you decide what schools you would like to transfer to, it is time to find out application deadlines, minimum/maximum credits you need to transfer over, and apply. Some universities, like FIU, let you apply up to three semesters in advance to the semester in which you wish to start.
You can visit Transfer Services and take advantage of the Transfer Fairs that happen on campus. And if you’re an online student, or not, visit https://www.broward.edu/students/transfer- services/transfer-spotlight.html to learn about universities, transfer resources, and Transfer Services’ contact information.
It can become stressful to think about transferring during the semester, especially if you do not have a set major yet or have a job but take advantage of the free time you have between classes to investigate schools. Enjoy your time at BC and good luck on your transfer journey.
