Transferring to a Four-year Institution

Many students who complete the Associate of Applied Business Degree, the Associate of Applied Science Degree, Associate of Arts, Associate of Science or the Associate of Technical Studies Degree at Rhodes State College wish to pursue a bachelor’s degree at a four-year institution. Students are urged to plan their academic careers carefully and in close consultation with the College’s staff. Currently transfer opportunities for graduates of Rhodes State College are provided by four methods:

  1. Articulation Completion Agreements
  2. Course by Course Transfer and Evaluation
  3. Ohio Transfer 36
  4. Transfer Assurance Guides (TAG)

Articulation Completion Agreements (Bachelor Completion)

Rhodes State College has entered into agreements with a number of four-year colleges and universities by which graduates can transfer to one of those institutions to complete a baccalaureate degree. These agreements often provide two plus two transfer opportunities in specific programs, that is, the receiving institution accepts the two-year program which the student has completed at Rhodes State College as the first two years of the baccalaureate degree. The student then can complete the baccalaureate degree at the college or university. Students can receive additional information on these agreements and the participating institutions from the Office of Academic Affairs.

Course-By-Course Transfer and Evaluation

  • Students who do not take advantage of one of the Articulation Agreements can always apply for transfer to a four-year institution and have their coursework evaluated for transferability on a course-by-course basis by the receiving institution. Successful transfer of courses using this method requires careful planning on the part of the student. Although this option does not provide assurances of transferability as provided by Ohio Transfer 36 or the Articulation Agreements, it does allow flexibility for a student to select coursework that meet specific admission or program requirements of the receiving institution.
  • Students can go to Transferology, an online tool that will help you view program requirements, course equivalencies, and see how courses you have taken or plan to take transfer to another college or university.

University System of Ohio

Rhodes State College is proud to be a part of The University System of Ohio. Transfer Assurance Guides (TAGs) have been created for a large number of courses within the system, allowing for seamless transfer of TAG-designated general education or technical courses.

Transfer Assurance Guides

Transfer Assurance Guides (TAGs) is a statewide transfer initiative that guarantees course equivalency and applicability of pre-major/beginning major courses within the degree pathways. Pre-major or beginning major courses are called TAG courses. A TAG is an advising tool to assist Ohio university and community and technical college students planning specific majors to make course selections that will ensure comparable, compatible, and equivalent learning experiences across the state's higher-education system. Faculty teams have developed a number of area-specific TAG pathways in the arts, humanities, business, communication, education, health, mathematics, science, engineering, engineering technologies, and the social sciences.

TAGs empower students to make informed course selection decisions and plans for their future transfer. Advisors at the institution to which a student wishes to transfer should also be consulted during the transfer process. Students may elect to complete the full TAG or any subset of courses from the TAG. Because of specific major requirements, early identification of a student's intended major is encouraged.

Each TAG approved course is identified in the Course Descriptions section of this catalog with TAG at the end of the course description. Students may also visit the Ohio Department of Higher Education Transfer Assurance Guide website and complete a search for all TAG courses for Rhodes State College. 

Ohio Transfer 36 (formerly the Ohio Transfer Module)

While all state-assisted colleges and universities are required to follow the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Policy, independent colleges and universities in Ohio may or may not participate in the transfer policy. Therefore, students interested in transferring to independent institutions are encouraged to check with the college or university of their choice regarding transfer agreements. In support of improved articulation and transfer processes, the Ohio Department of Higher Education established a transfer clearinghouse to receive, annotate, and convey transcripts among state-assisted colleges and universities. This system is designed to provide standardized information and help colleges and universities reduce undesirable variability in the transfer credit evaluation process.

The Ohio Department of Higher Education’s Articulation and Transfer Policy established the Ohio Transfer 36, which may be a subset or the entire set of a public higher education institution’s general education curriculum in Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Science (AS) and baccalaureate degree programs. Students in applied associate degree programs may complete some individual Ohio Transfer 36 courses within their degree program or continue beyond the degree program to complete the entire Ohio Transfer 36. The Ohio Transfer 36 contains 36-40 semester of course credit in English composition (minimum of 3 semester); mathematics, statistics and logic (minimum of 3 semester); arts and humanities (minimum of 6 semester); social and behavioral sciences (minimum of 6 semester); and natural sciences (minimum of 6 semester). Oral communication, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and interdisciplinary areas may be included as additional options.  Additional elective hours from among these areas make up the total hours for a completed Ohio Transfer 36. Courses for the Ohio Transfer 36 should be 100- and 200-level general education courses commonly completed in the first two years of a student’s course of study. Each public university and technical and community college is required to establish and maintain an approved Ohio Transfer 36.

Ohio Transfer 36 course(s) or the full module completed at one college or university will automatically meet the requirements of individual Ohio Transfer 36 course(s) or the full Ohio Transfer 36 at another college or university once the student is admitted. Students may be required, however, to meet additional general education requirements at the institution to which they transfer. For example, a student who completes the Ohio Transfer 36 at Institution S (sending institution) and then transfers to Institution R (receiving institution) is said to have completed the Ohio Transfer 36 portion of Institution R's general education program. Institution R, however, may have general education courses that go beyond its Ohio Transfer 36. State policy initially required that all courses in the Ohio Transfer 36 be completed to receive its benefit in transfer. However, subsequent policy revisions have extended this benefit to the completion of individual Ohio Transfer 36 courses on a course-by-course basis.

Additional Resources for Students

  • The State of Ohio has developed a transfer credit website providing tools to help you learn more about the State’s transfer initiatives.  Find how your courses, experience, or credentials will transfer with the Credit Transfer Tool.
  • Ohio Guaranteed Transfer Pathways (OGTP), provide a clear path to associate degree completion and then to bachelor’s degree completion in a related major. By following an OGTP, you can ensure that you are taking coursework that will not only transfer but apply to your desired degree.  Use the Ohio Guaranteed Transfer Pathways Search Tool to find your pathway from associate degree to bachelor’s degree.