Transfer Students

Transfer Student Resources

Oakland Community College welcomes transfer students from institutions of higher education and always tries to award direct equivalent credit.   When direct equivalencies are not available, elective credit is usually awarded. 

General requirements to received transfer credit at OCC are:

  • An "official" transcript mailed directly from your previous college to OCC: Transcript Evaluation, Oakland Community College, 2480 Opdyke Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304-2266.
  • Transfer credit must be from a regionally accredited college or university.
  • The course must be considered college level.
  • Only grades of 2.0 "C" or higher are transferable.
  • You can also submit your transcripts to transcripts@oaklandcc.edu

Transfer (Articulation) Agreements

Oakland Community College has Transfer Agreements with several colleges and universities that offer bachelor and advanced degrees. Any student continuing their education beyond OCC should work closely with a counselor to ensure their coursework, transfers properly.

Considering a Transfer?

Students considering transfer should also review the Michigan Transfer Agreement Distribution Requirements.

Transfer Guarantee

Upon recommendations from the senior institution to which a graduation student transferred, OCC will allow a student to retake courses for free (up to 16 credit hours) in which they received a 2.0 or better while at OCC, but are deemed deficient by that institution. This guarantee is offered only once by OCC, and must be requested within two years of earning an OCC associate degree in Liberal Arts, Science or Business Administration.  Eligible students must also complete English, math, and prerequisite course requirements within the first 30 hours of attempted credit at this institution. 

Reverse Transfer

Reverse transfer allows previous OCC students that transferred to a four-year college or university to move credits from that school back to OCC has reverse-transfer agreements with several four-year institutions to promote these opportunities, and more information is available by meeting with an OCC counselor.

Ordering Military Transcripts

Oakland Community College awards credits for military courses completed. Students may request their Joint Services Transcript (JST) or other military transcripts to be sent to OCC using the following links:

  • Joint Services Transcript (JST) - if you receive a message about the website security certificate, click the "Continue to this website" link
  • Air University (formally Community College of the Air Force)

Transfer Options & Requirements

Oakland Community College offers various programs that build the foundation for students that plan to continue their education at a four-year institution.  Counselors are available to help guide students on the right path toward seeking their academic goals at other colleges and universities, but it is the student's responsibility to fully understand the course requirements at the institution they which to ultimately transfer to. Students are encouraged to make use of the Michigan Transfer Agreement when transferring from OCC to another college or university in the state of Michigan.

In addition to studying the current course catalog of the transfer institution and discussing requirements with an OCC counselor or faculty adviser, the student should confer with an admissions counselor from that college or university as soon as possible. Students should also apply to that institution well in advance of the transfer date and request a copy of their official transcript from the Office of the Registrar to deliver to the transfer institution.

Students who spend two years at Oakland Community College and transfer to a four-year institution generally meet transfer requirements by qualifying for an Associate in Arts,  Associate in Science or an Associate in Business Administration. However, different colleges and universities have different requirements for particular areas of study, which makes consulting with counselors and admissions staff absolutely critical to ensuring the transfer process is as smooth as possible.

Transfer Equivalencies 

Transfer applicants should have transcripts from former colleges attended sent to the Office of the Registrar at the George A. Bee Administration Center at least one month prior to registration to ensure transfer credit availability. Students with any questions about the transferability of prior coursework should consult a counselor before registering.

OCC may declare a course equivalent when the knowledge and content between an OCC course and another institution's course are shown to be equal, and the two courses are within one credit hour of each other. The College Registrar is the arbiter of any equivalency dispute, and shall make the final decision when courses are part of the student’s general education requirements.

The College also accepts course credit from an accredited national, or professional body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as listed in the Directory of the American Council on Education (ACE). This consideration will extend to Armed Services programs and certain business and industry programs and certificates listed in the ACE Directory. Other credit may be considered. The College Registrar makes the final determination of acceptance.

Upon receipt of your transcript, Oakland Community College will evaluate the course work, post credit equivalencies as transfer credit on your Oakland Community College transcript, and email you that the evaluation has been completed.

Transfer Equivalency

Transferring from OCC to another School

When transferring from OCC to another institution, it is up to the receiving school which classes will be accepted and how your credits will transfer. Students should work with an OCC counselor to discuss transfer credits and academic planning to ensure they stay on track for degree completion. Students may find the Michigan Transfer Network to be a useful source of information. In addition, transferring students are strongly encouraged to explore transfer opportunities that exist with transfer credit agreements between OCC and many four-year colleges and universities.


Transfer Advantage

Traditional four-year colleges and universities recognize the value of an OCC education in several capacities. Upon completing at least one full year of courses at OCC, the minimum admission requirements at most four-year colleges and universities decrease, and ACT and SAT scores have diminished bearing on the overall admissions process. So transferring from OCC may boost your chances of admission to and receiving a degree from the four-year college or university of your choice rather than if you tried right out of high school.

Another bonus about OCC's transfer program is that the College Transfer Center works very closely with the colleges and universities across Michigan to ensure the list of courses eligible for transfer is accurate and up to date. OCC counselors have immediate access to this and other information about admissions to institutions across Michigan, and will work closely with you to ensure a smooth transfer. Reference materials about other schools, including course catalogs, financial aid information, and tuition and housing costs, are available to help you decide where the best place to achieve your academic goals will be.

Time Advantage

Take the core courses for your freshman and sophomore years at Oakland Community College and then complete the junior and senior years at a four-year college or university on your way to a bachelor's degree. Students currently enrolled in a four-year college or university can also take advantage of OCC courses offered during the spring and summer semesters to get ahead and graduate sooner.

Money Advantage

Either option guarantees significant savings while ensuring you receive the same high-quality education. OCC maintains a low tuition rate - typically one-quarter to one-half the cost of similar public or private higher education institutions - with support from the state of Michigan and Oakland County. Many students are able to maximize OCC's affordability and save thousands of dollars by transferring course credits.

Programs Designed for Transferring

Under an agreement established by the Michigan Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers, many four-year colleges and university across the state ensure that a student who completes the following OCC degrees will have satisfied the freshman and sophomore General Education requirements at their respective schools:

Transferring Course Credits

About 65% of OCC freshmen intend to transfer to another school after they have completed their OCC coursework. In addition other students wonder if courses from other colleges will transfer to OCC so they don't have to repeat the courses. Here are the answers to both of these questions:

  • From other colleges to OCC: OCC accepts credit for any course from an accredited college or university that is the same or similar to a course that OCC offers. This assumes that the student passes the course with a grade of C or better.
  • To other colleges from OCC: other college or universities will do the same for courses taught at OCC. (For example, ENG 1510 at OCC is a freshman level English Composition course that transfers to any college in the state as the freshman requirement for English Composition.)

Students can send transcripts to: transcripts@oaklandcc.edu

How many credits will transfer?

Colleges and universities vary in the total number of courses or credits that they will accept - from 1 to 90 credits. Most schools, however, will accept up to 62 credits. This is usually the minimum about to earn an associate degree (out of a total of 124 for a bachelor degree). In other words, by earning an associate degree at OCC, you are halfway to your bachelor's degree at a four-year college.

Incidentally, when you apply as a transfer student at another college, the minimum grade point required for admission is lower than what was necessary from high school - and your high school record is much less important. In addition, the cost savings from completing your first two years at a community college can be spectacular.

Does my grade point average (GPA) transfer, too?

When you transfer to another school, your GPA does not transfer, only the credits you have earned with a "C" or better count. So you start with a clean slate at your new institution.

Need more information?  

The Counseling office at each campus has up-to-date information on which courses transfer to which universities, or you can look up Transfer Equivalencies.