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Printed on 04/01/23
Demo Transfer Guide & Agreement
This Transfer Guide creates a binding agreement between you, us (the AGSC), and all of Alabama’s four-year universities offering your selected major (listed below). For four years from the date you submitted this guide, it must be honored by all Alabama public universities that offer your specified major.
You should read the entire Guide carefully, and meet with your community college counselor to ensure you have everything in order. You should also print a copy of this Guide and save the email we sent you.
Finally, you must print the Area V page for your specified major, and you must do so for each university you may be interested in transferring to. This is because the Area V (pre-professional) courses listed on this guide may not be offered at all universities, and the way they are applied for transfer credits may differ.
If you need immediate assistance, please contact us or call +1 (800) 551 9716 ext. 3690.
https://alabamatransfers.com/official-guide/demo
Public Relations is offered at:
Course requirements for Public Relations
Area I · Written Composition (6 SH)
Written Composition (6 SH)
You must complete a two-course sequence in Written Composition:
Area II · Humanities & Fine Arts (12 SH)
You must complete a 6 SH sequence in either literature (AREA II) or history (AREA IV).
Literature (3–9 SH)
You must complete at least a 3 SH course in literature from the approved list below:
NOTE: You may not select more than 9 SH of literature for AREA II.
Arts (3-9 SH)
You must complete a 3 SH course in the ARTS:
NOTE: You may not select more than 9 SH of ART for AREA II.
Additional Humanities (0-6 SH)
You may complete any remaining hours in AREA II from the approved list below:
(Note: You may complete no more than 3 SH of PTK Honors, which can be offered as one 3 SH course or three 1 SH courses.)
Area III · Natural & Mathematical Sciences (11 SH)
Natural Sciences (8 SH)
You must complete 8 SH from the following list of courses:
[NOTE: Courses must have corresponding laboratories.]
You may not take both BIO 101 and BIO 103. BIO 101 & 102 are designed for non-science majors while BIO 103 & 104 are for both science and non-science majors.
You may not take both CHM 104 and CHM 111. CHM 104 & 105 are designed for non-science majors while CHM 111 & 112 are for both science and non-science majors.
You may not take both PHY 201 and PHY 213. PHY 201 & 202 are Trig-based while PHY 213 & 214 are Calculus-based.
Mathematical Sciences (3 SH)
You must complete a 3 SH course in Mathematics from the following:
Area IV · History, Social & Behavioral Sciences (12 SH)
You must complete a 6 SH sequence in either literature (AREA II) or history (AREA IV).
History (3–6 SH)
You must complete at least a 3 SH course in history from the approved list below:
NOTE: You may not select more than 6 SH of history for AREA IV.
Economics (3 SH)
You must complete a 3 SH course in Microeconomics:
Social Sciences (3-6 SH)
You may complete the remaining 3-6 SH in AREA IV from the approved list below:
Area V · Pre-professional, Major & Elective Courses (19–23 SH)
Mass Communications (6 SH)
You must complete 6 SH in Mass Communication:
Speech Communications (3 SH)
You must complete a 3 SH course in Speech Communication:
The remaining hours in Area V must be fulfilled by the requirements of the institution to which the student plans to transfer. Please refer to the institutional Home Page, Catalog, or Area V page for a major in Public Relations.
Alabama Articulation and General Studies Committee
Official Transfer Agreement
Adopted 8/14/1998 · Amended 7/11/2003
The Alabama Articulation and General Studies Committee (AGSC) appreciates your interest in attending public institutions of higher education in the State of Alabama. The AGSC was created in an effort to improve and monitor the transfer of coursework between public institutions in the state. If you are considering a transfer, use the attached guide when making course decisions. Failure to follow the requirements on the attached guide may result in loss of course credit upon transfer.
This agreement guarantees the transferability of the course work listed on the attached guide among institutions of higher education. The same policies must be applied to transfer students as those applied to native students. This guarantee is subject to the following recommendations and restrictions:
- The attached guide will be honored by all other Alabama public institutions of higher education that offer a program in the specified discipline for a period of four years from the date of printing by the student as recorded on the guide. The students will be graduated under the catalog in effect on this date at the institution to which he or she is transferring unless the student is given and accepts the opportunity to be placed under a more recent catalog or unless a change in the program is mandated by requirements of an external accrediting agency or other regulatory agency, including, but not limited to, the State Department of Education, ACHE, SACS, NCATE, or CLN. In the case of any changes resulting from new requirements of an external accrediting agency and / or other regulatory agency, the transfer student will be affected in the same manner as students native to the university. The students should keep a copy of this guide for verification purposes.
- When a course sequence is required, it is recommended that students complete the sequenced courses at one institution.
- This guide remains valid and is guaranteed only if the student continues in the major specified in this transfer agreement.
- Completion of coursework listed on this guide does not guarantee admission to any public institution of higher education in Alabama; nor to the major specified in this agreement; nor to any specific field of study. Students must be officially admitted according to the admission requirements as established by the receiving institution.
- Transferability of CLEP credit and advanced placement credit is left up to the discretion of the receiving institution.
- The transfer of D grades will be in accordance with the policy of the receiving institution. The same policies must be applied to transfer students as those applied to native students.
- Any attempt to modify, change, or alter any part of this guide through electronic or other means would make this agreement null and void.
- The total number of hours required of a transfer student who has complied with the requirements of the articulation guide for a degree in a particular major field at the receiving institution shall not exceed the number of hours required of a native students at the receiving institution in the same program.
- If only a fractional part of Areas I–V is completed at the sending institution, the receiving institution shall give full credit for those hours taken. This means that credit earned toward Areas I–V for a particular major will be applied by the receiving institution to Areas I–V in that same major.
- If the template / transfer guide has not mandated specific courses in Areas II–IV, students who plan to transfer will choose from among the AGSC-approved courses for those areas.
- All transfer courses are to fall under the statute of limitation that is in place at the receiving institution at the time the student transfers and his/her transcript is evaluated. Receiving institutions should accept older credit taken by transfer students in the same manner that they accept older credit taken by their native students.
It is the expectation of the Articulation and General Studies Committee (AGSC) that questions / issues pertaining to student transfer of academic credit will be resolved by the institution’s designated Point of Contact who was appointed by their President or Chancellor to manage transfer credit matters. If you need additional help or have other questions, please contact us.
Frequently asked questions
About us
What is the Statewide Transfer and Articulation Reporting System (STARS)?
STARS stands for Statewide Transfer & Articulation Reporting System. STARS is a web-accessible database system which provides guidance and direction for prospective transfer students in the State of Alabama.
The STARS System allows public two-year students in Alabama to obtain a Transfer Guide/Agreement for the major of their choice. This guide/agreement, if used correctly, guides the student through their first two years of coursework and prevents loss of credit hours upon transfer to the appropriate public four-year university in Alabama. Although transfer guides/agreements can be printed only for two-year to four-year transfers, the STARS System can still provide guidance and direction to transfer students who have a different transfer situation.
What is the Articulation and General Studies Committee (AGSC)?
AGSC stands for the Alabama Articulation and General Studies Committee. The AGSC was created in March of 1994 by the State Legislature through ACT 94-202.
The AGSC was created to simplify the transfer of course credit between public institutions of higher education within the State of Alabama. To accomplish this task, the AGSC has developed and implemented a statewide general studies and articulation program that facilitates the transferability of coursework among all Alabama public colleges and universities. The AGSC continues to serve as a monitoring committee for the articulation program. The committee members oversee and maintain the program on an on-going basis. Finally, the AGSC works to resolve any student appeals related to transfer of coursework as it relates to the articulation program.
For more information, click here.
How were the AGSC and STARS created?
The AGSC and STARS Program was created through by the Alabama State Legislature through the passing of Act 94-202.
What are the advantages of a statewide articulation program?
Students and parents benefit.
Having a statewide articulation program that covers the transfer of course credit from one public institution to another can result in huge savings in terms of time and money for both parents and students. For example, if a student takes one or more courses that they believe will transfer and upon transfer finds out otherwise, the student not only loses the money spent on tuition, books, room and board but also must face graduation delays which might result in lost income from future job opportunities.
The public two-year institutions benefit.
In addition to saving time and money for students and parents, the two-year colleges across the state have begun to streamline their course offerings to better match the AGSC approved transfer requirements as prescribed by STARS. The two-year colleges can also provide better and more consistent advising and counseling for their students. Most two-year institutions, if not all, have started to use STARS as their primary advising tool.
The public four year institutions benefit.
Now that a state articulation program is in place, four-year institutions can better support transfer students. The four-year institutions are more familiar with which courses they have to take in each of the various majors or programs. In addition, each month every four-year institution receives a list of prospective transfer students who have expressed an interest in transferring to their institution. This list provides the four-year institutions with student names, addresses, e-mails, and phone numbers (if provided). This reporting feature has greatly enhanced the transfer student recruitment process.
The State of Alabama benefits.
The STARS program also makes it easier for students to begin and complete their degrees in Alabama. In addition, the state articulation program promotes accountability among the higher education leaders of Alabama. Through this program, millions of dollars are saved each year because students are better informed and they do not waste time and/or money taking courses that will ultimately not count toward their total degree hours.
Alabama is not alone in this effort. Many states have implemented similar state articulation programs. In almost every instance, the benefits gained from such programs far outweigh the costs and difficulties associated in implementing and maintaining such a program.
If you would like to have someone from the STARS staff visit your campus and discuss the positive impact that the AGSC & STARS Program has had on higher education in Alabama, please contact us.
Term & effectiveness
For how long is my transfer guide valid?
From the date you submit this transfer guide, it must be honored by all Alabama public universities that offer the specified major for four years.
What happens after my guide lapses?
If it has been more than four years since you submitted a guide, your credits should still transfer just like older credits taken by all other students in the same degree program at a given university.
What happens if I change majors?
This guide only applies so long as you continue in your specified major. If you decide to change your major, you should get a new transfer guide. Most guides are fairly similar for Areas I–IV; however, you should still consult your academic advisor or counselor.
What happens if the university refuses to honor my Transfer Guide? What if their requirements differ from those on the Guide?
Transfer Guides are protected by the AGSC Transfer Agreement. This agreement guarantees the transferability of major-specific courses for all of the listed universities. If a university refuses to honor your Transfer Guide, please contact us.
Course requirements
Will these course requirements ever change?
You may choose to graduate under the course requirements displayed on this guide, or more recent requirements.
The only exception is when a change is mandated by an external accrediting agency or other regulatory agency, such as the State Department of Education, ACHE, SACS, NCATE, or CLN. In this case, the requirements will change equally for all students at a given university.
Does it matter where I take the courses?
It depends.
If you follow your transfer guide, then your graduation requirements will be equal to all other students in the same degree program at a given university.
However, each university has a minimum threshold to be considered a “transfer student.” If your transfer credits are fewer than this threshold, then you are still considered a “first-time” student. While you will receive credit for your courses, it may only go toward the Area (I–V) in which they were a requirement — not toward the exact equivalent courses.
This is because we want to ensure you don’t end up with gaps in your education. From one college or university to another, equivalent courses might differ by a unit or two. If you switch institutions without completing the full Area requirements, you might miss out on important knowledge. But, taken together, the Area requirements at a single institution cover everything you need to know.
This is especially true when certain courses are required in sequence. We strongly recommend you complete them all at the same community college or university.
Why does the course table list more courses than are required for a given Area?
Some Areas do not require specific courses, but instead let you pick from a list of AGSC-approved courses. Just make sure you check how your chosen courses will transfer to each university, as this may vary.
What does it mean when the course table says “Area Core” or “Elective Only”?
Some courses at a community college don’t have an exact equivalent at a given university. However, we recognize that they impart valuable knowledge.
So, rather than throwing those credits away when you transfer, the universities choose to accept them as “Area Core” or “Elective” courses. This means that they’ll apply toward the Area (I–V) that the course falls under, but not toward any specific course.
How will my AP or CLEP credits transfer?
Each university may decide how to apply Advanced Placement (AP) and/or College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) credits.
You can view the AP course equivalency tables on each university’s page.
Admissions
Do my grades matter?
Yes.
First of all, your grades will affect your eligibility for admission into your desired university.
Second, your pre-transfer GPA will follow you to the university.
Third, if your grades fall below the university’s threshold for transfer, then you will not be awarded credit for the courses and will need to re-take them. Each university may decide how to handle the transfer of D grades. (The same policy must be applied equally to all students — native or transfer — at a given university.)
I completed all the course requirements. Does that mean I’ll be admitted to my desired university?
Congratulations on completing all the course requirements!
Unfortunately, this guide does not guarantee admission to any university; nor to any specific major at the university; nor, even, to any broader field of study. You must still be officially admitted.
For a link to the university’s admission requirements, visit its webpage.