Students planning to earn a baccalaureate degree at a four-year college or university may complete the first two years at Pellissippi State by earning either the Associate of Arts or the Associate of Science degree, each requiring a minimum of 60 semester hours. A broad selection of courses is offered that will transfer to four-year institutions.

University Parallel program requirements are specified by

• Tennessee Transfer Pathways. More than 40 pathways for transfer of Associate of Arts and Associate of Science graduates in particular majors to Tennessee public colleges and universities.
• Articulation/transfer agreements. Prescribed curricula developed cooperatively by Pellissippi State and four-year colleges and universities.
• General associate’s degree requirements. Programs designed with the flexibility to allow the student to select courses that parallel the requirements of the four-year institution to which he/she intends to transfer.

University Parallel core curriculum requirements are applicable to associate’s degrees earned by completing the requirements of a Tennessee Transfer Pathway (TTP), an articulation agreement or a general associate’s degree. Academic advisors are available for all University Parallel students. Prior to registering each semester, the student is expected to consult with an advisor to review the student’s academic plan and select courses for the upcoming semester.

University Parallel Guarantee

Pellissippi State will refund the tuition of any Pellissippi State graduate for any course passed with at least a C grade if that earned course credit does not transfer to a college or university within two years of graduation from Pellissippi State. Such courses must be listed as transferable on the transfer equivalency table provided by the receiving institution. The transfer guarantee program is limited to those institutions participating in TTPs or maintaining an articulation agreement with Pellissippi State and to the courses identified in transfer equivalency documents.

Tennessee Transfer Pathways

A student entering a community college in Tennessee who selects one of the majors with accompanying transfer pathways, completes required courses and earns an associate’s degree can transition as a junior to a Tennessee public university. Some specific academic programs may have competitive admissions, but students will be advised about requirements when they first enroll in the program at Pellissippi State.

All earned credit hours outlined on the pathways will apply toward a bachelor’s degree in the same discipline. The pathways guarantee admission to all public universities in the state, except for the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where competitive admission standards will still apply.

TTP programs for the 2015-16 academic year at Pellissippi State:

Visit www.pstcc.edu/advising/transfer/pathways/ for more information on Tennessee Transfer Pathways.

Articulation/Transfer Agreements

An articulation agreement is a document that specifies the curriculum agreed to by Pellissippi State and a four-year college or university to satisfy the degree requirements at Pellissippi State and at the receiving institution. Completion of freshman and sophomore requirements leads to an associate’s degree at Pellissippi State. The remaining requirements for the baccalaureate degree are completed at the four-year institution. Students must successfully complete all courses outlined in a particular program and must satisfy all other academic regulations of Pellissippi State and the receiving institution. Exceptions to the agreement can only be approved by the four-year institution.

Pellissippi State has program-specific articulation agreements with Austin Peay State University, Carson-Newman University, East Tennessee State University, King University, Lincoln Memorial University, Maryville College, Middle Tennessee State University, Tennessee Technological University, Tennessee Wesleyan College and Tusculum College. Pellissippi State also has transfer agreements with some private institutions for students with general Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees. For a current list of agreements and institutions, visit www.pstcc.edu/advising/transfer/index.php.

Pellissippi State has program-specific Transfer Transition Guides with the University of Tennessee that provide an eight-semester plan for earning an associate’s degree at Pellissippi State and a baccalaureate degree at the UT in Knoxville. For a current list of Transfer Transition Guides, visit http://registrar.tennessee.edu/transfer/transfer_transition.shtml.

General Degree Program Requirements

Specific majors are not listed for the general Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees, because baccalaureate degree program requirements vary at four-year institutions. General associate’s degree requirements provide a range of course options that permit students to design a program of study that closely matches the first two years of most baccalaureate degree programs.

Students not following a Tennessee Transfer Pathway or an articulation agreement should plan their program of study in consultation with their Pellissippi State advisor and an advisor at the receiving institution. Tables listing Pellissippi State courses and equivalent courses at four-year colleges and universities in Tennessee are available for use in program planning. The College also has transfer agreements with some private institutions for students with general A.A. and A.S. degrees. Links to transfer equivalency tables and to articulation and transfer agreements may be found at this site: www.pstcc.edu/advising/transfer/index.php.

Contact(s): Enrollment Services, (865) 694-6400, or Student Assistance Center, (865) 694-6556

Associate of Fine Arts in Music Program Requirements

The community colleges and universities of the Tennessee Board of Regents system have joined together to develop a common core of courses for the Associate of Fine Arts in Music (A.F.A.) degree. This common curriculum allows students to transfer, without loss of credit, from Pellissippi State to any TBR university music program as juniors, pending successful auditions, performance reviews, etc.

Contact(s): Music Office, (865) 539-7178 or 694-6701

Associate of Science in Teaching, K-6, Program Requirements

The community colleges and universities of the Tennessee Board of Regents system have joined together to develop a common core of courses for prospective K-6 elementary school teachers consisting of an introduction to teaching and technology course and standards-based mathematics and science courses. The common core for the Associate of Science in Teaching (A.S.T.) degree allows a prospective teacher to transfer from Pellissippi State to any TBR university as a junior and without loss of credit. In addition to the curriculum requirements listed below, students must obtain a cumulative grade point average of 2.75, successfully complete the Praxis Core exam and achieve satisfactory disposition evaluation ratings. For those students who have not completed two units of a single foreign language, either at high school, at another college or through an approved examination, the deficiency(ies) must be removed before the student may transfer to a TBR university.

Contact(s): Teacher Education Advising Center, (865) 539-7287

TBR General Education Core and Transferability of Courses Among TBR Institutions

Effective as of fall semester 2004, each institution in the State University and Community College System of Tennessee (the Tennessee Board of Regents System) shares a common lower-division General Education core curriculum of 41 semester hours for baccalaureate degrees and Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees. “Lower-division” means freshman and sophomore courses. The courses composing the General Education curriculum are contained within the following subject categories:

Baccalaureate degrees and Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees*:

 *Foreign language courses are an additional requirement for the Associate of Arts (A.A.) and Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degrees. Both A.A. and B.A. degrees require proficiency in a foreign language equivalent to completion of two years of college-level work.

**Six hours of English composition and 3 hours in English oral presentational communication are required.

***Chosen from HIST 1010 , 1020 , 1110 ,1120 , 2010 , 2020 . Students planning to transfer to out-of-state or private universities must check requirements and take the appropriate courses.

Although the courses designated by Tennessee Board of Regents institutions to fulfill the requirements of the General Education subject categories vary, transfer of the courses is assured through the following means:

• Upon completion of an A.A. or A.S. degree, the requirements of the lower-division General Education core will be complete and accepted by a TBR university in the transfer process.
• If an A.A. or A.S. is not obtained, transfer of General Education courses will be based upon fulfillment of complete subject categories. (Example: If all 8 hours in the category of Natural Sciences are complete, then this “block” of the General Education core is complete.) When a subject category is incomplete, course-by-course evaluation will be conducted. The provision of block fulfillment pertains also to students who transfer among TBR universities.
• Institutional/departmental requirements of the grade of C will be honored. Even if credit is granted for a course, any specific requirements for the grade of C by the receiving institution will be enforced.
• In certain majors, specific courses must be taken also in General Education. It is important that students and advisors be aware of any major requirements that must be fulfilled under lower-division General Education.

A complete listing of the courses fulfilling General Education requirements for all system institutions is available on the TBR website (www.tbr.edu) under Transfer and Articulation Information.

University Connection

Pellissippi State partners with Tennessee Board of Regents universities to allow students to earn a baccalaureate degree on the Pellissippi State campus. University Connection agreements with Austin Peay State University allow students earning an associate’s degree to contine their work toward the bachelor’s degree in Engineering Technology.  Agreements with East Tennessee State University allow students earning an Associate of Applied Science degree in selected business and interior design programs to continue their work toward the bachelor’s degree. Students interested in pursuing careers as elementary school teachers are able to complete their bachelor’s degrees through Tennessee Technological University. For further information, contact the University Connection Office, (865) 694-6449; visit the website, www.pstcc.edu/instruction/uc; or contact Enrollment Services, (865) 694-6400.

Regents Online Campus Collaborative

The Tennessee Board of Regents colleges and universities have joined together in offering Regents Online Campus Collaborative (ROCC). Courses completed in ROCC are entirely online and are completely transferable among all the participating institutions. Students are able to choose the college or university that will award their degree. All 13 TBR community colleges deliver and award associate’s degrees, and all six TBR universities deliver and award bachelor’s degrees.

The following ROCC degrees are available through Pellissippi State:

• Associate of Applied Science in Criminal Justice
• Associate of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education
• Associate of Applied Science in Professional Studies, concentration in Information Technology
• Associate of Applied Science in Web Technology
• Associate of Arts in General Studies (University Parallel)
• Associate of Science in General Studies (University Parallel)
• Associate of Science in General Studies (University Parallel) for Teacher Aides and Paraprofessionals Preparation

Students who pursue online programs should be highly motivated, independent, active learners who have good organizational and time management skills. Students also should have the discipline to study without external reminders and be able to adapt to new learning environments.

Visit www.rodp.org or call 1-888-223-0023 for more information.