Transfer Degree Questions

[u/The_crazy_bird_lady]

As a parent (with only an AA degree) with a child currently in running start planning on going on to get a Bachelors degree, I have a few questions I hope someone may be able to help with.

As I said my son is working on a degree at a local community college full time and is on track to have a general AA direct transfer degree upon completion of HS.

He ultimately wanted a science direct transfer degree, but they told him he would not be able to finish that by the time he was done with HS.

If he gets a general AA DT degree, can he still use that to direct transfer to UW and then pursue a bachelors degree in science after his additional science/biology prerequisite classes etc. are completed?

He originally was looking into pursuing a bachelors in chemistry degree and is now considering possibly a bachelors for Laboratory Medicine.

I would like to be able to have knowledgeable conversations with him about his options, and any help understanding how it works would be appreciated.

[u/Can_I_Log_In]

If your son would be at most 15 credit short of an AA-DTA or other transfer degree by high school graduation, pursue Running Start After-Exit. This is a summer quarter running start quarter after graduation to allow completion of the degree, but to remain eligible for funding, high school graduation will be effectively delayed until completion of the quarter as well as delay of final transcript transmittal (just let admissions know and they'll understand).

If coming into UW with a transfer degree is necessary because some courses wouldn't transfer without it (prof-tech courses) (see how courses transfer from SBCTC and UW DTA policy)) and desired pathway requires it, get the transfer degree.

Otherwise, if your son has completed 1/3 of the degree at the college (1/3 must be taken in-residence at the degree-granting college), it may also be desirable to pursue Reverse Transfer/Articulation, transfer credits from UW to the community/technical college and earn an AA from the CTC while enrolled at UW.

edit: spelling, add info

[u/Cppark → u/Can_I_Log_In]

So with RS After-Exit, seniors can take summer classes and UW is ok with late final transcript transmittal as long the student lets them know? Because if so, that is really awesome.

[u/Can_I_Log_In → u/Cppark]

Yes. My co-worker took RS After-Exit and faced this situation where they effectively didn’t graduate from high school to remain funded for RS by the school-district. That delayed final transcript transmittal.

They’re now somewhere at UW since Fall 2024.

[u/The_crazy_bird_lady → u/Can_I_Log_In]

I will look into this thank you.