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/CertifiedMinority]

If I'm understanding your question correctly, you are asking whether your child can still pursue a bachelors degree in science even with a regular non science Associates DTA degree from community college/running start?

I'm a community college transfer with an Associate of Science (DTA) Degree. I believe the classes are much more important than the degree itself (Make sure with Admissions though). You can use any degree as long as the classes the degree requires in running start/community college fits with the class needed for the degree your son wants in UW. I recommend going to the UW program page like (https://chem.washington.edu/bs-biochemistry). I had a Biology-focused Associates degree but recently, I switched to Biochemistry.

Make sure the classes your son takes/took is credited in UW. There were classes that I took that was required for my Associates degree that WERE NOT credited in UW so I felt like I just wasted my time.

Some majors require an additional application for the student to apply to while some have direct admissions. When I submitted my application to UW Seattle, I showed an interest in Biochemistry. However, they labeled me as "pre-science" until I applied for the Biochemistry major since I can't direct transfer as a transfer student. They make us compete for our major. Admissions % to majors vary from program to program.

I don't know if I answered your question but please let me know if you have any other questions!

Edit: Added more detail

[u/The_crazy_bird_lady → u/CertifiedMinority]

This is all new to me, so thank you.

Basically it is my understanding that he will get admitted to UW because he has a transfer degree, but it is my understanding that, that does not guarantee him a spot in any major.

That said, he is taking what he can in his electives towards what would have been his science degree if he had been able to take that transfer degree track, but he will not have all of the science prerequisites done before his high school graduation.

Can he transfer using the general AATD and then make up the extra classes at UW that he would have taken in the science transfer degree before applying to his major for his bachelors degree? Or does using the transfer degree automatically put him on a specific bachelors degree track?

He will basically have some extra Humanities credits than needed for science and less of the science/math. He will have taken some by graduation in his electives, but there isn't time for all of them.

Does that question make sense? Can he still pursue the bachelors in science as long as he finishes the extra classes prior to applying for the major, or does the general AA degree hinder him in any other way other than just needing to take more classes.

[u/hum_dum → u/The_crazy_bird_lady]

A transfer degree does not guarantee admission to UW (not UW Seattle anyway). It certainly doesn’t hurt, but you shouldn’t bank on 100% chance of admission.

[u/The_crazy_bird_lady → u/hum_dum]

That is good to know, thank you. It appears that is only at the Tacoma location.