Transfer Glossary

Associate’s Degree: A degree granted to students who complete a specific program of study, usually totaling 90 quarter or 60 semester credits. RCC offers two transferable associate's degrees, the Associate of Arts and the Associate of Science. We also offer approximately 60 Associate of Applied Science degrees in a variety of subjects such as nursing, welding, and computers. We also offer and Associate of General Studies.

Bachelor's Degree (Baccalaureate) Degree: A level of education marked by the completion of the equivalent of four or more years of full-time education (at least 180 quarter credits or 120 semester credits). Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Music degrees are offered by the state schools within the Oregon University System and by the private colleges.

Credits: Credits vary, depending upon the type of course. One credit is generally given for three hours per week of work in and 6 hours of work per week out of class.

General Education Requirements: Courses in the Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences and Science and Math that provide students with a broad educational experience. Courses are typically introductory in nature and provide students with fundamental skills and knowledge. Transfer Students often take these courses while attending a community college. Completion of a general education program is required for a baccalaureate degree.

Grade point average (GPA):
Grade points are computed on the basis of:

To compute your GPA, take the number of points for your grade and multiply them times the number of credits for that class, e.g. if you received an “A” for a 4 credit class, you would have a total of 16 points. Add all of the points together and divide by the number of credits that you took. If you took a class Pass/No Pass, do not include that class in the points or the credits for the GPA.

Junior: Usually defined by having completed 90 credits of 100 level or above classes.

Lower Division: Courses that are 100 and 200 level.

Major: An extensive program of study in a designated subject area. Majors usually require about 36 credits, with about 24 being at the upper-division level.

Minor: Is only offered through a 4-year school. It is a secondary field of specialized study. It often requires about 27 credits with about half being upper-division level.

Semester: One type of academic term within an academic year that marks the beginning and end of classes. Each semester is 14-18 weeks in length and there are two semesters (fall and spring) in an academic year. 1 semester credit = 1.5 quarter credit.

Quarter: One type of term within an academic year that marks the beginning and end of classes. Each quarter is around 11 weeks in length and there are three quarters per academic year: fall, winter, and spring. Summer term is usually 4-11 weeks. 1 quarter credit = .667 semester credit.

Upper Division: Courses that are 300 and 400 level.