New Transfer Pathway Opens a Clearer Road from OCCC to University of Phoenix

A practical agreement meant to cut surprises for transfer students

The University of Phoenix and Oklahoma City Community College have signed a formal transfer pathway that makes it easier for community-college students to move into University of Phoenix degree programs. The deal spells out which credits will transfer, which programs are eligible, and how advisors at both schools will help students plan the move. For OCCC students this is meant to cut uncertainty and speed up progress toward a bachelor’s degree. For the University of Phoenix, it is a way to welcome more transfer students into its online and campus options. The agreement is practical rather than flashy: it focuses on clear rules and advising to reduce delays and wasted credits.

Exactly what the agreement covers and how credits are handled

The agreement lays out several concrete elements. First, many general-education credits — courses like English composition, college algebra, and introductory social sciences — will transfer directly to specific University of Phoenix bachelor’s programs. Second, technical and career-focused credits earned at OCCC can count toward applied or professional degrees where course content matches. The schools created an agreed list of courses and the minimum grades needed for transfer, and they set a limit on how many transfer credits can be applied toward a degree. The deal also identifies which University of Phoenix majors accept the pathway and which require extra prerequisites.

A small but important detail: students who complete certain OCCC associate degrees may receive ‘block’ acceptance, meaning the university recognizes the whole associate as meeting lower-division requirements. That reduces paperwork and the chance that students will lose credits in the shuffle. The two schools also agreed to regular reviews of the articulation list so the pathway stays up to date with changing programs.

Step-by-step: how an OCCC student moves into a University of Phoenix program

For an OCCC student, the path starts with academic advising. Advisors at both schools will use the agreed course list to map a student’s current credits to University of Phoenix degree requirements. In many cases students will be advised to finish an associate degree first, because that triggers the block acceptance. If a student already has credits but not an associate, advisors will identify which courses transfer and which prerequisites remain.

Enrollment steps are straightforward: an interested student meets an OCCC advisor, completes a transfer application to University of Phoenix when ready, and submits official transcripts. The university will evaluate the transcripts against the articulation list and confirm how many credits transfer and how many remain. Timelines vary, but the goal is faster credit evaluation and fewer surprises in degree progress. Both schools said they will offer joint advising events and clear online guides to walk students through each step.

Voices from both institutions and student reaction

University and college leaders framed the pathway as practical help for students. A University of Phoenix official described the agreement as “a cleaner, faster way” for community-college students to continue toward a bachelor’s degree, noting that clearer rules reduce lost credits. OCCC leaders emphasized local benefit: the pathway gives students a visible route to four-year degrees without long pauses or repeated coursework.

Students who commented said the idea of block acceptance and joint advising eased their anxieties about transferring. One OCCC student said the agreement made finishing a bachelor’s feel “less like jumping into the unknown” and more like a planned step. Advocates for transfer pathways welcomed the deal as a useful model for other local partnerships.

Why this kind of agreement matters for completion and affordability

Transfer agreements like this one have become a common tool to boost college completion. Many students start at community college for cost and convenience, but lose time and credits when they move to four-year schools. A clear articulation agreement cuts that waste by agreeing up front which courses count where. That matters because lost credits can mean extra semesters and extra tuition, which is a top reason students stop out.

For two-year colleges, partnerships with four-year institutions can be a selling point that attracts students who want a clear route to a bachelor’s. For four-year schools, these pathways widen the applicant pool and bring students who already show persistence in higher education. Critics sometimes worry that pathways funnel students into particular programs without enough guidance, so the emphasis on joint advising and regular reviews in this deal is notable.

In short, this agreement is small in scope but practical in its aim: fewer surprises for transfer students and a smoother road toward degree completion.

Sources

• prnewswire.com