Degree and Transfer Requirements

The advantages of completing the Associate Degree before transferring:

The agreement with most four-year colleges in Illinois allows all lower level general education classes to transfer if they follow the agreed-upon transfer guidelines.
Community colleges have agreements with most state universities; students who complete the degrees of A.A., A.S. or A.E.S. will transfer their credit and typically enter the university with full junior standing.
Some universities accept degree benefits by allowing students to transfer university credits back to IVCC to complete their associate degree requirements.
The more course work you complete prior to transfer, the less your baccalaureate degree will cost.

Transfer Degree Requirements

NOTE: While these degrees can be completed in two years, many students opt to take longer. If you are working full-time or need more developmental course work, for example, you should plan to complete your degree in more than two years.

Associate in Arts and Associate in Science will satisfy lower division general education requirements for Illinois colleges and universities participating in the Illinois Articulation Initiative program. For transfer information, visit http://itransfer.org and contact a Counselor!

Transfer Degree Guarantee

Illinois Valley Community College guarantees to those students earning the Associate in Arts and the Associate in Science degree that their courses will transfer to Illinois state universities as identified and defined in the Course Equivalency Handbook on file in the Counseling Center and in accordance with the General Education Core Curriculum Credential (Illinois Articulation Initiative). If a course in these degree programs is taken at IVCC and successfully completed in compliance with the Transfer Course Equivalency Handbook and not accepted by an Illinois state university, IVCC will pay back to the student the tuition costs of that course.

This transfer guarantee is subject to the conditions stated below.

The application for a refund must be submitted within one calendar year of completion or graduation with an AA or AS degree from IVCC.
The course must have been completed with a grade of "C" or higher.
The refund would be based upon the tuition paid at the time the course was completed.
The student has met with an authorized counselor from the college, declared a major and a transfer university prior to taking any courses in the guarantee, and is taking only those courses approved in writing by the counselor.
The student must declare, upon his/her initial enrollment at IVCC, what Illinois public university he/she will plan to attend. The student must enroll at the declared university within two years of this declaration.
The student requests an evaluation by the transfer university of the IVCC courses completed immediately upon transfer.
The student cooperates with IVCC personnel in resolving any transfer difficulties by notifying the college and submitting any necessary consents or releases for student records or correspondence.
The student submits within 60 days of being notified by the transfer university that a course has been refused for credit and makes a claim for refund. The claim must state the reasons for the refusal offered by the university, the name, position, address, and telephone number of the person notifying the student of the refusal and copies of any correspondence or documentation provided by the transfer university.
The college will first attempt to resolve the issue with the transfer university. If favorable resolution is not achieved within 120 days, the reimbursement will be authorized.

Student rights under this program are personal and may not be assigned or transferred voluntarily or involuntarily. Furthermore, no refund is required or will be made if the scholarship, financial aid program, loan, or other source used to pay the tuition prohibits payment or reimbursement of tuition directly to the student. The sole recourse available to participants enrolled in this guarantee program shall be limited to the tuition reimbursement of the class at the time of enrollment with no recourse for damages, court costs, or any associated costs of any kind or right to appeal beyond those specified by Illinois Valley Community College.

To make a claim for reimbursement or further information about this guarantee, the student should contact the office of the Vice President for Student Services at (815) 224-0393.

Transfer Programs Associate of Arts and Associate of Science

Associate of Arts and Associate of Science: IVCC offers a wide variety of courses specifically designed for transfer. For most college majors this enables students to complete their first two years of coursework leading toward a bachelor's degree in virtually any field of study at a four-year college or university. It is important for successful transfer to start planning immediately where you want to transfer and what baccalaureate degree you plan to complete. Counselors at the college are available to assist students in planning their program of study and their selection of coursework. Students who plan to complete an associate's degree and transfer as a junior in their major should achieve the following goals:

Complete the Associate in Arts (A.A.) or Associate of Science (A.S.) degree. The general education requirements for these degrees are on the following pages.
Fulfill the lower level (freshman/sophomore) general education and major requirement of the institution you plan to attend. The AA/AS degrees typically meet the lower level general education requirements, but your college major will determine what general education courses you should complete. For information on college major requirements students should see a counselor and visit https://www.ivcc.edu/transferservices. Another way to meet lower level general education requirements for most Illinois colleges/universities is to complete the General Education Core Course requirements that are part of the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI).
When you are ready for transfer, obtain a Request for Transcript form from the Admissions/Records Office. A transcript should be sent at the time of application and each semester of attendance before matriculation to your college/university.

Program Outcomes for the Associate of Arts Degree Program

With the goal of preparing students to continue their education at a four-year institution, faculty will ensure that students who have earned an Associate in Arts degree demonstrate competence in the following:

Students will make effective decisions to solve problems and achieve goals utilizing critical and creative thinking, information literacy, and quantitative reasoning.

With ethical intent and practice, students will effectively compose, convey, and interpret messages through oral, written, and other means while taking into consideration the perspectives of the intended audience.

Students will demonstrate how aesthetics shape our human experience, reveal the interconnectedness of knowledge and perception, and enhance the importance of liberal arts as essential components of culture.

Students will openly explore and understand the knowledge, customs, and behaviors of diverse cultures within local, regional, and global communities.

Program Outcomes for the Associate of Science Degree Program

With the goal of preparing students to continue their education at a four-year institution, faculty will ensure that students who have earned an Associate in Science degree demonstrate competence in the following:

Students will make effective decisions to solve problems and achieve goals utilizing critical and creative thinking, information literacy, and quantitative reasoning.

Students will be able to apply scientific methodology to solve problems by forming hypotheses, developing and evaluating experiments, and interpreting and analyzing scientific data that provide a better understanding of natural systems.

Students will openly explore and understand the knowledge, customs, and behaviors of diverse cultures within local, regional, and global communities.