How does Cascadia College's transfer degree program work?

I'm attending Cascadia College and aiming to transfer to a four-year school. Can anyone explain how their transfer degree program works? Does it make the transition smoother, and are there partnerships with specific universities?

Cascadia College offers various Associate degrees designed for transfer to four-year institutions. These include the Associate in Arts and Sciences (DTA), Associate in Science (AS), and other specialized associate degrees. A significant advantage of the transfer degree programs is that they are constructed to satisfy the general education requirements of most four-year universities.

The idea behind these degrees is to provide you with a foundation of coursework, similar to what you'd take in the first two years of a four-year college. This way, you are adequately prepared to continue your education at a four-year college or university.

As for university partnerships, Cascadia College has a Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA) with many institutions in Washington state including, but not limited to, University of Washington (Bothell and Seattle campuses), Washington State University, Western Washington University, and many others.

These agreements ensure that if you complete one of Cascadia College's DTA degrees and meet the university’s admission requirements, the receiving four-year institution recognizes your degree as fulfilling their lower-division general education requirements. In other words, you'd enter as a Junior student, and be halfway done with the requirements for a Bachelor's degree.

However, completion of a DTA degree does not guarantee you'll be accepted into competitive majors at specific universities. These programs often have additional admissions requirements, so it's essential to research your intended major and stay in close contact with advising offices at both Cascadia and your potential transfer school.

Overall, a transfer degree can ease the transition to a four-year institution and save you time and money by letting you complete general education courses at Cascadia before transferring.