How do transfer credits work at LA Mission College?

I'm planning to take some courses at LA Mission College and want to make sure my credits will transfer successfully to a four-year school. What’s the best way to check which credits are transferable?

One common way to determine if your credits from LA Mission College would transfer to a four-year institution is by using a tool called ASSIST - an online student-transfer information system that shows how course credits earned at one public California college or university can be applied when transferred to another. ASSIST is the official repository of articulation for California’s public colleges and universities, hence very reliable.

Firstly, you'd select the California Community College (in your case, that's LA Mission College), and then the four-year institution you are targeting. This will create a list of agreements between the two schools, indicating courses you could take at the community college that can be used to satisfy specific subject matter requirements at the four-year institution.

Bear in mind that if you’re planning to transfer to private universities or out-of-state schools, this method may not be applicable. In such cases, you might yet need to reach out to the registrar’s office or admission department of the four-year school you're hoping to transfer to, to verify which credits might transfer over. Also, consulting with an academic advisor at LA Mission College could give you a more personalized idea of your academic plan.

Also remember that individual departments at your target four-year institution may have specific transfer requirements for their majors or pre-major sequences, so be sure to check their website or contact that department directly. Furthermore, some universities have limits or restrictions on what types of credits they accept; for instance, some will only accept transfer credits for general education classes but not for major-specific seminars or lab classes. So, do your best to gather as much information as you can from each source.

Always keep your grades up as well, as some colleges require a certain GPA for credits to be transferrable. Lastly, be aware of deadlines for transferring credits because they can sometimes be before your application deadline to the four-year school. Plan ahead to avoid any last-minute surprises.