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Office Of The Registrar

Academic Procedures

Reverse Transfer

Reverse Transfer is a means by which a student may receive his associate's degree after he has transferred from a 2-year, lower division institution of higher education to a 4-year institution in Texas. The student's current academic transcript is forwarded to the 2-year institution and reviewed to see if that student has become eligible for the associate's degree.

According to Sec. 61.833 of the Texas Education Code, a transfer student who has

  • earned at least 30 successfully completed credit hours at a lower-division institution of higher education (public junior college, public state college or public technical institute), and
  • earned a cumulative total of 66 successfully completed credit hours, and
  • given signed authorization, can have his/her current TAMUK transcript sent to the designated lower-division institution of higher education for the purpose of determining whether he/she is eligible to receive an associate's degree from that institution.

You may be eligible for this program should you apply to a 4-year institution of higher education in Texas and have not already received your associate's degree.

Even though a student is now seeking a bachelor's degree, there are several advantages to the student who applies for the associate's degree through Reverse Transfer. Particularly,

  • the associate's degree is a marketable credential in the job place, giving students who possess the associate's degree an edge when applying for employment;
  • the associate's degree, while a student may still be seeking his bachelor's degree, shows prospective employers a certain level of responsibility, focus, and persistence which is required to attain the degree and is valuable in the workplace environment;
  • the associate's degree is also often a positive incentive aiding the student in completing the work required to attain the bachelor's degree.

The associate degree you were working on while enrolled at the 2-year institution is generally the degree you are awarded. To be certain, check with the student enrollment services department or your academic advisor at your 2-year institution.

No. Consult with the graduation coordinator or the Registrar's office at your 2-year institution to determine the process for awarding an Associate's Degree. 

Consult with the graduation coordinator or the Registrar's office at your 2-year institution to determine requirements. 

No. Reverse Transfer requires that the lower-division institution of higher education determines when degree requirements are satisfied by your cumulative credit hours for the associate's degree to be awarded. 

No. The Reverse Transfer program offered by TAMUK is a means for completing the associate's degree while pursuing your bachelor's degree. You may return to your 2-year school to complete the associate's degree.