Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer (AAOT)

This is an archived copy of the 2020-2021 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://ecatalog.socc.edu.

The Associate of Arts/Oregon Transfer (AAOT) degree is a program of study that community college students can follow to fulfill all their lower division general education requirements for a bachelor’s degree at Oregon public universities. Completion of the AAOT degree can lead to junior standing, for registration purposes, for any student admitted to a public university in Oregon (University of Oregon, Oregon State University, Portland State University, Western Oregon University, Southern Oregon University, Oregon Institute of Technology and Eastern Oregon University).

The AAOT does not necessarily meet specific institutional, departmental, or major requirements with regard to courses or grade point average. Students may transfer between 90 and 124 community college credits to four-year Oregon public institutions. Students should plan carefully with the four-year institution to which they plan to transfer in order to meet individual institutional requirements. Students considering transfer to private and out-of-state institutions will find the AAOT to be excellent preparation for upper division study. Please contact the University Center for specific transfer requirements.

Upon enrolling at Southwestern, students need to be ready for college-level mathematics, writing and science in order to complete the AAOT in two years. If students lack the necessary skills, Southwestern offers excellent developmental courses and tutorial assistance to help them get on track quickly.

The AAOT degree is designed for students planning to transfer into a bachelor's degree program at an Oregon public university. These universities accept the AAOT as a “block transfer,” enabling a student to enter with junior standing having all of the transfer school’s lower division general education requirements met. The AAOT offers students the flexibility to choose courses that interest them while fulfilling requirements at their transfer schools.

Several Oregon private institutions and a limited number of out-of-state institutions also accept the AAOT. These include Concordia University, Pacific University, Warner Pacific College, George Fox University in the Portland area, as well as Western Baptist College, BYU - Hawaii, Hawaii Pacific University, Boise State University, Seattle Pacific University, and Washington State University.

It is important to note the AAOT may not be the best degree option for all majors. Students should consult advisors in their major areas for educational planning related to required courses in their majors.

Graduation Requirements

Students must complete a minimum of 90 credit hours, distributed across general education categories listed below. All courses must be completed with a grade of ‘C’ or better. Students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 at the time the AAOT is awarded. Twenty-four (24) credits must be completed at Southwestern before the degree is awarded.

Students must successfully complete the following courses from the list of approved general education courses for the AAOT degree and a number of elective credits.

Students may take any college-level course that would bring total credits to 90 quarter hours, including up to 12 credits of college-designated career and technical education (CTE) courses. Note: Some courses are considered career technical courses and have limitations within this degree, they are designated with "CTE" in the Course Description area of this catalog. A maximum of nine (9) credits of PE185 sport/activity courses may be applied to the AAOT degree. All Honors courses may substitute for their equivalent requirements.

Courses that are developmental in nature (designed to prepare students for college transfer courses) are not applicable to this degree.

Students must complete the graduation application process one term prior to the term of completion (e.g., spring term graduates must apply during winter term).

Student Learning Outcomes

Student learning outcomes for this degree can be found by clicking here.