Powered by a state-provided grant, UMBC is proud to participate in Credit When It’s Due, a national program to facilitate the transfer of credits from four-year universities back to two-year colleges. What does that mean? Students who transferred to UMBC from a two-year institution in Maryland but without completing their Associate’s Degree can have their transcripts sent back to their previous institution on a semesterly basis free of charge. The two-year college can then check if any UMBC coursework satisfied the requirements of that degree, which can then be awarded without the student interrupting their studies at UMBC in any way!
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What are the Benefits of Reverse Awarding?
UMBC Students can demonstrate their ability to earn both an Associate’s and a Bachelor’s Degree, exhibiting a more expansive view of their skills, abilities, and capacity to complete important goals and objectives.
Community college students can feel greater freedom to transfer to UMBC early, knowing that they will be able to finish out their previous degree even when no longer attending their current institution.
Associate’s Degrees in technical fields can be attractive to employers seeking candidates with applied “hands on” skills.
If working while attending school, an Associate’s Degree may be influential in better pay or opportunities.
If for any reason a UMBC student would need to interrupt their studies, having earned an Associate’s means that the student still has a degree.