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Sinclair College
444 West Third Street, Dayton, Ohio 45402

Articulation and Transfer Policies for Degree Seeking Students


Begin a four-year degree by taking advantage of Sinclair's small class size, caring faculty, supportive staff and low tuition.

Students can:

  •  Complete many freshman and sophomore level courses before transferring to a four-year institution.
  •  Earn a Sinclair associate degree and apply many of those credits toward a bachelor's degree.
  •  Complete most of the general education requirements by taking courses from the Ohio Transfer 36 before transferring to a four-year institution.

    • Transfer to and from Sinclair by following a few easy steps. Be sure to check with a Sinclair academic advisor and the transfer institution.

    Transfer of Credit to Sinclair

    To make sure that credits from another institution transfer efficiently to Sinclair, follow these steps:

    1. Request Official Transcripts

    Contact all previously attended colleges/universities and request that official transcripts be sent to: Sinclair Community College, Registration & Student Records, 444 West Third Street, Dayton, Ohio 45402-1460

    Upon receipt of a student's transcript, Sinclair will notify the student with a post card via U.S. mail. Within 15 business days the Student Records department will equate the transferred courses to Sinclair courses and a full report of these equivalencies will be sent to the student in the mail. Sinclair accepts credits from colleges and universities accredited by regional accrediting associations.

    2. Meet with an Academic Advisor

    Advisors will work with students to determine which courses to take for their degree programs. If all transcripts have not been received by Sinclair prior to meeting with advisors, students are encouraged to bring an unofficial transcript from their previously attended college(s) to the advising session.

    3. Register For Classes

    Transfer of Credits from Sinclair

    To make sure that Sinclair credits transfer efficiently to another institution (referred to here as "transfer institution"), follow these steps:

  • 1. Meet with the appropriate Sinclair academic/faculty advisor and speak with a representative at the transfer institution early and often during an academic career. This will help ensure that the student is selecting the appropriate courses.
  • 2. Follow the transfer admissions procedures for that institution.
  • 3. Have official Sinclair transcripts sent to the transfer institution and follow up to ensure that they have received and evaluated the transfer credits.
  • For additional information, go to: www.sinclair.edu/transcripts

    • Remember:

  • Speak with an academic/faculty advisor early in your academic career. It is the student's responsibility to keep the advisor aware of the intended academic program and/or transfer institution.
  • Contact the transfer institution as soon as possible. Ask for specific recommendations from the transfer institution to help with structuring a degree program at Sinclair as closely as possible around their requirements. Also, speaking to advisors from both institutions helps ensure that students receive timely, accurate transfer information.
  • Always confirm course choices with the transfer institution. Because Sinclair is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the association as well as the Ohio Department of Higher Education, most credits will transfer to other colleges and universities. University Parallel courses usually transfer more easily than technical courses. Due to the highly specialized nature of courses in career programs, many are not designed for transfer to a four-year institution. The exception to this is any course in an approved articulation agreement with a four-year college or university. An academic advisor can provide information about which program offer this option.

    • Institutional Transfer

    The Ohio Department of Higher Education in 1990, following a directive of the 118th Ohio General Assembly, developed the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Policy to facilitate students ability to transfer credits from one Ohio public college or university to another in order to avoid duplication of course requirements. A subsequent policy review and recommendations produced by the Articulation and Transfer Advisory Council in 2004, together with mandates from the 125th Ohio General Assembly in the form of Amended Substitute House Bill 95, have prompted improvements of the original policy. Additional legislation from the 125th Ohio General Assembly also initiated the development of a statewide system for articulation agreements among state institutions of higher education for transfer students pursuing teacher education programs.

    Action by the 126th Ohio General Assembly led to the establishment of criteria, policies, and procedures for the transfer of technical courses completed through a career-technical education institution; and standards for the awarding of college credit based on Advanced Placement (AP) test scores.

    Legislation from the 130th Ohio General Assembly required public institutions of higher education to: use baseline standards and procedures in the granting of college credit for military training, experience, and coursework; establish an appeals process for resolving disputes over the awarding of credit for military experience; provide specific assistance and support to veterans and service members; adopt a common definition of a service member and veteran; and establish a credit articulation system in which adult graduates of public career-technical institutions who complete a 900 clock-hour program of study and obtain an industry-recognized credential approved by the Chancellor shall receive 30 college technical credit hours toward a technical degree upon enrollment.

    While all public colleges and universities are required to follow the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Policy, independent colleges and universities in Ohio may or may not participate in the Transfer Policy. Therefore, students interested in transferring to independent institutions are encouraged to check with the college or university of their choice regarding transfer agreements. In support of improved articulation and transfer processes, the Ohio Department of Higher Education has established an articulation and transfer clearinghouse to receive, annotate, and convey transcripts among public colleges and universities. This system is designed to provide standardized information and help colleges and universities reduce undesirable variability in the transfer credit evaluation process.

    • Last Revised: 10/27/2022