Transfer After RVC

What's next?

Are you interested in furthering your education after RVC? Maybe you have plans to transfer to a four-year institution and obtain your bachelor's degree.

To help you get started, here are four tips:

  1. Learn how your credits transfer. This will help ensure you're taking the right classes to carry forward with you.
  2. Check out our helpful Transfer Checklist to help you make steady progress in transferring after RVC.
  3. Review existing Transfer Guides to give you an idea of the courses you need to complete before transferring out.
  4. Explore Transfer Agreements identified in our college catalog.

 

Contact Us

 

How Your Credits Transfer

The Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI) is a statewide agreement that allows transfer of a 37-41 credit General Education Core between participating Illinois institutions. Completion of this core at Rock Valley College assures transferring students that lower-division general education requirements for an associate or bachelor's degree have been satisfied.

View Participating Schools View IAI Agreements

 

Credit Transfer Tool

You can also use MyCreditsTransfer (powered by Transferology) to find out how courses transfer between institutions, how courses satisfy degree requirements, and the different majors institutions offer.
Check My Credits

Transfer Checklist

Depending on where you are in your journey at Rock Valley College, it's never too early to start planning for what's next. Our team has developed two checklists to guide your transfer experience, depending on the number of credits you have earned so far.

Checklist for 0-30 Credits

  1. Study! Admittance to a four-year college/university is based on your Rock Valley College grade point average (GPA).  Although some four-year colleges and universities will admit you with a 2.0 GPA, many of the college programs require up to 3.75 GPA.  Many students are competing for limited seats in popular areas of study. Your GPA can either limit or broaden your career options.
  2. Visit the Transfer and University Center to see the resources available to you during your transfer institution search. The Transfer and University Center, on the top floor of the Student Center, offers Internet access, college/career search programs, applications, scholarship information, college catalogs, and more.
  3. Investigate possible career paths. Your counselor/advisor in the Career and Transfer Counseling Center can discuss possible career paths with you. The Career and Placement Center also has labor information and career interest survey that can help you make a good decision.
  4. Plan your RVC course selection with transferring in mind. Your RVC counselor/adviser will assist you with planning RVC course selection. Transfer guides for many four-year colleges/universities are available. Because transfer requirements change frequently, you should verify all transfer information directly with the four-year institution.
  5. Research possible four-year colleges and universities.
    • Academic programs available
    • College/University campus information
    • Entrance requirements
    • Pre-requisite courses
    • Housing options
    • Costs
    • Deadlines
  6. Visit campuses synchronously/asynchronously. You will be able to make better choices if you can experience the campus of the colleges/universities you are considering. Virtual tours are accessible on the Internet. College/university representatives who visit RVC will give you updated information. Typically, these reps will set up information tables in either the Student Center or the Educational Resource Center. For an updated list of university table visits, please email RVC-ATA@RockValleyCollege.edu.
  7. Decide on a major. The sooner that you can decide on a specific course of study, the sooner your course selection will be appropriate.

Transfer Guides

The purpose of the transfer guides is to give you an idea of the courses you will need to complete at RVC before you transfer to a four-year institution. At this time, we have Transfer Guides from a few schools with the most popular majors that our students typically pursue. Please keep in mind that these are only tools and that it is your responsibility to contact the four-year school of your choice for further information.

Reminder: Students are encouraged to meet with their RVC Academic Advisor each semester. To make an appointment, call (815) 921-4100 or use the online scheduling tool.

Aurora University

Note: These are advisement tools only. Students should work with Aurora University to ensure transferability of credits and program requirements.

Associate of Arts (AA) Transfer Guide for Students Pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education at Aurora University

Communications (9 Credits)

  • ENG101: English Composition I (3)
  • ENG103: English Composition II (3)
  • SPH131: Fundamentals of Communication (3)

Humanities/Fine Arts (12 Credits)

  • Any IAI Humanities Course (3)
  • ART131: Introduction to Visual Arts (3)
  • MUS106: Intro to Non-Western Music (3)
  • Any IAI Humanities or Fine Arts Course (3)
  • NOTE: All courses cannot be interdisciplinary.

Social Science (12 Credits)

  • HST-142: U.S. History to 1865 OR HST 143: U.S. History Since 1865 (3)
  • PSC-160: American National Government (3)
  • PSY-170: General Psychology (3)
  • PSY-225: Child Development (3)

Life/Physical Science (7 Credits)

  • BIO-100: Human Biology OR BIO-103: Intro to Life Science (3)
  • CHM-105: Chemistry and Society (4)

Mathematics (3-5 Credits)

  • MTH217: Math for Elementary Teaching II (3)

Non-Western Culture Course Requirement

  • In order to graduate, students must take one non-Western culture course (designated by a # on the list of IAI courses).
  • This course is typically taken as one of the humanities, fine arts, or social science courses.

Electives (Minimum 21 Credits)

  • STU-100: Planning for Success (1)
  • EDU-202: Children’s Literature (3)
  • EDU-224: Introduction to Education (3)
  • EDU-234: Introduction to Technology for Teachers (3)
  • EDU-244: Students with Disabilities in Schools (3)
  • MTH-216: Math for Elementary Teaching I (3)
  • PGE-100: Physical Geography (3)
  • PSY-271: Educational Psychology (3)

Total Credits Needed to Graduate: 64

Program Notes & Reminders: 

  • To graduate with an AA, students need a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA.
  • Students need to apply to graduate from RVC during their last semester by the published deadline.
  • Aurora University requires a minimum transfer GPA of a 2.0 for this major.
  • This is an advisement tool only. Students should work with Aurora University to ensure transferability of credits and program requirements.