General Information
The college offers two-year associate’s degrees in arts and science that allow students to smoothly transfer to all public universities in the state as well as many private colleges. The section on Arts and Science Curricula contains more information on these transfer opportunities. Special transfer opportunities are also available for students entering the business, engineering technology, criminal justice, nursing and human service programs. Information on these opportunities is briefly summarized in this section, as well as in each program’s narrative section in the catalog. Piedmont has established joint admission programs with Lander University and Newberry College. Information on these programs is also contained in this section. 

Lynn Mack, PTC Transfer Coordinator, is located in Room 140K on the Lex Walters Campus (Greenwood).  She may also be contacted at (864) 941-8449 or by e-mail at mack.l@ptc.edu. The transfer coordinator’s role is to assist all students and academic advisors with transfer questions and concerns. 

Students wishing to transfer to a senior institution after completing their degrees at Piedmont should indicate this desire to their academic advisor in order to receive appropriate advisement. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain a catalog from the four-year college or university that he or she plans to attend and to review the transfer policies of that institution. Students should also review the degree requirements carefully for the major they intend to complete at the senior institution. All four-year public senior institutions in South Carolina have transfer course equivalence guides for transfer students to use when scheduling courses from a technical college. These guides may be obtained directly from the senior institution or from Piedmont’s transfer coordinator.

State Policies and Procedures
Section 10-C of the South Carolina School-to-Work Transition Act (1994) stipulates that the Council of College and University Presidents and the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education, operating through the Commission on Higher Education, shall develop better articulation of associate’s and baccalaureate degree programs. To comply with this requirement, the commission, upon the advice of the Council of Presidents, established a Transfer Articulation Policy Committee composed of four-year institutions' vice presidents for academic affairs and the Associate Director for Instruction of the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education. The principal outcomes derived from the work of that committee and accepted by the Commission on Higher Education on July 6, 1995, were:

• An expanded list of 74 courses which will transfer to four-year public institutions of South Carolina from the two-year public institutions;
   

• A statewide policy document on good practices in transfer to be followed by all public institutions of higher education in the State of South Carolina, which was accepted in principle by the Advisory Committee on Academic Programs and the Commission;
   

• Six task forces on statewide transfer agreements, each based in a discipline or broad area of the baccalaureate curriculum.

In 1995 the General Assembly passed Act 137 which stipulated further that the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education "notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, shall have the following additional duties and functions with regard to the various public institutions of higher education." These duties and responsibilities include the Commission's responsibility "to establish procedures for the transferability of courses at the undergraduate level between two-year and four-year institutions or schools." This same provision is repeated in the legislation developed from the Report of the Joint Legislative Study Committee, which was formed by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor as Act 359 of 1996.

Act 137 directs the Commission to adopt procedures for the transfer of courses from all two-year public to all four-year public institutions of higher education in South Carolina. Proposed procedures follow. Unless otherwise stated, these procedures shall become effective immediately upon approval by the Commission and shall be fully implemented, unless otherwise stated, by September 1, 1997.

Statewide Articulation of 74 Courses

1. The Statewide Articulation Agreement of 74 courses already approved by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education for transfer from two- to four-year public institutions (see PTC's Transfer Web Site for more information) shall be applicable to all public institutions, including two- year institutions and institutions within the same system. In instances where an institution does not have courses synonymous to ones on this list, it shall identify comparable courses or course categories for acceptance of general education courses on the statewide list.

2. All four-year public institutions shall issue annually in August a transfer guide covering at least the following items:

a. The definition of a transfer student and requirements for admission both to the institution and, if more selective, requirements for admission to particular programs.

b. Limitations placed by the institution or its programs for acceptance of standardized examinations (e.g., SAT, ACT) taken more than a given time ago, for academic coursework taken elsewhere, for course work repeated because of failure, for course work taken at another institution while the student is academically suspended at his or her home institution, and so forth.

c. Institutional and, if more selective, programmatic maximums of course credits allowable in transfer.

d. Institutional procedures used to calculate student applicants' GPA’s for transfer admission.

Such procedures shall describe how nonstandard grades (withdrawal, withdrawal failing, repeated course, etc.) are evaluated; and they shall also describe whether all course work  taken prior to transfer or just course work deemed appropriate to the student's intended four-year program of study is calculated for purposes of admission to the institution and/or programmatic major.

e. Lists of all courses accepted from each technical college (including the 74 courses in the Statewide Articulation Agreement) and the course equivalencies (including "free elective" category) found at the home institution for the courses accepted.

f. Lists of all articulation agreements with any public South Carolina two-year or other institution of higher education, together with information about how interested parties can access these agreements.

g. Lists of the institution's Transfer Officer(s) personnel together with telephone and FAX numbers and office address.

h. Institutional policies related to "academic bankruptcy" (i.e., removing an entire transcript or parts thereof from a failed or underachieving record after a period of years has passed) so that re-entry into the four-year institution with course credit earned in the interim elsewhere is done without regard to the student's earlier record.

i. "Residency requirements" for the minimum of hours required to be earned at the institution for the degree.

3. Course work (individual courses, transfer blocks, statewide agreements) covered within these procedures shall be transferable if the student has completed the course work with a grade of "C" (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) or above, but transfer of grades does not relieve the student of the obligation to meet any GPA requirements or other admissions requirements of the institution or program to which application has been made.

a. Any four-year institution which has institutional or programmatic admissions requirements for transfer students with cumulative grade point averages (GPA’s) higher than 2.0 on a 4.0 scale shall apply such entrance requirements equally to transfer students from regionally accredited South Carolina public institutions regardless of whether students are transferring from a four- year or two-year institution.

b. Any multi-campus institution or system shall certify by letter to the Commission that all course work at all of its campuses applicable to a particular degree program of study is fully acceptable in transfer to meet degree requirements in the same degree program at any of its other campuses.

4. Any course work (individual courses, transfer blocks, statewide agreements) covered within these procedures shall be transferable to any public institution without any additional fee and without any further encumbrance such as a "validation examination," "placement examination/instrument," "verification instrument" or any other stricture, notwithstanding any institutional or system policy, procedure or regulation to the contrary.

5. The following Transfer Blocks/Statewide Agreements taken at any two-year public institution in South Carolina shall be accepted in their totality toward meeting baccalaureate degree requirements at all four-year public institutions in relevant four-year degree programs, as follows:

• Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences:  Established curriculum block of 46-48 semester hours
   

• Business Administration:  Established curriculum block of 46-51 semester hours
   

• Engineering:  Established curriculum block of 33 semester hours
   

• Science and Mathematics:  Established curriculum block of 51-53 semester hours
   

• Teacher Education:  Established curriculum block of 38-39 semester hours for Early Childhood, Elementary and Special Education students only. Secondary education majors and students seeking certification who are not majoring in teacher education should consult the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences or the Math and Science transfer blocks, as relevant, to assure transferability of course work.
   

• Nursing:  By statewide agreement, at least 60 semester hours shall be accepted by any public four-year institution toward the baccalaureate completion program (BSN) from graduates of any South Carolina public associate’s degree program in nursing (ADN), provided that the program is accredited by the National League of Nursing and that the graduate has successfully passed the National Licensure Examination (NCLEX) and is a currently licensed Registered Nurse. Refer inquiries to the dean of nursing at each four-year university and program chair at each two-year institution.

(NOTE: For complete information about these statewide transfer blocks, see Transfer Blocks Information.)

6. Any "unique" academic program not specifically or by extension covered by one of the statewide transfer blocks/agreements listed in #4 above shall either create its own transfer block of 35 or more credit hours with the approval of CHE staff or shall adopt either the Arts/Social Science/Humanities or the Science/Mathematics block by September 1996. The institution at which such program is located shall inform the staff of the CHE and every institutional president and vice president for academic affairs about this decision. Clemson University maintains transfer blocks for the following baccalaureate majors that are unique in South Carolina: Landscape Architecture, Construction Science and Management, Fine Arts, Design (B.S. and B.A.), Graphics Communications, Textile Chemistry, Textile Science and Textile Management. Contact the Director of Admissions at Clemson for complete information on each of these blocks.)

7. Any student who has completed either an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree program at any public two-year South Carolina institution which contains within it the total coursework found in either the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Transfer Block or the Science and Mathematics Transfer Block shall automatically be entitled to junior level status or its equivalent at whatever public senior institution to which the student might have been admitted. (Note: As agreed by the Committee on Academic Affairs, junior status applies only to campus activities such as priority order for registration for courses, residence hall assignments, parking, athletic event tickets, etc. and not in calculating academic degree credits.)

8. All applicable recommendations found in the Commission's report to the General Assembly on the School-to-Work Act (approved by the Commission and transmitted to the General Assembly on July 6, 1995) are hereby incorporated into the procedures for transfer of coursework among two- and four-year institutions. For copies  of this document, contact the Division of Academic  Affairs and Student Services at the Commission on Higher Education at (803) 737-2245.

9. The policy paper entitled State Policy on Transfer and Articulation, as amended to reflect changes in the numbers of transfer blocks and other Commission action since July 6, 1995, is hereby adopted as the statewide policy for institutional good practice in the sending and receiving of all course credits to be transferred. For copies of this document, contact the Division of Academic Affairs and Student Services at the Commission on Higher Education at (803) 737-2245.

10. All claims from any public two- or four-year institution challenging the effective preparation of any other public institutions course work for transfer purposes shall be evaluated and appropriate measures shall be taken to reassure that the quality of the course work has been reviewed and approved on a timely basis by sending and receiving institutions alike. This process of formal review shall occur every four years through the staff of the Commission on Higher Education, beginning with the approval of these procedures.

11. The staff of the Commission on Higher Education shall print and distribute copies of these procedures upon their acceptance by the Commission. The staff shall also place this document and the appendices on the Commission's home page on the Internet under the title "Transfer Policies."

12. By September 1 of each year, all public four-year institutions shall on their own home page on the Internet under the title "Transfer Policies":

a. Print a copy of this entire document (without appendices.)

b. Print a copy of their entire transfer guide.

c. Provide to the staff of the Commission in satisfactory format a copy of their entire transfer guide for placing on the Commission's home page on the Internet. (See Institutional Transfer Guides)

13. By September 1 of each year, the staff of the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education shall on its home page on the Internet under the title "Transfer Policies":

a. Print a copy of this document (without appendices).

b. Provide to the Commission staff in format  suitable for placing on the Commission's home page of the Internet a list of all articulation agreements that each of the 16 technical colleges has with public and other four-year institutions of higher education, together with information about how interested parties can access those agreements.

14. Each two-year and four-year public institutional catalog shall contain a section entitled "TRANSFER: STATE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES." Such section at a minimum shall:

a. Publish these procedures in their entirety (except appendices).

b. Designate a chief transfer officer at the institution who shall:

• provide information and other appropriate support for students considering transfer and recent transfers
   

• serve as a clearinghouse for information on issues of transfer in the State of South Carolina
   

• provide definitive institutional rulings on transfer questions for the institution's students under these procedures
   

• work closely with feeder institutions to assure ease in transfer for their students

c. Designate other programmatic transfer officer (s) as the size of the institution and the variety of its programs might warrant.

d. Refer interested parties to the institutional Transfer Guide.

e. Refer interested parties to the institution's and the Commission on Higher Education's Home Pages on the Internet for further information regarding transfer.

Technical College Courses Transferable to Public Senior Institutions -- Commission's List of 74

ACC 101	Accounting Principles I
ACC 102	Accounting Principles II
ART 101	History and Appreciation of Art
AST 101	Solar System Astronomy
AST 102	Stellar Astronomy
BIO 101	Biological Science I
BIO 102	Biological Science II
BIO 210	Anatomy and Physiology I
BIO 211	Anatomy and Physiology II
CHM 110	College Chemistry I
CHM 111	College Chemistry II
CHM 112	College Chemistry II
CHM 211	Organic Chemistry I
CHM 212	Organic Chemistry II
ECO 210	Macroeconomics
ENG 211	Microeconomics
ENG 101	English Composition I
ENG 102	English Composition II
ENG 201	American Literature I
ENG 202	American Literature II
ENG 203	American Literature Survey
ENG 205	English Literature I
ENG 206	English Literature II
ENG 208	World Literature I
ENG 209	World Literature II
ENG 214	Fiction
ENG 218	Drama
ENG 222	Poetry
ENG 230	Women in Literature
ENG 260	Advanced Technical Communications
FRE 101	Elementary French I
FRE 102	Elementary French II
GER 101	Elementary German I
GER 102	Elementary German II
HIS 101	Western Civilization to 1689
HIS 102	Western Civilization Post 1689
HIS 201	American History: Discovery to 1877
HIS 202	American History: 1877 to Present
MAT 110	College Algebra
MAT 111	College Trigonometry
MAT 120	Probability and Statistics
MAT 122	Finite College Mathematics
MAT 130	Elementary Calculus
MAT 140	Analytical Geometry and Calculus I
MAT 141	Analytical Geometry and Calculus II
MAT 240	Analytical Geometry and Calculus III
MAT 242	Differential Equations
MUS 105	Music Appreciation
PHI 101	Introduction to Philosophy
PHI 105	Introduction to Logic
PHI 110	Ethics
PHI 115	Contemporary Moral Issues
PHY 201	Physics I
PHY 202	Physics II
PHY 221	University Physics I
PHY 222	University Physics II
PHY 223	University Physics III
PSC 201	American Government
PSC 215	State and Local Government
PSY 201	Introduction to Psychology
PSY 208	Human Sexuality
PSY 212	Abnormal Psychology
SOC 101	Introduction to Sociology
SOC 102	Marriage and the Family
SOC 205	Social Problems
SOC 210	Juvenile Delinquency
SOC 220	Sociology and the Family
SOC 235	Thanatology
SPA 101	Elementary Spanish I
SPA 102	Elementary Spanish II
SPC 205	Public Speaking
SPC 210	Oral Interpretation of Literature
THE 101	Introduction to Theatre

Coordinated Transfer Program and other Educational Partnership

To enhance transfer opportunities for students, the college has established special transfer agreements with several senior public and private institutions. These agreements are described below:

A. Joint Admissions Programs

The Joint Admissions Programs allow students to be jointly enrolled at Piedmont Technical College and Lander University or Newberry College.  Students in these programs must meet Piedmont’s admission requirements and the transfer requirements of the senior institution. These programs allow students to complete a two-year associate’s degree at Piedmont and transfer smoothly to Lander University or Newberry College to obtain a baccalaureate degree. The main benefits of these programs include one admission fee (Piedmont’s), free transcripts from Piedmont to the senior institution, coordinated advisement between enrolled at Piedmont and other institutionally- coordinated opportunities. Students wishing to enroll in one of these Joint Admissions Programs should inform their academic advisor upon admission to Piedmont or contact Piedmont’s Transfer Coordinator.

B. Specific Program Transfer Opportunities

Piedmont offers program transfer opportunities with many institutions in the state. These opportunities are briefly described below and on the following pages. For more information, contact the department head or program coordinator listed in the catalog directory for the specific program at Piedmont.

Electronic/Mechanical Engineering Technology- South Carolina State University
Students earning Piedmont’s Associate in Engineering Technology degree with a major in Electronic Engineering Technology or Mechanical Engineering Technology may transfer directly into South Carolina State University’s degree program leading to a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology.

B.S.E.T. - South Carolina State University
Designed as a Two Plus Two (2+2) program, the B.S. in Electrical Engineering Technology is offered on an evening schedule. A 2+2 program allows students to complete core courses at Piedmont  and transfer directly to a four-year institution to complete requirements for a B.S. degree. In this case, the student can complete all four years on the Piedmont Technical College campus. This program is open to anyone with an associate’s degree in an engineering technology program or industrial electronics technology.

Business/Computer Technology - Southern Wesleyan University, Lander University and Limestone College
For students earning Piedmont’s Associate in Business degree or Associate in Computer Technology degree, coordinated transfer opportunities exist between Piedmont Technical College and the following senior institutions: Southern Wesleyan University, Lander University and Limestone College.

Criminal Justice/Human Services - Limestone College
A transfer agreement exists between Piedmont Technical College and Limestone College for students earning Piedmont’s Associate in Public Service degree with a major of either Criminal Justice or Human Services. Students may transfer directly into Limestone’s Bachelor of Arts in Counseling and Human Services curriculum or their Bachelor of Arts in Social Work.

Nursing (ADN) - Lander University, University of South Carolina at Aiken, University of South Carolina at Spartanburg, Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC)
Students earning Piedmont’s Associate in Health Science degree with a major in Nursing (ADN) can transfer into bachelor degree nursing or other health- related degree programs at the following senior institutions: Lander University, University of South Carolina at Aiken, University of South Carolina at Spartanburg and Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC).

Articulated Programs with Greenville Technical College
One Plus One (1+1) sequential programs with Greenville Technical College are available in the Physical Therapy Assistant, Dental Hygiene, Health Information Management and Occupational Therapy Assistant programs during fall and spring terms. Course work for these programs is divided into two portions. The first year includes all general education and related course requirements. These courses can be taken at Piedmont Technical College. Upon successful completion of the first year, students are eligible to apply for the second phase of the program, which includes all major (PTA or DH) courses. The second phase is taught at Greenville. Additional transfer opportunities exist with other senior public and private institutions, both in-state and out-of-state. Students are encouraged to consult the catalog or contact the admissions office of the senior institution they wish to transfer to for specific transfer information.

C. Plus One

Piedmont Technical College and Lander University have jointly agreed to allow qualified students to enroll in courses at each institution through the Inter-institutional Course work Program known as "Plus One." Full-time students may apply for the program by completing applications with their faculty advisors. Students do not apply for admission or undergo placement testing at the host institution.   Course work is limited to one course per academic term at the host institution, and that course must apply toward the degree sought at the home institution. Students do not pay tuition at the host college, but are responsible for any books or supplies required. Students interested in the program should contact their academic advisors and the Plus One Coordinator at their home college for further information.

D. TECH PREP

The Piedmont Area Consortium for Tech Prep and School-to-Work, a business-education partnership, is comprised of the 10 school districts in Abbeville, Edgefield, Greenwood, Laurens, McCormick, Newberry and Saluda counties, area business partners and Piedmont Technical College. South Carolina's Tech Prep initiative is administered through a sixteen-partnership consortia structure and is aligned with the sixteen technical colleges in South Carolina. The consortium is a collaborative effort to implement preparation for technology programs of study in area schools, providing linkages to area employers and to post-secondary programs of study. Tech Prep combines a strong secondary and post-secondary education to prepare students for mid-and high-level technology careers in the 21st century. Students completing a strong academic and technical program will be well prepared to enter full-time employment of pursue postsecondary education options.