ACA 122 Transfer & Career Success

Lecture: 0 Lab: 2 Clinic: 0 Credits: 1

This course introduces students to career and transfer opportunities while building skills for academic success, career exploration, and transfer preparation, ensuring readiness for success in community college and beyond. Topics include transfer agreements with public and independent institutions, programs and processes that facilitate transfer, and transfer tools and resources; career topics include career exploration and information and skills such as resume writing, portfolio development, and professional communication. Upon completion, students will be able to identify the community college program that matches their transfer and career goals, navigate transfer policies and processes, use Transfer Guides, develop an academic plan for future success, and identify professional application materials.

The North Carolina Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA), a statewide agreement governing the transfer of credits between NC community colleges and NC public universities, requires ACA-122 for all transfer students, and GTCC requires transfer students to take it in their first semester. Students who do not successfully complete ACA-122 with a C or better in their first semester are required to re-enroll the following semester.

This course has been approved for transfer under the CAA as a premajor and/or elective course requirement.

Course is typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer.
Course has transfer restrictions - This course has been approved for transfer under the CAA as a premajor and/or elective course requirement.

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
At successful completion of the course, the student should be able to do the following:

Develop knowledge of careers and industry-specific information including the required education level, career outlook, and salary ranges specific to careers in North Carolina.
Identify steps needed to develop career and transfer application materials, such as cover letters, portfolios and resumes, and sample entrance essays.
Describe the rights and responsibilities of transfer students under the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA), including universities in the UNC System and NC Promise institutions, Universal General Education Transfer Component (UGETC) designated courses, the Transfer Assured Admissions Policy (TAAP), and the CAA appeals process.
Describe additional transfer opportunities including, but not limited to, independent colleges and universities across North Carolina, the Independent Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (ICAA), public and independent Uniform Articulation Agreements (UAAs), local transfer agreements, and enhanced transfer opportunities specific to the student’s community college.
Use tools and resources, including, but not limited to, Transfer Guides, transfer scholarship information, transcript request and transfer appeals processes to inform community college academic planning and university transfer application procedures.
Create an individualized, strategic academic plan for transferring and/or beginning a career including a course sequence to meet the student’s goals, utilization of transfer guides, and identification of internship or work-based learning opportunities.
Identify essential community college resources (such as financial aid, advising, tutoring, etc.) and various learning strategies (such as note-taking, test-taking, time management, etc.) for student success in and beyond community college.
Identify essential community college policies and procedures, including academic integrity, course prerequisite, program, and graduation requirements, and maintaining satisfactory academic progress for financial aid eligibility and/or good academic standing.