Articulation Agreements

To go directly to our partners' Articulation web pages, click below:
Columbus State Community College
Ohio University Chillicothe Campus
Ohio University Lancaster Campus
The Electrical Trades Center  
Central Ohio Technical College

To go directly to the Upper-Level Transfer page, click here

What is Articulation?

Articulation is a process where two or more educational institutions work together to establish the conditions and terms that allow successful transition of students from high school to college/post-secondary education.  Articulation agreements are the "bridge" that authenticates and connects the "2+2" seamless components of Tech Prep high-school-to-college programs.  

By "seamless" we mean that the curriculum of a College Tech Prep programs at the high school level is linked with the curriculum of a related Tech Prep program at the post-secondary level (associate degree or apprenticeship) in such a way that duplication and overlap of instruction is virtually eliminated.  In other words, Tech Prep high school graduates who qualify to use a College Tech Prep articulation agreement should (ideally) not need to repeat (or pay for) learning experiences in their related college program that they have already mastered in their Tech Prep high school program.

Formal, written articulation agreements are a requirement of all Tech Prep programs in Ohio.  In the Heart of Ohio Consortium, there are two kinds of articulation agreements:

Time-shortened articulation.  These kinds of articulation agreements grant college credit for specified college courses, either through (1) proficiency exam or "test out," or (2) by recommendation of the Tech Prep teacher or counselor using a formal college articulation agreement form.  To gain this credit, students must also meet other criteria set by the post-secondary institution (be sure to read the articulation information carefully on the post-secondary institution's articulation web page).  Usually there is a deadline for use of these kinds of articulation agreements following high school graduation, after which time a high school graduate may no longer use the agreement to obtain credit at that college or institution.

Dual enrollment articulation.  With dual enrollment articulation, students enrolling in high school Tech Prep programs also complete a college application and become enrolled simultaneously with a Tech Prep partner college.  If the high school students successfully complete the Tech Prep-required technical and academic competencies (and possibly other criteria), the students can generally earn both high school AND college credits at the same time.  When these students graduate from high school, they already have credit on their college transcript from that partner institution.  At this time, Central Ohio Technical College provides this opportunity for Tech Prep students in Licking County, and is in process of extending it to other Tech Prep programs throughout the seven-county Heart of Ohio Tech Prep Consortium.  For more information, contact Ms. Sara Quick – 740.366.9209 or squick@cotc.edu

Advanced skills articulation.  In some cases, an articulation agreement may offer no college credit because the college program includes advanced skills above and beyond the more usual degree programs.  These kinds of programs are usually highly selective as well as challenging.  An example is the Nursing program at Columbus State, for which Tech Prep credit is available only for certain prerequisite courses needed to apply for admission to the program.  Another example are the associate degree programs at the Ohio University campuses, all of which are considered advanced skills programs.  At the OU campuses, Tech Prep students may take proficiency exams for certain introductory courses, and the exam fee may be waived.  (Students should be aware, however, that failing a proficiency exam could result in a failing grade on their college transcript.)  The primary benefit of Tech Prep for students seeking to enter advanced skills degree programs is that their Tech Prep high school experience should amply prepare them to be successful in these challenging college programs.  

What are the Benefits of Articulation?

No one benefits more from effective articulation than students.  When successful articulation agreements are developed and used, students can step directly into the seamless curriculum offered by articulated College Tech Prep programs.

Benefits for Students (time-shortened and dual-enrollment articulation)

• Save money on tuition, fees, and books as well as time
• Accelerate progress to achieve their career goals
• Reduce duplication of instruction and boredom on non-challenging classes
• Create opportunities for higher level learning and advanced training
• Improve career readiness focus and skills building
• Improve or increase job placement opportunities and activities (i.e., co-op)
• Earn college credit in high school
• Become motivated and confident to continue post-secondary education.

Benefits for Students (advanced skills articulation)

• Create opportunities for higher level learning and advanced training
• Improve career readiness focus and skills building
• Become motivated and confident to continue post-secondary education.

Benefits for Educators

• Promote curriculum alignment, relevance, and integration
• Facilitate communication among education institutions, including faculty and administrators at both levels
• Reduce duplication of instruction (time-shortened articulation)
• Expand program content and specializations
• Enhance public image and relations
• Assist with recruitment at all levels
• Reduce attrition at both high school and college*
• Create a  more unified and organized educational system
  *Recent data from the State Tech Prep Office shows that Tech Prep college students persevere in their college degree programs at higher rates than the general population, regardless of whether they need to take developmental coursework.
  

Benefits for Community & Employers

• Increase future tax base by enhancing educational attainment of more youth
• Allow future employees to work earlier and with greater skill sets
• Cut training costs and overhead
• Increase employers' role in development/enhancement of school and college curricula
• Provide faster turn-around for students to enter the workforce (time-shortened articulation)
• Offer opportunities for companies to respond more quickly to demands and trends
• Offer opportunities for employers to test-out prospective employees as student-workers/apprentice

How do I use a Tech Prep articulation agreement?

Articulation agreements may contain a special form for requesting college credit or for requesting to take a college proficiency test to earn credit for a course.  Each college, university, or apprenticeship training center handles the college credit/proficiency test issue differently.  Teachers, counselors, parents, and students are urged to read the individual institution's information carefully to understand how College Tech Prep articulation agreements work at that institution. 

In general, a student cannot use the form to request college credit independently.  The form must be filled out and signed by the student's Tech Prep teacher or counselor.  Again, please read all articulation information for that post-secondary institution closely.  If you have questions, contact the articulation administrator at the particular institution (see hotlinks below).

Which consortium post-secondary partners offer Tech Prep articulation opportunities?

The Heart of Ohio Consortium has five post-secondary partnersthat offer some form of articulation for College Tech Prep high school graduates.  Each institution has its own policies and format for articulation.  Click on a name below to visit that institution's website and review its Tech Prep articulation policies, requirements, and agreements:

• Central Ohio Technical College; Newark, Ohio
• Columbus State Community College; Columbus, Ohio
• Ohio University Chillicothe Campus; Chillicothe, Ohio
• Ohio University Lancaster Campus; Lancaster, Ohio
• The Electrical Trades Center; Columbus, Ohio

What are the upper-level transfer opportunities for associate degree graduates?

Many Tech Prep associate degrees have special articulation agreements ("upper-level transfer agreements") with related 4-year bachelor degree programs at other colleges or universities.  These agreements allow associate degree graduates to apply some (or all) of their college credits toward a bachelor degree in a field that is directly related to their associate degree (for example, from a Business Management Technology associate degree to a Business Management bachelor degree).  In certain cases, associate degree graduates are able to enter the related bachelor degree program with junior status.  These opportunities can save ambitious students considerable time and tuition

For more information about upper-level transfer opportunities available through our consortium colleges, click here. 

Special note:  Tech Prep associate degree graduates who transfer to a bachelor's degree program in another state-supported college or university in Ohio (even if they transfer into a major unrelated to their associate degree) can receive credit for certain academic courses they have successfully completed in the Ohio transfer module (for more information on the Ohio Transfer Module, visit the Ohio Board of Regents website).  Credit for other college courses may -- or may not -- apply toward the 4-year degree, depending on how the receiving college or university reviews the student's college transcript (unless an upper-level transfer agreement is involved; see above.).