Articulation is the process of comparing the content of courses that are transferred between higher education institutions such as community colleges and four-year colleges and universities. An articulated course is one that is taken at a college or university, transferred to OSU, and used to satisfy subject matter requirements (e.g., within the major, Baccalaureate Core, or general University requirements).  Course articulation is the process by which one institution matches its courses (content and requirements) to course work completed at another institution. Students use course articulations to assure that some or all of the courses that have been completed at another institution will not be lost or need to be repeated when they transfer to OSU.

Mismatched Credit Hours
Oregon State University will articulate transfer courses based on equivalency of transfer course content, level, and credit in comparison to an OSU course. If the transfer course differs in credit hours to the articulated equivalent course at OSU by one credit, the equivalency to clear the course content and/or requirement will be granted.

Example: When a transfer course taken at a regionally-accredited transfer institution for 3 credits is articulated as equivalent to an OSU course offered at 4 credits, the equivalent OSU course content and course requirement will be approved, but will clear the requirement as earned at 3 credits.

Second Example: When a transfer course taken at a regionally-accredited transfer institution for 4 credits is articulated as equivalent to an OSU course offered at 3 credits, the equivalent OSU course content and course requirement will be approved, and will clear the requirement as earned at 3 credits. The student will also earn an additional hour of credit shown as a course number of LDT or UDT (Lower or Upper Division Transfer).

Classes with Labs
When the transfer institution offers courses that have lab components and the individual courses are not directly equivalent to OSU courses, but the combined courses do equate to an individual course at OSU, the courses should have attributes added in the articulation tables which allow the degree audit system to utilize the combined equivalency to clear a Baccalaureate Core requirement.

Example: If an institution taught a 3-credit biology lecture course and a 1-credit biology lab as two distinct courses, the articulation table would not show an individual one to one equivalence with any OSU course, but an attribute could be attached to the courses to clear a Baccalaurete Core requirement for an OSU course with lab.

For more information see Transfer Credit.

Revised By Date
Office of Admissions 11/29/2017