If you’re investigating colleges, you’ve likely heard the term “Articulation Agreement.” And, there’s a chance that you breezed past it, intrigued by something that sounded more exciting or overwhelmed by the volume of information coming your way.

But, stop for a moment and read about articulation agreements, because – depending on what you want to do – they can be very important.

An articulation agreement is a contract between two schools enabling seamless transitions from one school to another at the end of a specific degree or another agreed upon time for qualifying students.

Articulation agreements save you time, money, and stress as long as you meet the academic requirements of the specific agreement.

Here’s just a few examples:

• You are going to school for nursing. You want to get a four-year degree but you want to spend as little as possible without sacrificing quality. Articulation agreements allow you to do just that. For example, Daemen has a partnership with several community colleges to offer a 1+2+1 nursing curriculum, enabling you to attend Daemen for year one, the community college for years two and three and Daemen for the fourth year. (You actually earn an associate and bachelor’s degree and can work as an RN after year three!)
• You want to start at a community college. Students may decide to do this for a variety of reasons – from family to financial to uncertainty about a career path. Daemen offers more than 60 articulation agreements with community colleges that allow you to seamlessly transfer from your two-year program into Daemen Uiversity. Many of these are program-specific, but others are person-centered, such as Daemen’s recent articulation agreement with ECC that enables veterans to transfer seamlessly into Daemen University to complete their studies.
• You want to attend medical school. There is no getting around how competitive medical schools are. Wouldn’t you love to start your educational career with much of that concern removed? For example, Daemen currently has partnerships with Lincoln Memorial University for a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 7 years (3+4) or a 4+4 year agreement with NOVA Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine for qualifying students.

Most schools list their articulation agreements on their website. Or, you can always check with your admission counselors about all the options that can help you best meet your educational goals.

A flexible counselor should be happy to spend time with you discussing all the options and helping you find the program or path that works for you.