Drake University has signed an agreement, effective immediately, that will ease the transfer process for students moving from Iowa’s community colleges to Drake.
Under the articulation agreement, Iowa community college students who have completed at least 60 semester hours of courses and maintained a cumulative GPA of 2.0 can transfer to Drake University with all general education requirements fulfilled, with the exception of the Senior Capstone requirement. This means students who meet these qualifications and earn an associate’s degree at an Iowa community college will enter Drake University at junior level status.
“Never before has it been easier for an Iowa community college graduate to achieve a Drake degree,” said Keith Summerville, deputy provost of Drake University. “This partnership creates a seamless transition for transfer students and minimizes the loss of credits and duplication of coursework that far too often disrupts a student’s academic path.”
This agreement is the first of its kind between Iowa community colleges and a private university, and it is a solution for what is a national challenge. According to a 2017 report from The Government Accountability Office, students who transfer from one school to another lose, on average, nearly half of their college credits. This often results in transfer students having to pay for and repeat courses, which in turn, prolongs their graduation date.
“We are pleased to be able to further extend the reach of a Drake education to the highly motivated students of our state,” said Drake University President Marty Martin. “We are committed to working together with our communities and other educational institutions to ensure students have the best possible pathway to success.”
The University also announced today that, as a member of The Common Application, it is now accepting applications for transfer admission through the Common App for transfer. The Common App for transfer is an application platform that was created specifically to meet the unique needs of the ever-growing transfer and community college student populations, including active military members and veterans, and adults returning to school to complete their degree.
Students transferring to Drake are also eligible for new transfer scholarships, outlined on a special page on the Drake website.
Students with an associate’s degree from an Iowa community college who wish to transfer to Drake can choose from more than 140 programs of study across Drake’s undergraduate curricula. These programs are in the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business and Public Administration, School of Education, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. More information about these majors and the transfer of credits is available at drake.edu.