Linfield University has adopted a new policy that streamlines the path to a bachelor’s degree for community college transfers.
Effective immediately, transfer students with qualifying two-year degrees will be considered to have satisfied all lower-division general education requirements at Linfield. This “block transfer” approach ensures these students are positioned to graduate in just two additional years. This new policy applies to students who have earned an associate degree designed for transfer, such as:
- Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer (AAOT)
- Associate of Science Oregon Transfer in Business (ASOT-B)
- Washington’s Associate in Arts Direct Transfer Agreement (AA-DTA)
- California’s Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)
At Linfield, transfer students with qualifying degrees will only need to complete the following general education requirements:
- One upper-division Linfield Curriculum (LC) course, from any of the six Modes of Inquiry, and
- The Writing-Intensive Course(s) within their major (MWI).
“This is a historic moment for Linfield and a major win for Oregon’s transfer students,” said Beth Concepción, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “By recognizing the hard work students have already completed, we’re eliminating unnecessary hurdles and helping them graduate more quickly.”
Students transferring to private universities have traditionally faced complex and inconsistent general education requirements. Linfield’s new policy eliminates those barriers and reflects the university’s longstanding participation in statewide efforts to improve transfer pathways.
The new transfer policy is the result of several years of collaboration through the Oregon Transfer Pathways to the Liberal Arts, a grant-funded initiative of the Oregon Alliance of Independent Colleges and Universities.
“We’ve been working hard toward this for a long time,” Concepción said. “Now we can say clearly: Linfield is the most transfer-friendly private university in Oregon.”
At least one current student agrees. Jazmin Reos, a sophomore at Chemeketa Community College, recently applied and was admitted to several Oregon colleges and universities, including Linfield, to complete her bachelor’s degree. She said that based on her experience, Linfield is the most transfer-friendly private college in the state.
“Linfield was the only one who sent a personalized transfer review to me that showed exactly how the credits I earned would transfer,” she said. “At first, the total cost of a private university looked scary. But after having done the math and calculating in all the grants and scholarships, the cost is almost the same as a public school.”
Linfield’s new policy makes a tangible difference in the future education plans of students like Reos. In her case, the block transfer policy reduces the number of classes Reos needs to take at Linfield by an entire semester.
“It makes a big difference,” Reos said. “It reduces the cost, time and stress [of completing a bachelor’s degree].”
In the fall of 2024, nearly 20% of Linfield’s undergraduates started as transfer students. In addition to streamlined credit transfers, Linfield offers dedicated academic advising and orientation programs to help transfer students thrive from day one. The university also has unique scholarship opportunities for transfer students. This includes a scholarship for transfer students interested in STEM fields and, through a partnership with Portland Community College, a scholarship for students in the Future Connect program.
For more details or to begin the transfer process, visit https://www.linfield.edu/admission/transfer/index.html.
