After CAT

Organization of UC and How it Affects Students in the Center

• To understand what will happen to each student once he/she leaves the Center for Access and Transition, one must first understand how the University of Cincinnati is organized.
  
  
• The University is made up of individual colleges or schools. Most of the colleges are located on our main campus. The colleges are each responsible for different majors - so your major determines which college you will choose.
  
  
• The Center has a "transition agreement" with six of the major U.C. undergraduate colleges - this agreement explains what students in the Center must do to gain admission to his/her college.

How do I know which college houses my major?

• Simply find your major on the list of UC undergraduate programs to find out which college is your "target."

How do I get into my college?

• McMicken College of Arts & Sciences (A&S):

  • To transition students must complete the Learning Agreement and have at least a 2.0 GPA

• College of Allied Health Sciences (CAHS):

  • To transition students must complete the Learning Agreement and have at least a 2.5 GPA.

• College of Applied Science (CAS):

  • To transition to CAS 4-year programs students must complete the Learning Agreement and have at least a 2.75 GPA.
  • To transition to CAS 2-year programs students must complete the Learning Agreement and have at least a 2.5 GPA.
  • Students who do not satisfy the above criteria but who are making progress and have the recommendation of their advisor will be reviewed for conditional acceptance.

• College of Business (CoB):

  • To transition directly into a business program, students must complete the Learning Agreement, earn a 2.5 GPA, and score at least a 23 on the ACT exam, with a high score in math.
  • To transition into the College of Business as a Pre-Business major, students must complete the Learning Agreement and earn a 2.0 GPA. For full admission to the Business program, pre-Business students must earn a 2.5 grade point average in at least 45 hours of college-level coursework and complete the freshman mathematics requirement (see College of Business advisor for details).
  • Students who do not satisfy the above criteria will be advised to pursue one of at least 3 different options: the Business Economics in A&S, the Pre-Business program in CAS, or the Business Technology program in CAS.

• College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH):

  • To transition to any Teacher Education program students must complete the Learning Agreement and have at least a 2.75 GPA.
  • To transition to any other undergraduate degree programs students must complete the Learning Agreement and have at least a 2.5 GPA.

• College of Nursing:

  • To transition to the Pre-Nursing program in the College of Nursing students must complete the Learning Agreement and have at least 2.5 GPA.

How will the transition process work?

• During the quarter in which the student will complete the terms of the learning agreement, he/she will have a Transition Appointment with his/her advisor in the Center. During this appointment the advisor will ensure that the student is making satisfactory progress. At this time the student will sign a form stating that the student understands that they will be transitioned to a new college at the end of the quarter if his/her final grades are acceptable and it is determined that the terms of the learning agreement have been fulfilled. The advisor will also sign this form when final grades are reported and the advisor approves the student for transition.
  
  
• Students will also be required to meet with an advisor from the receiving college by the 8th week of the final quarter in the Center, during which they will receive information from their new colleges.
  
  
• There is no application, and the advisor will handle notifying the receiving college and the registrar so that the student's record will reflect the change in college.
  
  
• Each college will assign the student to an advisor that will handle the student's introduction to the new college and will meet regularly with the student during his/her first quarter in the college. Once the transition is final the new advisor's information will be sent to the student.
  
  
• CAT advisors will work closely with the advising staff in each of the receiving colleges to ensure that the transition is seamless and that the student is introduced to a support network in his/her new college.

What if my college does not have an agreement with the Center?

• Students who apply for programs without a direct path from the Center may attempt to gain admittance to his/her college of choice after transferring to one of the six other colleges.
  
  
• Many of the programs in the College of Design, Architecture, Art & Planning (DAAP), the College of Engineering, and the College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) are highly competitive and selective. Students who desire to gain admission to these programs should work with an advisor to create an alternative plan to use in the case that admission requirements are not met.

What if I am undecided about my major?

• There are many resources at the University of Cincinnati to help you make major and career decisions. As a member of the Center you will work very closely with an advisor to help you choose the right pathway for you.
  
  
• One of the resources you can use to start your decision making process is the Center for Exploratory Studies, where trained advisors who are familiar with every UC major can help you find out more about yourself and your choices. To better serve students in the Center, there is now an Exploratory Advisor with office hours in the CAT Advising office. Call the CAT Advising Center for an appointment!