<p>I don't know if I should get an associate degree in aquaculture at the local community college (Hillsborough county) before I go on to a private university (University of Tampa), for marine science-biology. Will it be a waste of money, or will it save money?</p>
<p>Two years at a community college is usually less expensive than the first two years at a four year school, unless you get a large grant or scholarship at the four year school. However, you will have to apply for admission to the four year school, and financial aid and scholarships may not be as generous for transfer students.</p>
<p>Also, not all four year schools accept a lot of transfer students. State universities tend to be the ones that accept the most community college transfer students. Community college students intending to transfer need to look up the course articulation lists for their target four year schools in order to take the courses that are recognized as equivalent to the four year schools’ courses.</p>
<p>Take a look at the transfer requirements for that major at U of Tampa. Do they have a formal articulation agreement with the program at Hillsborough? If they don’t, talk with the department at Hillsborough and with the Transfer Advisor there. Those people will know how often someone does what you are thinking of doing, and how the transfer process has gone.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>1L, why not try USF. Frankly, I may perfer USF than Tampa. Tampa’s growing is much lower than USF. If you have decent grade, try FL state or UFL.</p>
<p>USF doesnt have any marine science (or related) majors. UT does. I wouldnt go any farther than USF honestly.</p>
<p>2 years at a CC is great if there is an articulation agreement with the 4 year college you want to transfer to. You may get an associate’s degree in the process, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to get it. The associate’s degree itself is utterly irrelevant once you get your bachelor’s. Then again, if for any reason you fail to get your bachelor’s there’s a little value to having the associate’s credential.</p>
<p>they dont have an articulation agreement, which is kind of worrisome.</p>
<p>An articulation agreement makes transferring essentially automatic, but if there isn’t one, there is no reason to expect that transferring will be particularly difficult. Since you know which program you intend to transfer into, it would be good for you to contact that university and ask the people there which courses you should take at your CC in order to be successful in transferring. The transfer counselor at your CC, and the professors in the Aquaculture program can also help you with this.</p>