Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA)
What Is MTA?
The Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) is a statewide agreement that guarantees that certain lower-division general education credits earned at a Michigan community college will transfer to participating four-year colleges and universities in Michigan.
The MTA can help you save money on tuition and fees by:
- allowing you to complete your general education requirements at NMC, which is typically less expensive than a four-year school
- helping you graduate on time by ensuring that you're taking the right courses and that your credits will transfer seamlessly to your four-year school
- giving you a head start on your four-year degree by allowing you to take courses that are relevant to your major.
To fulfill the MTA, students must successfully complete at least 30 Group 1 general education semester credit hours. Students must earn at least a grade of 2.0 in each MTA course in order for it to count towards the minimum MTA requirements. Credits should be distributed as follows:
- English Composition: Two courses
- Humanities: Two Group 1 courses (at least 6 credits) from 2 subject areas excluding studio and performance classes
- Mathematics: One Group 1 course (MTH 120 or higher)
- Natural Science: Two Group 1 courses (at least 6 credits) from 2 subject areas (one course must include a lecture/laboratory)
- Social Science: Two Group 1 courses (at least 6 credits) from 2 subject areas
Students are required to complete at least one for-credit course at NMC to receive the MTA Satisfied endorsement. It must be a college-level course but need not be from the areas represented in the MTA. When students have completed the MTA requirements, the NMC Records Office will automatically award this "stamp" on their transcripts will be noted “MTA SATISFIED.” Students are not required to complete an associate degree in order to satisfy the MTA. Some students select a course of study that requires a four-year degree of which two years may be completed at NMC through completion of the Associate in Science and Arts (ASA) degree. Students completing the ASA will also complete the MTA.
Advanced Placement (AP) will be accepted toward the MTA. However, College Level Examination Program (CLEP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and DANTES Subject Standardized Test (DSST) are not applicable to the MTA at this time.
what was the MACRAO agreement?
Students who began prior to fall of 2014 were able to complete the existing MACRAO agreement until the end of summer 2019 as long as they were a continuous student (taking at least one course each year). If a student already has the MACRAO agreement stamp on their transcript, it is expected that the receiving institution will still honor it.
Courses taken after Summer 2019 cannot be used to complete the MACRAO agreement.
Contact the Records & Registration Office or the Advising Center to learn more about how MTA and MACRAO apply to your situation.