The State of Oregon, community colleges, and public universities are working together to expand Common Course Numbering (CCN) across Oregon public institutions. CCN focuses on aligning the most transferred, lower-division coursework to help students receive credit when they transfer between public institutions in Oregon. Here you can find information on courses approved for CCN as well as resources for institutions and educators.
Resources for Institutions and Educators
Courses approved for CCN are from a list of the most transferred, lower-division courses, and are aligned as directed by Senate Bill (SB) 233 (2021). Alignment includes course title, name, number, subject code, credits, description, and learning outcomes. On this page, educators and partners can find the current list of approved CCNs, as well information guiding the ongoing development of CCNs in Oregon.
The Transfer Council develops recommendations on CCN alignment, which is then considered for approval by the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC). SB 233 requires the HECC to establish, by rule, a CCN system and system of transfer and articulation, based on recommendations from the Transfer Council. When CCNs are approved and implemented, all Oregon community colleges and public universities are required to adopt CCN course information (if they offer a similar course) and accept a transfer of academic credit for each course as if the credit was earned at the accepting institution.
Resources for Students
Students can find tips at the link below for starting the transfer process, including introductions to the resources in the Oregon Transfer Compass (Core Transfer Maps, Major Transfer Maps, and other tools).
Plan to Transfer — The Oregon Transfer Compass
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
FAQ on Common Course Numbering
Common Course Numbering (CCN) is a process for aligning course information for the most transferred lower-division courses in Oregon. These courses are usually transferred between community colleges and public universities (vertical transfer), but students also transfer between institutions for other reasons (for example, community college to community college, university to university). The intent of CCN is to streamline transfer by reducing excess credit accumulation (or credits that don’t apply toward a degree or program) by ensuring that course information is exactly the same at all Oregon public colleges and universities. According to the Education Commission of the States (July 2022), 20 states have CCN.
In Oregon, courses that end in a "Z" are part of CCN (for example, MTH 111Z, WR 227Z). When transferring to an Oregon public college or university, CCN courses will be accepted as if they were taken at the institution students transfer to (that is, the receiving institution).
Only the most transferred lower-division courses are part of CCN. The process of aligning course information (for example, course title, number, description) requires a great deal of time and collaboration between public college and university faculty, which is very labor intensive. Additionally, not all institutions offer degree-specific coursework. Therefore, the most popular, most transferred courses are part of CCN—not all courses at all institutions.
No. If a student took a course before it went through CCN alignment, they do not need to retake the course. Receiving institutions (public) will accept the course with or without a "Z." Remember, accepting a course for credit and having that course apply toward a degree or program are not the same thing.
List of CCN Approved Courses
The following list provides a summary of the CCN courses recommended to the HECC by the Transfer Council and approved by the full HECC Commission. For more information on approved courses, you may view the following summaries. SB 233 requires that all 24 Oregon public higher education institutions offer the approved list of courses starting in the years designated below.
- Course Numbers
- Approval Dates
Approved November 21, 2024: BI/BIO/BIOL 221Z, 222Z, 223Z
Approved November 20, 2025: BI/BIO/BIOL 231Z, 232Z, 233Z
- Catalog Dates
Required to begin appearing in the 2025-26 catalog: BI/BIO/BIOL 221Z, 222Z, 223Z
Required to begin appearing in the 2026-27 catalog: BI/BIO/BIOL 231Z, 232Z, 233Z
- Review Timeline
BI/BIO/BIOL 221Z, 222Z, 223Z, approved in 2024
- Annual review date: Spring 2027
- Date of first triennial review: Fall 2029
BI/BIO/BIOL 231Z, 232Z, 233Z, approved in 2025
- Annual review date: Winter 2028
- Date of first triennial review: Academic Year 2031
- Course Numbers
- Approval Dates
Approved December 14, 2023: BA 101Z, 211Z, 213Z
Approved November 21, 2024: BA 169Z, 226Z
- Catalog Dates
Required to begin appearing in the 2024-25 catalog: BA 101Z, 211Z, 213Z
Required to begin appearing in the 2025-26 catalog: BA 169Z, 226Z
- Review Timeline
BA 101Z, 211Z, 213Z, approved in 2023
- Annual review date: Winter 2027
- Date of first triennial review: Winter 2029
BA 169Z, 226Z, approved in 2024
- Annual review date: Winter 2027
- Date of first triennial review: Winter 2030
- Course Numbers
- Approval Dates
Approved November 21, 2024: CH/CHE/CHEM 221Z, 222Z, 223Z, 227Z, 228Z, 229Z
Approved November 20, 2025: CH/CHE/CHEM 104Z, 112Z, 124Z, 150Z
- Catalog Dates
Required to begin appearing in the 2025-26 catalog: CH/CHE/CHEM 221Z, 222Z, 223Z, 227Z, 228Z, 229Z
Required to begin appearing in the 2026-27 catalog: CH/CHE/CHEM 104Z, 112Z, 124Z, 150Z
- Review Timeline
CH/CHE/CHEM 221Z, 222Z, 223Z, 227Z, 228Z, 229Z, approved in 2024
- Annual review date: Winter 2027
- Date of first triennial review: Winter 2030
CH/CHE/CHEM 104Z, 112Z, 124Z, 150Z, approved in 2025
- Annual review date: Winter 2027
- Date of first triennial review: Academic Year 2030
- Course Numbers
- Approval Dates
Approved: November 4, 2022: COM/COMM 100Z, 111Z, 218Z
- Catalog Dates
Required to begin appearing in the 2023-24 catalog: COM/COMM 100Z, 111Z, 218Z
- Review Timeline
COM/COMM 100Z, 111Z, 218Z, approved in 2022
- Annual review date: Winter 2025
- Date of first triennial review: Winter 2027
- Course Numbers
- Approval Dates
Approved November 21, 2024: EC/ECON 201Z, 202Z
- Catalog Dates
Required to begin appearing in the 2025-26 catalog: EC/ECON 201Z, 202Z
- Review Timeline
EC/ECON 201Z, 202Z, approved in 2024
- Annual review date: Spring 2027
- Date of first triennial review: Fall 2029
- Course Numbers
- Approval Dates
Approved December 14, 2023: ENG 104Z, 105Z, 106Z
- Catalog Dates
Required to begin appearing in the 2024-25 catalog: ENG 104Z, 105Z, 106Z
- Review Timeline
ENG 104Z, 105Z, 106Z, approved in 2023
- Annual review date: Winter 2025
- Date of first triennial review: Academic Year 2031
- Course Numbers
- Approval Dates
Approved June 6, 2025: HST/HIST 201Z, 202Z, 203Z
- Catalog Dates
Required to begin appearing in the 2026-27 catalog: HST/HIST 201Z, 202Z, 203Z
- Review Timeline
HST/HIST 201Z, 202Z, 203Z, approved in 2025
- Annual review date: Winter 2028
- Date of first triennial review: Academic Year 2031
- Course Numbers
- Approval Dates
Approved November 4, 2022: MTH/MATH 105Z, 111Z, 112Z
Approved December 14, 2023: MTH/MATH 251Z, 252Z, 253Z
- Catalog Dates
Required to begin appearing in the 2023-24 catalog: MTH/MATH 105Z, 111Z, 112Z
Required to begin appearing in the 2024-25 catalog: 251Z, 252Z, 253Z
- Review Timeline
MTH/MATH 105Z, 111Z, 112Z, approved in 2022:
- Annual review date: Winter 2025
- Date of first triennial review: Winter 2027
MTH/MATH 251Z, 252Z, 253Z, approved in 2023:
- Annual review date: Winter 2026
- Date of first triennial review: Winter 2027
- Course Numbers
- Approval Dates
Approved December 14, 2023: PSY 201Z, 202Z
- Catalog Dates
Required to begin appearing in the 2024-25 catalog: PSY 201Z, 202Z
- Review Timeline
PSY 201Z, 202Z, approved in 2023
- Annual review date: Winter 2026
- Date of first triennial review: Winter 2028
- Course Numbers
- Approval Dates
Approved November 21, 2024: SOC/SOAN 204Z, 205Z, 206Z
- Catalog Dates
Required to begin appearing in the 2025-26 catalog: SOC/SOAN 204Z, 205Z, 206Z
- Review Timeline
SOC/SOAN 204Z, 205Z, 206Z , approved in 2024:
- Annual review date: Spring 2027
- Date of first triennial review: Fall 2029
- Course Numbers
- Approval Dates
Approved November 20, 2025: SPA/SPN/SPAN 101Z, 102Z, 103Z
- Catalog Dates
Required to begin appearing in the 2026-27 catalog: SPA/SPN/SPAN 101Z, 102Z, 103Z
- Review Timeline
SPA/SPN/SPAN 101Z, 102Z, 103Z, approved in 2025
- Annual review date: Winter 2028
- Date of first triennial review: Academic Year 2031
- Course Numbers
- Approval Dates
Approved November 4, 2022 : ST/STAT 243Z
- Catalog Dates
Required to begin appearing in the 2023-24 catalog: ST/STAT 243Z
- Review Timeline
ST/STAT 243Z , approved in 2022
- Annual review date: Spring 2025
- Date of first triennial review: Spring 2027
- Course Numbers
- Approval Dates
Approved November 4, 2022: WR 121Z, 122Z, 227Z
- Catalog Dates
Required to begin appearing in the 2023-24 catalog: WR 121Z, 122Z, 227Z
- Review Timeline
WR 121Z, 122Z, 227Z, approved in 2022
- Annual review date: Winter 2025
- Date of first triennial review: Winter 2027
CCN: Courses Under Development
Several new commonly numbered courses are being aligned and will become available once approved by the Transfer Council.
Courses: - Anthropology: Archaeology, Cultural, Biological or Native American
- Art: Studio Art (Painting, Drawing, + another course)
- History: W Civ I, II, III
- Political Science: International Relations, State and Local, US/American Government
- Spanish: Second Year Spanish I, II, III
Courses: - Computer Science
- Health
- Music
- Philosophy
- Physics
Institution and Educator Resources for Development of CCN
Resources
Learn about CCN Subcommittees including charges. Please contact Jane Denison-Furness (jane.denison-furness@hecc.oregon.gov) at the HECC for access to reports and memos related to Common Course Numbering (CCN).
Stay Engaged
Transfer Council meetings are public, and public testimony is welcomed at all public meetings of the HECC. Legislation passed in 2024 (Senate Bill 1152) excluded certain subcommittees of the Transfer Council, including those related to Common Course Numbering (CCN), from public meeting law requirements. However, we continue to post the schedule of upcoming CCN meetings and video links on the page linked to below.Attend a Transfer Council public meeting or a CCN Subcommittee meeting.