Glossary of Terms

Accreditation: An endorsement given to a college or program indicating that it has been reviewed and determined to be qualified.

Advanced Placement: An examination program by which students can be awarded college credit through scores earned on a national exam taken prior to enrollment. More information about the AP program is available at www.apcentral.collegeboard.com

Advisor: Faculty or staff member at a college who has been trained to help students with academic information.

Articulation Agreement: A written agreement that lists courses at one college that are equivalent to courses at another college. For example, a community college may have an articulation agreement with a four-year college making transfer to the four-year college automatic once completing the required courses at the community college.

Associate's degree: A two-year degree from a community or junior college. Many four- year colleges will accept a student with an associate's degree into advanced standing and the student can then progress toward a Bachelor's degree in a shortened period of time. Note that spending two years taking classes at a community college will not always result in an Associate's degree.

Audit: Attending class without receiving academic credit for the class.

Bachelor's (or Baccalaureate) degree: A four-year degree from a college or university. The degree usually requires at least 120 credit hours.

Catalog: Guide published by a college describing its courses, outlining academic requirements and providing other official information about the college. At a private college, the catalog constitutes the "contract" between the college and the student.

Certificate: An official recognition that a student has completed a specific list of courses in an occupational field. Not the same thing as a degree.

Class Schedule: A listing of all the classes offered during the semester. Used for registration.

Closed Class: A class that is "full" and closed to further registration.

Credit: The unit earned by taking a particular course. At some colleges, one course earns one credit. At other colleges, courses earn a specific number of "credit hours," most often three or four. A one-credit course is usually equivalent to a 4 credit-hour course.

Degree: A certificate signifying completion of a course of study. Does not always mean an Associate's or Bachelor's degree.

Doctoral degree: The most advanced degree that can be earned.

Electives: Courses not specifically required within the program of study, but taken out of interest or to broaden the student's education.

Full time: For the purposes of federal financial aid, twelve or more credit hours per semester for undergraduate students.

General Education Requirements: Sometimes called "Gen Ed" or "Core" courses, these are a group of courses, generally covering a broad range of the curriculum, that are required for all students, regardless of major.

GPA: Grade point average. Usually based upon a 4 point scale with an A earning 4 points and an F earning 0 points.

Grant: A form of financial assistance that does NOT need to be repaid.

Internship: A job, either paid or unpaid, related to the student's field of study. Some academic programs require internships as part of the degree. Internships may also earn academic credit, depending upon the program.

Loan: A form of financial assistance that must be repaid. Some loans are subsidized and have lower than market interest rates and special terms for repayment.

Major: A student's area of specialized study. Requires taking courses or meeting standards specific to that area of study.

Master's degree: An advanced degree usually requiring two years of study beyond the bachelor's degree.

Minor: A secondary area of specialized study within a student's academic program. Most programs do not require the student to have a minor, but having a second area of study can have advantages.

Orientation: A formal program for new students designed to introduce them to the college and prepare them for enrollment.

Practicum: Similar to an internship, but more likely to earn academic credit and less likely to carry a salary.

Prerequisite: A course that must be taken prior to enrollment in another course or area of study.

Private college/university: Institution that is not subsidized by state tax dollars.

Probation: A warning that a student is not in good academic standing. Each college has specific guidelines for placing students on probation.

Public college/university: Institution subsidized by state tax dollars. For students living in that state, tuition is lower.

Registration: The process of signing up for specific courses.

Room and Board: The cost of living (room) and eating (board) on campus. Some colleges have different costs for single rooms, for example, or for unlimited meal plans.

Scholarship: Financial assistance based on merit or achievement. Does not need to be repaid.

Semester: An academic term, usually 15 or 16 weeks in length. Each academic year has two semesters. A variation on this is the "4-1-4" calendar which includes a four-month fall semester, a one-month Winter Term or Interim Term and a four-month spring semester.

Suspension: A penalty imposed because of poor academic performance. In most cases, the student is not permitted to enroll in classes for a specific number of semesters.

Transcript: The record of a student's courses and grades.

Transfer credit: Credit earned at one college that is then accepted as credit by another college.

Trimester: An academic term, usually 10 or 11 weeks in length. Each academic year has three trimesters.

Tuition: The cost for courses at a college. Does not include costs for room and board or other fees.

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