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Glossary


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The following is a list of frequently encountered terms in the areas of colleges and careers.

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Academic Advisor - A post-secondary counselor that provides guidance to students in designing an academic program and selecting courses to meet program requirements.

Academic Standing - A student's academic marks that determine whether they are meeting the standards prescribed for continuing in the program. Different levels of academic standing include the Dean's Honor Roll and academic probation.

Academic Year - The period of formal instruction at a postsecondary institution, usually September through June.

Accreditation - Registered institutions and programs are accredited by a regional or general body that ensures specific curriculum standards are met with integrity.

Apprenticeship - A hands-on training process whereby students learn a skilled trade. Takes place over an agreed upon period during which time, a person learns a trade by being employed in it, usually at a lower wage.

Aptitude Test - A test designed to measure a person's ability to learn and the likelihood of his or her success in future schoolwork or in a specific career.

Assistantship - A form of financial aid usually offered to graduate students which requires part-time services in teaching, laboratory supervision or services in research.

Associate Degree - Degree granted after completion of a two-year postsecondary program (sometimes used as a transfer degree).

Audit - Participating in a course to learn about the subject matter without receiving a grade or credit towards a degree.

Award Letter - This is the notification of terms and requirements of the financial aid package offered by a college.

Baccalaureate - Latin term for a bachelor's degree.

Bachelor's Degree - First degree granted by a four-year college, university or professional school after completion of a three or four year postsecondary program.

Bursary - A financial award given to students, based mainly on need, although academic grades may also be considered. A bursary does not have to be repaid to the donor.

Career - A job for which one is trained and in which it is possible to advance during one's working life.

Certificate - A document affirming or acknowledging one's completion of an educational course or program.

Chair - The person who acts as the administrative head of a department or unit at a university (e.g., the Chair of the English Department).

Clinical Education - Supervised, hands-on experience in a program related setting. Most commonly found in science and health related programs.

College - An institution of higher learning granting diplomas and degrees. Also refers to divisions within a university system (e.g., College of Business).

College Catalogue - An official publication providing information about an institution's program offerings, curriculum, entrances requirements, financial aid, services and student life.

Concurrent Programs - Two simultaneous programs being studied at the same time, resulting in two credentials; for example, a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Education.

Conditional Acceptance/Admission - Acceptance letter offering a place in a university or college program to an academically qualified student, subject to meeting a specified condition (often completion of English language studies or achievement of a minimum English proficiency test score).

Continuing Education - Formal courses of study for adult part-time studies, which may result in a diploma or certificate. Continuing education classes usually take place in the evening.

Cooperative or Co-op Program - An education program that combines academic learning with practical work experience, through alternating periods of classroom study and paid work placements. A student usually earns school credits for the work experience as well.

Core Course - A course addressing the main components of a program, generally as a requisite for graduation.

Co-requisite Course - A course that must be taken simultaneously within a department.

Courseload - The number of courses taken or credits earned within a period of study (semester, term, quarter, etc.).

Courseware - The media, either text, computer program, or CD-ROM that contains the instructional content of the course.

Credit - A measure of academic progress granted for each course completed; most academic programs require students to complete a certain number of credits for graduation.

Curriculum - Subject matter included and covered in a course of study.

Dean - The head of a division, faculty, college, or school of a university

Deferment - An approved temporary postponement of acceptance to a university or college program, based on certain events and criteria.

Degree - A designation awarded upon completion of a four-year college or university program at one of three levels: bachelor, master, and Doctor.

Department - A faculty, within a college or university system, concerned with a specific discipline of study.

Diploma - A document bearing record of graduation from an educational institution.

Distance Education - An education program whereby students may complete all or part of the program in a geographical location apart from the institution hosting the program.

Doctorate Degree - The highest university degree granted, usually after completion of a master's degree.

Double Major - Allows a student to specialize and concentrate on two main areas of study, instead of only one major.

Drop/Add - Once a student is registered in classes for a semester, they may begin to drop and add courses according to the rules of the institution. This usually happens during the first few weeks of a semester or term, and is often called drop/add week.

Early Admission - Acceptance into a postsecondary institution before completion of Secondary school or acceptance before the regular admission date. Admission standards are usually higher for early acceptance.

Early Decision - A system in which applicants apply earlier than the posted deadline, and, if accepted, withdraw all other applications and agree to enroll at the university.

Elective - A course that it not requisitely required for a program but counts toward it, and can be chosen freely by the student from within a specified group of courses.

Entrepreneurship - The undertaking of a business or enterprise with the chance of profit or loss. This is a common specialization in business programs in which students study the traits of successful entrepreneurs as well as what is needed to establish a new business.

Exchange (Program) - An agreement between institutions that permits students to move from one institution to another for short or long-term periods of study or employment. Most schools offer credit towards a degree earned at the original institution.

Expected Family Contribution - The amount of money a student and his or her family can contribute toward college costs. The student's FAFSA and/or the colleges' financial aid form determine this.

Faculty - Twofold in meaning: refers to the professors and researchers employed by a university or to the teaching divisions within a university system (e.g. Faculty of Engineering), which are then divided further into departments.

FAFSA - (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) The form to apply for financial aid from the U.S. federal government, including both federal loans and grants. All colleges require this form.

Field Placement - A period of related work experience during a program, usually as a block of time or on a weekly basis for which students are not usually paid.

Financial Aid - A financial service offered by educational institutions that includes information about financial aid, and monetary assistance available to students attending these institutions. The aid can consist of loans, bursaries, scholarships, work-study programs, and fellowships.

Financial Aid Package - Refers to the grants, loans and work-study that students may receive to help them go to school.

Financial Need - The amount that a student's expected family contribution falls short of meeting his or her monetary needs for school.

Fraternities - A men's student organization formed for social and/or philanthropic purposes found on many university and college campuses.

Full Course - A course taken over two semesters as opposed to a Half Course (course taken over one semester).

Full-time student - A full-time student is defined as a student taking at least 60 per cent of a full course load.

Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) - Test taken as an admission requirement for postgraduate business and management programs.

Grade Point Average (GPA) - The GPA is an average calculation attained by dividing the grades achieved by a student during the course of an educational program, by the total credit value of those courses. This is calculated on various scales determined by each individual institution.

Graduate - A person who has been awarded an academic degree after successfully completing a degree or diploma program at an educational institution.

Graduate Program - A program leading towards a master's or doctorate degree.

Graduate Student - A student in a post-baccalaureate program, working towards a master's or doctorate degree.

Grant - A financial aid that does not have to be paid back and is awarded to students based on financial need.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE) - A test many students must take as an admission requirement for graduate school in fields other than business, law and medicine.

Half Course - A course spanning over one semester as opposed to a Full Course (course taken over two semesters).

Honors Program - An extension of a bachelor's degree, including more prerequisite classes, more challenging coursework, a major project or thesis and sometimes one extra year of study. An Honors achievement is recognized on the degree.

Humanities - Human related programs usually offered within a Faculty of Arts (e.g., history, languages and literature, sociology).

Independent Study - A course of study designed by a student and a sponsoring faculty member or teacher. The student works independently on the project and material throughout the term, continually consulting with the instructor on a periodic basis.

Intelligence Quotient (IQ) - A test that calculates a person's purported mental capacity. IQ tests have become increasingly controversial because critics claim they measure only a narrow band of intellectual strengths. Other critics claim the tests are biased against members of some minority groups.

Interdisciplinary (Curriculum) - Study of all aspects of a particular field (e.g., chemistry, engineering) rather than complete specialization in a single area (e.g., marketing, electrical engineering). This gives students a broad, well-rounded education.

International Baccalaureate (IB) - An international standardization of high school academics. A number of countries participate in the International Baccalaureate system.

Internship - A concentrated period of degree-related, industrial or business placement, for which the participant may or may not be paid.

Joint Degree - Pursuit of two degrees (e.g., business and law) at the same time; students achieving joint degrees frequently benefit from special programs enabling a shortened period of study.

Job Placement Programs - These programs help student's find jobs in their field of academic study or vocational study.

Learning Disabilities - encompasses a wide variety of learning difficulties for students. In general, a learning disability describes a discrepancy between a child's intelligence and academic achievement. Some people have learning disabilities only in specific areas, such as mathematics.

Learning Style - The channels through which a person best understands and retains knowledge. All individuals learn best through one or more channels: vision, hearing, movement, touching, or a combination of these.

Lecture - Large introductory classes that are primarily one-way methods of communication of prepared materials from instructor to students. Students attend lectures, take notes, and have limited time for asking questions. A discussion section frequently accompanies lectures.

Liberal Arts - Non-technical work conducted in the humanities and social and natural sciences.

Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) - Test taken as an admission requirement for a Law degree program.

Major - The primary academic focus or subject(s) pursued within a degree program; often combined with general education requirements.

Master's Degree - A degree granted upon completion of a second level college or university degree program (after a bachelor's degree).

Matriculation - Qualifying by examination or otherwise for admission to a college or university.

Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) - Test taken as an admission requirement for a Medical degree program (M.D).

Minor - A secondary academic focus pursued as a supplement or accent to a major program.

Oversubscribed - A term used to describe programs or classes for which more qualified applications are submitted than seats available.

Part-Time Student - Defined as a student taking between 59 and 20 per cent of a full course load. A student with a permanent disability is considered to be a part-time student if he or she is taking between 39 and 20 per cent of a full course load.

Pell Grant - This is a need-based grant that students do not have to pay back.

Placement Test - A test used to determine a student's level in a particular skill area.

Postsecondary - Relating to the education of individuals after completion of secondary school requirements.

Practicum - A concentrated period of program related, practical work experience.

Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test (PSAT) - A practice test for the SAT. This is usually taken in grade 10 or 11 and it gives students an idea of how they will perform on the SAT.

Prerequisite - Course required as preparation for entry into a more advanced academic course or program.

Private Institution - An institution that relies primarily on non-governmental sources of financial support.

Public Institution - An institution that receives the majority of funding through the government.

Qualifying Exam - An examination sometimes administered to students working towards their doctoral degree after completing their required coursework and before starting their thesis.

Quarter - Period of study that is one-quarter of the academic year.

Registrar - The person responsible for records of enrollment and academic achievement at an institution.

Registration - Method through which students select courses to be taken during a quarter, semester or trimester.

Residence - Accommodation located on campus where students usually live in shared or private rooms.

Rolling Admissions - A policy with no set deadline for application submission.

Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) - A standardized test that assesses a student's math and English abilities. Many colleges and universities require an SAT score for admission.

Scholarship - Gifts of money to students for the purpose of helping them finance their education. Although scholarships are usually awarded on the basis of scholastic merit, many also stipulate that successful candidates will also possess other characteristics, belong to certain groups, combine scholarship with outstanding performance in other areas, including volunteering and extra curricular activities. Students are not required to repay a scholarship nor must they demonstrate financial need.

Seminar - A small group meeting or class based on the exchange of information and discussions on a specialized topic under the supervision and leadership of a faculty member. Sometimes called a tutorial.

Semester - A period of time, usually about fifteen weeks, during which a post-secondary school is in session. In semestered schools, most courses last just one semester and students must register at the school each semester. Similar to school terms.

Sororities - A women's student organization formed for social and/or philanthropic purposes found on many university and college campuses.

Special Education - Special instruction for students with educational or physical disabilities; tailored to each student's needs and learning style.

Stafford Loan - Loans that are subsidized by the federal government that students do not have to begin paying back until six months after they graduate from college.

Student Aid - Student financial assistance.

Student Aid Report (SAR) - A report produced by the U.S. Department of Education and sent to students who have applied for financial aid.

Student Loan - Money that student's borrow from a bank, lending institution on behalf of the government. The government pays the interest that accrues on your loan while you are in school. Students must repay the loan when they are no longer a full-time student. If this is not possible, then students must pay interest on the loan until it is paid off.

Syllabus - A detailed program or outline of a course of study prepared by the instructor. A syllabus will often include: a long description or statement of purpose for the course, a list of the course requirements, including midterms, a final exam, papers, due dates, and a week-by-week schedule of classes, topics, readings, and assignments.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) - An English language proficiency examination usually required of college and university applicants whose native language is not English.

Thesis - A dissertation embodying results of original research and substantiating a specific view. Usually submitted as a requirement for a specific degree program.

Transcript - Official academic records detailing place and time of study, courses completed and grades achieved.

Tuition Fees - Money paid toward the cost of courses to be taken during a school year.

Tuition Payment Plan - A method of payment offered by colleges, banks, insurance companies and financial management organizations.

Tutorial - A discussion group involving a small number of students, divided between a large lecture class. The course usually includes regular lectures as well as the tutorial. This is sometimes called a conference.

Undergraduate - A student at a four-year college or university who has not yet completed a Bachelor's degree.

Undergraduate Program - Program leading towards a Bachelor's Degree.

Withdrawal - A cancellation of registration in a course by a student within the specific withdrawal period as indicated on the student timetable. The withdrawal date is the date whereby a student can withdraw from a course without academic or financial penalty.

Work-Study Program - A program where payments are earned by students in financial need who work on campus or off campus to help pay for school costs.

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