USDLA | Glossary

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Academic Advisor - An appointed university representative who provides guidance to students in designing an academic program and selecting courses to meet program requirements

Accredit - to render credible; programs are often accredited by regional and/or general bodies, ensuring that specific curricular standards are met

Advanced Standing (Advanced Placement, Accelerated Study) - direct entry into more advanced levels in the program (bypassing initial components) based on performance on advanced placement tests or academic credit previously earned.

Affidavit - a written statement confirmed by oath

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

Asynchronous Communication - two-way, "non-synchronous' communication that involves a time delay between the transmission and receipt of a message (e.g., e-mail and voice messaging)

Audioconferencing - voice communications, either through standard telephone lines or through Internet-based software

Audiographics - type of audio-based technology that uses hone lines to transmit visual information, such as drawings and charts

Baccalaureate - a bachelors degree level of study

Baud - a unit of digital transmission used to describe the rate at which information flows between two electronic devices such as modems.

Case Study - the application of management principles to simulated or real-life situations in order to give students practice in applying their analytical and presentation skills as well as theoretical knowledge.

College - institution offering associate and bachelor's degrees focusing on education rather than research; also refers to divisions within a university system (e.g., College of Business)

Compressed Video - Video images processed to remove extraneous information, facilitating the transmission of information over telephone lines or other narrow bandwidth carriers.

Concentration - a focus undertaken within a major; for example, a student pursuing a degree with a major in business might undertake a concentration in human resources management.

Concurrent - simultaneous; occurring at the same time or together

Conditional Acceptance (Admission) - offer of a place in a university/institution degree 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

Consortium - an association of several bodies

Cooperative or Co-op (Program) - education program that combines theoretical learning with practical experience, generally via alternating periods of classroom study and work placements

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

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

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

Credit Hours - a system of measuring credit by the number of hours spent in class a week

Curriculum - subjects included in a course of study; plural: curricula

Deferred Admission - postponing enrollment into an academic program after acceptance for a specified period of time (usually one year)

Digital Technology - allows compression of communication signals for faster, easier transmission of information

Distance Education (Learning) - education program whereby students may complete all or part of an educational program in a geographical location apart from the institution hosting the program; the final award given is equivalent in standard and content to an award program completed on campus

Distance Learning - USDLA defines Distance Learning as "The acquisition of Knowledge and skills through mediated information and instruction, encompassing all technologies and other forms of learning at a distance."

Double Major - the pursuit of two majors during the course of one degree program

Early Admission - acceptance into a post secondary institution before completion of secondary school; admission standards are usually higher than for regular admission

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 Courses - optional courses that complement the core components of a degree program; credit earned is applied to the final degree.

Entrepreneurship - the undertaking of a business or enterprise with chance of Profit or loss; a common specialization in business programs; program participants study the traits of successful entrepreneurs as well as what is needed to establish a new business

Exchange (Program) – agreement between institutions that permit students to move from one institution to another for short – or long-term periods of study or employment; may offer credit towards a degree earned at the original institution

Faculty – the professors and researchers employed by a university; also refers to divisions within a university system (e.g., Faculty of Engineering

Foundation (Studies/Year) – preliminary, general or specific course of study that forms the basis of subsequent education; frequently offered as a qualifying year for candidates who require skills/knowledge upgrading for entry into a desired degree program

GPA – grade point average; the average grade achieved by a student during the course of an educational program, calculated on various scales determined by individual institutions

Graduate Study – post baccalaureate program, usually leading to masters or doctoral degrees

Honors Program – programs of particularly challenging course work (and often including a major project or thesis) offered to high-achieving students; achievement is recognized on the degree

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

Internet – electronic communications network that connects computer networks and organizational computer facilities around the world

Internship – concentrated period of degree-related, industrial or business placement, for which participant may or may not be remunerated

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 shorten period of study

Liberal Arts – non-technical work conducted in the humanities and social and natural sciences

Major – the primary academic focus pursued within a degree program; often combined with general education requirements

Matriculation – qualifying by examination or otherwise for admission to a university

Mechatronic – the use of computer hardware and software to control mechanical systems

Minor – a secondary academic focus pursued as a supplement or accent to a major program

Modem – a device used to convert digital information for transmission over a telecommunications channel

Open Admissions – admissions policy under which there are no academic prerequisites with the exception of secondary school completion

Orientation – an organized introduction for new students to the
Campus, resources and surrounding area; usually occurs just prior to the onset of classes

Parallel-time Co-op - cooperative education system in which students complete classroom instruction and acquire degree-related work experience during the same time period

Placement Test – a test used to determine a student’s level in a particular skill area; commonly used for placement in English language programs for nonnative speakers; conducted after a student’s arrival on campus

Pool (Selection) – determination, with academic advisory assistance, of a schedule of requires and elective courses and the appropriate order of completion to fulfill degree requirements

Postgraduate Studies – see graduate study

Practicum – concentrated period of degree-related, practical work experience; plural: practica

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

Prorated – proportionally; for prorated refunds, the amount of money refunded is proportional to the amount of time that passed from a specified date

Public Institution – an institution that receives the majority of funding through the government

Reference (Recommendation) – a commendation from a former teacher or counselor in the form of a letter attesting to the student’s academic and/or personal merits

Registrar – the person responsible for records of enrollment and academic achievement at the institution

Residence Hall (Dormitory) – accommodation located on campus; students usually live in shared or private rooms; cooking facilities are not generally supplied, though many institutions offer cafeteria meal plans

Rolling Admissions – a policy with no set deadline for application submission

Specialization - a focus undertaken within a major; for example, a student pursuing a degree with a major in engineering might specialize in computer science

Standardized Tests - tests administered by an outside body that are used in the admissions process in conjunction with academic transcripts; these include the SAT and ACT

Study Abroad (Program) - agreement between institutions in different geographical locations enabling students to move from one to the other for short or long-term study periods within a single degree program

Syllabus - programs or outline of a course of study

Teleconferencing - the use of sophisticated telecommunications to link remote sites; examples are audioconferencing and videoconferencing

Terminal Degree - the highest degree that may be obtained in a field (usually, but not always, a doctoral degree)

Tertiary - post secondary education; education pursued after secondary school (usually in reference to college or university education)

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

Tutor - a qualified person who provides academic assistance to students, and may also grade assignments; a tutor generally provides one to one assistance to individual students, or less often, teaches in a more formal classroom setting

Twinning (Program) - arrangement between institutions in different geographical locations in which students complete up to two years of study in a college in their home countries, followed by guaranteed admission to the partner university for completion of a degree program; the degree is granted by the latter institution

Videocassette - cartridge containing taped video and audio information often used as a distance learning delivery mode owing to its adaptability to the distance learner's study methods

Videoconference - a conference conducted in 'real time' through the use of video technology, allowing individuals to participate from separate locations; frequently used by distance education programs

WWW - a system of hypertext links used to facilitate navigation of the Internet

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