Academic adviser: A member of the faculty who helps and advises students solely on academic matters.

Academic year: The period of formal academic instruction, usually from August or September to May or June. It may be divided into terms of varying lengths: semesters, trimesters, or quarters.

Accreditation: The system of maintaining and approving standards at U.S. educational institutions, which is carried out by organizations called accrediting bodies or accrediting associations. Accreditation is defined by the U.S. Department of Education as "a status granted to an institution which indicates that it is meeting its mission and the standards of the association and seems likely to continue to meet that mission for the foreseeable future."

Advanced placement or advanced standing: A waiver of some of the studies normally required for an undergraduate degree, granted to a student on the basis of prior study or experience.

Affidavit of support: An official document proving a promise of funding from an individual or organization.

Associate degree: The degree awarded after a two-year period of study; it can be either "terminal" (vocational) or "transfer" (the first two years of a bachelor's degree).

Asynchronous: A term used to describe distance education study in which instruction can be received by students wherever and whenever they desire, as long as they have access to the Internet or, in the case of correspondence education, to the mail. See also "Synchronous."

Attestation: Official affirmation that a degree or transcript is genuine. Usually signed by a recognized expert or witness.

Audit: To take a class without receiving a grade or credit toward a degree.

Authentication: Process of determining whether something is, in fact, what it is declared to be. Incoming students are often required to provide a document of authentication for academic transcripts or previous degrees when applying to a program of study in the United States.

Baccalaureate degree: The degree of "bachelor" that is conferred upon graduates of most U.S. colleges and universities.

Bachelor's degree: Degree conferred by an institution of higher learning after the student has accumulated a certain number of undergraduate credits. Usually, a bachelor's degree takes four years to earn, and it is a prerequisite for studies in a graduate program.

Campus: The land on which the buildings of a college or university are located.

Certificate of Eligibility: A U.S. government document, issued by the institution at which a student has been accepted, that enables the student to apply for a visa.

Class rank: A number or ratio indicating a student's academic standing in his or her graduating class. A student who ranks first in a class of 100 students would report his or her class rank as 1/100. Class rank also may be expressed in percentiles.

College: A postsecondary institution that provides an undergraduate education. College, in a separate sense, is a division of a university; for example, college of business.

College catalog: An official publication giving information about an institution's academic programs, facilities, entrance requirements, and student life.

Community, technical, or junior college: A postsecondary institution that offers programs of up to two years' duration, including the associate degree in the arts or sciences (A.A. or A.S.).

Conditional admission: An acceptance to a college or university that is dependent upon the individual completing coursework or meeting specified criteria prior to enrollment, such as English language proficiency.

Course: Regularly scheduled class sessions of one to five (or more) hours per week during an academic term. A degree program is made up of a specified number of required and elective courses and varies from institution to institution.

Credits: Units institutions use to record the completion of courses of instruction (with passing or higher grades) that are required for an academic degree. The catalog defines the number and kinds of credits that are required for the university's degrees and states the value of each course offered in terms of "credit hours" or "credit units."

Degree: Diploma or title conferred by a college, university, or professional school upon completion of a prescribed program of studies.

Department: Administrative subdivision of a school, college, or university through which instruction in a certain field of study is given (for example, English department or history department).

Distance education: Formal learning in which the student and the instructor are not in the same place at the same time.

Doctorate (for example, Ph.D.): The highest academic degree conferred by a university on students who have completed at least three years of graduate study beyond the bachelor's or master's degree and who have demonstrated their academic ability in oral and written examinations and through original research presented in the form of a dissertation.

Dormitories: Housing facilities reserved for students on the campus of a college or university.

Faculty: The members of the teaching staff, and occasionally of the administrative staff, of an educational institution.

Fees: An amount charged by schools, in addition to tuition, to cover costs of institutional services.

Fellowship: A study grant of financial aid, usually awarded to a graduate student.

Financial aid: A general term that includes all types of money, loans, and part-time jobs offered to a student.

Foreign student adviser (FSA): Also known as an international student adviser (ISA). The person associated with a school, college, or university who is in charge of providing information and guidance to foreign students in such areas as U.S. government regulations, visas, academic regulations, social customs, language, financial or housing problems, and certain legal matters.

Freshman: A first-year student at a high school, college, or university.

Full-time student: One who is enrolled in an institution and taking a full load of courses. The number of courses and hours is specified by the institution.

Grade: The evaluation of a student's academic work.

Grade point average (GPA): A system of recording academic achievement based on an average, calculated by multiplying the numerical grade received in each course by the number of credit hours studied.

Grading system: Schools, colleges, and universities in the United States commonly use letter grades from "A" to "D" to indicate the quality of a student's academic performance.

Graduate: A student who has completed a course of study, either at the high school or college level. A graduate program at a university is a study course for students who hold a bachelor's degree.

Graduate Assistantship: A study grant of financial assistance to a graduate student that is offered in return for certain services in teaching or laboratory supervision as a teaching assistant, or for services in research as a research assistant.

Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA): A graduate student who acts as instructor for an undergraduate course in his or her field, in return for some form of financial aid from the university.

GRE/GMAT: Graduate Record Exam and Graduate Management Admission Test both administered by ETS - Educational Testing Services and often required for admission to graduate degree programs, such as in Engineering and for MBA programs.

High school: The last three or four years of the 12-year school education system in the United States; secondary school.

Intensive English Program (IEP): A type of English language program that usually includes 20 to 30 hours of classroom work per week.

International student adviser (ISA): The person at a university who is in charge of providing information and guidance to international students in such areas as government regulations, visas, academic regulations, social customs, language, financial or housing problems, travel plans, insurance, and legal matters.

Junior: A third-year student at a high school, college, or university.

Language requirement: A requirement of some graduate programs that students must show basic reading and writing proficiency in one other language besides their own to receive their degree.

Lecture: Common method of instruction in college and university courses, in which a professor addresses students in classes numbering from 20 to several hundred students. Lectures may be supplemented with regular small group discussions led by teaching assistants.

Maintenance: Living expenses while attending a college or university, including room (living quarters), board (meals), books, clothing, laundry, local transportation, and miscellaneous expenses.

Major: A subject or area of studies in which students concentrate. Undergraduates usually choose a major after the first two years of a degree program.

Master's degree: Degree awarded upon completion of academic requirements that usually include a minimum of one year's study beyond the bachelor's degree.

Minor: A subject or area of studies in which students concentrate their studies, but to a lesser extent than in their major.

Nonresident student: A student who does not meet the residence requirements of the state. Tuition fees and admissions policies may differ for residents and nonresidents. International students are classified as nonresidents.

Notarization: The certification of a document, statement, or signature as authentic and true by a public official — known in the United States as a notary public. Applicants in other countries should have their documents certified or notarized in accordance with instructions.

Placement test: An examination used to test a student's academic ability in a certain field so that he or she may be placed in the appropriate courses in that field.

Post-Baccalaureate degree: The degree of "bachelor" conferred upon graduates of most U.S. colleges and universities.

Prerequisite: Program or course that a student is required to complete before being permitted to enroll in a more advanced program or course.

Quarter: Period of study of approximately 10 to 12 weeks' duration.

Quiz: Short written or oral test; a quiz is less formal than an examination.

Recommendation, Letter of: A letter appraising an applicant's qualifications, written by a professor or employer who knows the applicant's character and work. Also called "personal recommendation," "personal endorsement," or "personal reference."

Registration: Process through which students select and enroll in courses to be taken during a quarter, semester, or trimester.

Scholarship: A study grant of financial aid usually given at the undergraduate level, which may be supplied in the form of a cancellation of tuition and/or fees.

 

Semester: Period of study of approximately 15 to 16 weeks' duration, usually half of an academic year.

Seminar: A form of small group instruction, combining independent research and class discussions under the guidance of a professor. Usually open to undergraduate seniors and graduate students.

Senior: A fourth-year student at a high school, college, or university.

Social Security Number: A number issued to people by the U.S. government for payroll deductions for old age, survivors, and disability insurance. Anyone who works regularly must obtain a Social Security Number. Many institutions use this number as the student identification number.

Sophomore: A second-year student at a high school, college, or university.

Special student: A student at a college or university who is not enrolled as a candidate for a degree.

Synchronous: A term used to describe a distance education study program in which instruction is given at a particular time and, usually, at specific locations. See also "Asynchronous."

Syllabus: An outline of topics to be covered in an academic course.

Test: Examination; any method for measuring the academic knowledge of a student.

TOEFL: The Test of English as a Foreign Language. An exam administered by ETS – Educational Testing Services. Scores are often required in order to determine admission status.

Transcript: A certified copy of a student's educational record containing titles of courses, the number of credits earned, and the final grades in each course.

Transfer: The process of moving from one university to another to complete a degree.

Trimester: Period of study of approximately 16 weeks in an academic year that is divided into three equal terms.

Tuition: The money an institution charges for instruction and training. (Tuition does not include the cost of books or supplies.)

Undergraduate studies: Two- or four-year programs in a college or university after high school graduation leading to the associate or bachelor's degree.

University: An educational institution that usually maintains one or more four-year undergraduate colleges (or schools) with programs leading to bachelor's degrees; a graduate school of arts and sciences awarding master's degrees and doctorates (Ph.D.s); and graduate professional schools.

Vocational schools: Institutions that prepare students for semi-professional or technical employment.

Withdrawal: The administrative procedure of dropping a course or leaving a university.