Academic adviser
A member of the college faculty who helps and advises students on academic matters.
Accreditation
Approval of colleges and universities by nationally recognized professional associations or regional accrediting bodies.
Campus
The grounds, sometimes including the buildings, of a university, college, or school.
Co-ed
A college or university that admits both men and women. It also refers to residence halls that house both men and women.
Course
The learning activity that counts towards a degree or diploma.
Credits
Units that most colleges and universities use to record the completion of courses (with passing grades) that are required for an academic degree.
Degree
A diploma or title awarded by a college, university or a 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 (such as the English department or history department).
Doctoral Degree (Ph.D.)
The highest academic degree awarded by a university to students who have completed graduate study beyond the bachelor’s and/or master’s degree.
Dormitories
A university or college residence hall.
Electives
Courses that may be chosen from any field of study. Electives give students an opportunity to explore other topics or subjects of interest.
Extracurricular Activities
Non-academic activities undertaken outside university courses.
Faculty
The people who teach in a college or university, or in a department of a college or university.
Final Exam
Often referred to as a “final” a final exam is a cumulative exam on a particular course subject, encompassing all material covered throughout the duration of the course.
Financial Aid
A general term that includes all types of money, loans, and work/study programs offered to a student to help pay for tuition, fees and living expenses.
Fraternities
A male students' society in a university or college.
Freshman
A first-year student at a secondary school, college, or university.
Full-Time student
A student who is enrolled in an institution taking a full load of courses; the number of courses and hours is specified by the institution.
Grade/grading System
The evaluation of a student’s academic work.
GPA
Grade Point Average: the average of a student's scores for a particular period, usually on a scale of 1 to 4.0, with 4.0 being the best.
Graduate
A student who has completed a course of study, either at secondary school or college level. A graduate program at a university is a study course for students who already hold a bachelor’s degree.
High School
The U.S. term for secondary school.
Higher Education
A secondary school.
Honors Program
A challenging program for students with high grades.
IELTS
International English Language Testing System is an English language proficiency examination of applicants whose native language is not English.
ISA
An International Student Advisor is a person at a university who is in charge of providing guidance for international students, in areas of government regulation, visas, academic regulations, social customs, language, financial or housing problems, and legal matters.
Junior
A third-year student at a secondary school, college, or university.
Language Requirement
A requirement of some graduate programs that students must show basic reading and writing proficiency in a language other than their own to receive a degree.
Lecture
An educational talk to an audience, usually to students in a university.
Liberal Arts & Sciences
Academic studies of subjects in the humanities, social sciences, and physical sciences with the goal of developing students’ verbal, written, and reasoning skills.
Major
A student’s specialist field. Major courses represent 25-50% of the total number of courses required to complete a degree. Most students pursue one major, but some pursue double majors.
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.
Mid-term Exam
An exam administered after half the academic term has passed that covers all class material up until that point.
Minor
An exam in the middle of an academic term.
Registration
The process through which students select courses to be taken during a quarter, semester, or trimester.
Resident Assistant (RA)
A person who supports the residence hall director in campus dormitories and is usually the first point of contact for students who need assistance or have questions about campus life. RAs are usually students at the college who receive free accommodation and other benefits in return for their services.
Scholarship
A grant or payment made to support a student's education, awarded on the basis of academic or other achievements.
School
A term that usually refers to elementary, middle, or secondary school. Also used in place of the words “college,” “university,” or “institution,” or as a general term for any place of education; for example, law school, or graduate school.
Semester
Period of study lasting approximately 15 to 16 weeks or one-half the academic year.
Seminar
An occasion when a teacher or expert and a group of people meet to study and discuss something.
Senior
A fourth-year student at a secondary school, college, or university.
Sophomore
A second-year student at a secondary school, college, or university.
Sororities
A society for female students in a university or college.
Subject
Course in an academic discipline offered as part of a curriculum of an institution of higher learning.
Syllabus
An outline of topics covered in an academic course.
TOEFL
Test of English as a Foreign Language is an English language proficiency examination of applicants whose native language is not English.
Transcript
An official record of a student's work, showing courses taken and grades achieved.
Transfer
The process of moving from one university to another to complete a degree.
Transfer Program
Associate degree program allowing the student to transfer into the third year of a four-year bachelor’s degree program.
Zip Code
A postal code consisting of five or nine digits.