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 counsellor 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 Honour Roll and academic probation.

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

Advanced Standing
Credit given for a previously-taken post-secondary credential such as a certificate or diploma program; this credit enables you to enter a degree program or other program at a higher level. Also called Career Laddering or Laddering.

Applied degree
A degree granted by a college or technical institute in an applied subject (such as accounting, interior design or forest technology) after the completion of six semesters (about 3 years) of academic studies and at least 2 semesters (about 1 year) of paid, related, supervised work experience.

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.

Assigned credit
Credit granted for a specific course.

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

Articulation
The system used by post-secondary institutions to determine course equivalency.

Baccalaureate
Latin term for a bachelor's degree.

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

Block transfer
The transfer of credits from a certificate, diploma, or associate degree program. If the receiving institution has a block transfer agreement with your institution, you can transfer the entire program without having a course-by-course assessment.

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.

Career Laddering
see Advanced Standing.

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.

Course equivalency
The credit granted by the Receiving Institution for a course taken at another institution. Also known as course-to-course credit.

Cluster Credit
Credit granted on completion of two or more courses in the same subject area.

College
An institution granting diplomas and degrees, focused on a technical and vocational education rather than academic research. Also refers to divisions within a university system (e.g., College of Business).

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 university program at one of three levels: bachelor, master, and Doctor.

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

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

Direct Entry Program
A credit transfer to a specific degree program which has been formally approved by the receiving institution even though it is not part of a formal collaborative agreement with the sending 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 enrol 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.

Elective Credit
Credit granted for a course not similar enough to a Receiving Institution course to be granted a specific credit. Credit is given for study in the same subject area. Also called Unassigned, Unspecified, and Non-specific credit.

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.

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.

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.

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 a Master's in Business Administration (MBA) program.

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.

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

Honours Program
An extension of a bachelor's degree, including more prerequisite classes, more challenging coursework, a major project or thesis and one extra year of study (in some Provinces). An Honours achievement is recognized on the degree.

Host Institution
see Sending Institution

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

IB/AP transfer
High-school students who have taken the International Baccalaureate (IB) program or Advanced Placement (AP) program are eligible for advanced credit toward their undergraduate degrees.

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.

Laddering
see Advanced Standing.

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 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.

Non-specific credit
see Unassigned Credi.

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.

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

Postsecondary
Relating to the education of individual's after completion of secondary school requirements.

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

Preclude
Denial of credit for a course taken at a later date. The course might not be considered part of your program even if it's in your general subject area.

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

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)
Prior Learning Assessment Recognition (PLAR)
Not a transfer credit as such, a PLA or PLAR considers previous learning undertaken in non-traditional or non-standard areas outside the usual academic environment. You can demonstrate prior learning by taking a challenge exam, providing documentation of equivalency, attending an interview, or submitting a portfolio of your non-traditional studies along with relevant work and life experience. The procedure varies from province to province and may only apply to specific programs. PLA(R) credits granted at one institution often cannot be transferred to another.

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.

Receiving Institution
The post-secondary institution you are transferring to.

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

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

Residency requirement
1) The number of credits you need to complete at an institution in order to graduate from that institution.
2) A minimum number of months you need to reside in a region before being eligible to apply to a program in that region, particularly graduate or professional programs.

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

Sending Institution
The post-secondary institution you are transferring from. Also called Host institution.

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.

Shelf Life
The length of time a course is considered current. Many courses in health-related fields, business, and information technology have a shorter shelf life than those in other fields. The exact definition of shelf life varies from one institution to another, but if you last took a course more than 5-10 years ago, you may need to take an updated version. Also known as Stale-Dating.

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

Student Aid
Student financial assistance.

Stale-Dating
see Shelf Life

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.

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.

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.

Unallocated Credit
see Unassigned Credit

Unassigned Credit
Credit granted for a subject at a particular level but not for a specific course. Also called Non-Specific, Unspecified or Unallocated Credit.

Undergraduate
A student at a university who has not yet completed a Bachelor's degree.

Undergraduate Program
Program leading towards a Bachelor's Degree.

Unspecified Credit
see Unassigned Credit

Vocational school
Specific hands-on programs for adult learners. Vocational in nature, these programs focus on training adults in a skill or trade to be pursued as a career.

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
A provincially funded financial aid program. Students who have qualified for a student loan are often eligible to apply for a work study position.

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