Glossary of US University Terms

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

A

Academic Advisor
A member of faculty who helps and advises students purely on academic matters.

Academic Year
The period of formal instruction usually late August/early September through late May/early June; may be divided into terms of varying lengths – semesters, trimesters or quarters.

Accreditation
Approval of colleges and universities by nationally recognised professional associations or regional accrediting bodies.

Add/Drop
A process at the beginning of the term when students can change their course schedules, adding or dropping classes with the instructor’s permission.

Assistantship
A study grant of financial aid offered in return for certain services in teaching or laboratory supervision (teaching assistantship) or services in research (research assistantship).

Associate Degree
The degree awarded after a two-year period of study which can be either terminal (vocational) or transfer (the first two years of a bachelor’s degree).

Audit
To take a class without receiving a grade or credit towards the degree.

B

Bachelor’s Degree
The degree awarded upon completion of approximately four years of full time study in the liberal arts and sciences or professional subjects.

C

Carrel
Individual study area usually reserved for graduate students in a library; available on a first come, first serve basis (sometimes for a fee).

College
A postsecondary institution that provides mainly an undergraduate education. College in a separate sense is a division of a university e.g. College of Business.

College Catalogue
Also prospectus; an official publication giving information about a university’s academic programmes, facilities, entrance requirements and student life.

Core Requirements
Compulsory courses required for completion of the degree.

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

Credits
The units which universities use to record the completion of courses (with passing grades) that are required to complete the degree. The catalogue will define the amounts and kinds of credits that are required for the university’s degrees and will state the value of each course offered in terms of "credit hours" or "units".

D

Day Student
A student who lives in non-university-administered accommodation (e.g. at parent’s home) and commutes to the campus everyday for classes.

Dissertation
Thesis written on an original topic of research, usually presented as one of the final requirements for the doctorate.

E

EAS
The US Educational Advisory Service of The Fulbright Commission, 62 Doughty Street, London WC1N 2JZ.

Electives
Courses that students may choose to take for credit toward their intended degree, as distinguished from courses that they are required to take.

Exchange Award
A study grant of financial aid, a condition of which recipients are expected to return to their home country upon completion of their study in the US. Fees An amount charged by universities, in addition to tuition, to cover costs of institutional services.

F

Fellowship
A study grant of financial aid, usually awarded to a graduate student without requiring services in return.

Final
A cumulative exam on a particular course in one term 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 programmes offered to a student to help pay tuition costs and living expenses.

Fraternities
Male social and philanthropic organisations found on many US campuses.

G

Grade/Grading System
The evaluation of a student’s academic work. Work rated B or higher is generally required of a postgraduate student to continue a programme.

Grade Point Average (GPA)
A system of recording achievement based on a numerical average of the grades attained in each course.

Graduate
A student who has completed a course of study, either at high school or university level. A graduate programme at a US university is, in UK terms, a postgraduate study programme designed to lead towards a master's or doctorate and generally is open only to students who have completed an undergraduate degree.

GMAT
Graduate Management Admissions Test, required for applicants to postgraduate business/management programmes.

GRE
Graduate Record Examination, required of applicants to graduate schools in fields other than business, law and medicine.

H

High School
The US term for secondary school.

Honours Programme
A challenging programme for students with high grades.

I

International Student Advisor
The person associated with a university who is in charge of providing information and guidance to international students in areas of government regulation, visas, academic regulations, social customs, language, financial or housing problems, travel plans, insurance and legal matters.

L

Language Requirement
Students in some graduate programmes must show a basic reading and writing proficiency in one other language besides their own in order to receive their degree.

LSAT
Law School Admissions Test, required of applicants to JD (professional law) programmes and some postgraduate law programmes in American law schools.

Liberal Arts
A term referring to academic studies of subjects in the humanities, the social sciences and the sciences. Also called "liberal arts and sciences" or "arts and sciences".

M

Maintenance
Refers to the expenses of attending a university including room (living quarters) and board (meals), books, clothing, laundry, local transportation and incidentals.

Major
The subject in which a student wishes to concentrate for an undergraduate degree.

Master’s Degree
Postgraduate degree following the Bachelor’s degree. This may be only two years, where the master’s stands alone or it may be a degree attained whilst working toward a PhD. Academic master’s degrees usually involve preparing a thesis as well as completing taught courses, whilst a professional master’s degree (e.g. education, management, communications, etc.) may require directed practical training.

MCAT
Medical College Admissions Test, required of applicants to American medical schools.

Midterm Exam
An exam administered after half the academic term has passed which covers all course material up until that point.

Minor
A subject in which the student takes the second greatest concentration of courses.

N

Non-resident Student
A student who does not meet the residence requirements of the state which has a public (state) university. Tuition fees and admissions policies may differ for residents and non-residents. International students are usually classified as non-residents.

Notarisation
The certification of a document (or a statement or a signature) as authentic and true by a public official (know in the US as a notary public) or a solicitor who is also a commissioner of oaths.

P

Post-Doctorate
Studies designed for those who have completed a PhD.

Prerequisite
Programme or course that a student is required to complete before being permitted to enrol in a more advanced programme or course.

Q

Qualifying Exam
In many graduate departments, students who have completed coursework for a doctoral degree must pass an examination before embarking on the dissertation or thesis. A qualifying examination may be oral, written or both, and must be passed in order for the student to continue.

Quarter
Period of study, approximately 10 to 12 weeks’ duration or one-quarter of the academic year.

R

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

S

Scholarship
A study grant of financial aid, usually given at the undergraduate level, which may take the form of a waiver for tuition and/or fees.

Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT)
A primarily multiple choice test of maths and English abilities that is required by most colleges and universities for admission into an undergraduate programme.

School
Usually elementary, middle or high schools. Also a catch-all term for any place of education e.g. law school, graduate school.

Semester
Period of study, approximately 15 to 16 weeks or one-half the academic year.

Social Security Number (SSN)
A number issued by the US government to people for payroll deductions for old age, survivors and disability insurance. Anyone who works regularly must obtain a SSN. Many institutions use this number as the student ID number.

Sororities
Female social, academic and philanthropic organisations found on many US campuses.

Special Student
A student who is not enrolled in a degree programme and is therefore independent of the university’s academic requirements.

Syllabus
An outline of topics covered in an academic course.

T

TA
Teaching assistant, a postgraduate student acting as instructor for an undergraduate course in their field, in return for some form of financial aid from the university.

TOEFL
Test of English as a Foreign Language, an English language proficiency examination, required of applicants whose native language is not English.

Transcripts
A certified copy (see "notarisation") of a student’s educational record. For postgraduate applications this will state the date a degree was conferred, indicate the student’s overall grade point average and list the courses completed, their value in terms of credits and the final grade attained in each. For students with British qualifications, certified copies of degree or examination certificates along with a syllabus for each course from the college or university registrar will suffice.

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

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

U

Undergraduate
A student enrolled on a bachelor's or associate's degree programme. An undergraduate programme is a study programme leading to the awarding of a bachelor or associate degree.

University
A large postsecondary institution that offers both undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes.