Glossary of Terms

The following is a glossary of commonly used terms used in this Calendar. This list is not intended to be exhaustive.

Academic Program: A set of courses, a number of which may be mandatory and of a specialized nature, leading toward a particular credential.

Academic Year: Begins on the first day of Fall Term and ends on the last day of the Summer Term. The University operates three academic terms during the year. The Summer Term includes two intersessions: Spring Intersession and Summer Intersession.

Antirequisite: When two courses are too similar in content to count toward a credential.

Audit: Audit is a registration status where a student registers in a credit course but does not earn credit for the course. See section B.1.1 Auditing a Course.

Baccalaureate: An undergraduate degree awarded by the University upon the successful completion of an academic program. Commonly referred to as a bachelor's degree.

Blended Learning: A combination of face-to-face and online delivery of course content.

Change of Program: Students in a program may elect to pursue a different program within their faculty or enter a new program in a different faculty. A Change of Program may be completed online through the Student Centre.

Combined degrees: See Types of Credentials and Sub-Degree Nomenclature.

Concurrent graduate program enrolment: Enrolment in a University of Calgary graduate credential (certificate, diploma, or degree) and a University of Calgary graduate-level certificate or diploma at the same time. Concurrent enrolment in two graduate degrees is not permitted, with the exception of designated combined graduate degree programs, and the final step of a laddered pathway Master’s degree. Students receive a parchment for each credential completed.

Co-operative Education/Internship: The formal integration of academic study with work experience.

Corequisite: When two courses must be taken simultaneously (in the same term).

Course: A unit of instruction that will be recorded on the student transcript with a final letter grade. Courses can have different credit or unit values.

Course Numbering System: Junior courses - courses numbered from 100-299. Senior courses - courses numbered from 300-599. Courses numbered 600 and above are normally restricted to students completing graduate programs, the exception is the JD program which includes some 600 level courses as part of the JD degree.

Credential Laddering: A student’s progression through successive credentials, carrying forward the course credit (laddering credit) earned in each credential they successfully complete. These successive credentials are sometimes referred to as stackable credentials.

Cross-listed Courses: Courses that are listed under two departments and can be taken for credit from either department, but not both. The credit is determined by the student's registration.

Deadline: A date by which specific actions/requirements must be satisfied such as drop/add or fee payment deadline.

Deferral of Final Examinations: Examinations scheduled by the Registrar for students unable to write regularly scheduled final examinations.

Deferral of Term Work: A temporary extension of time granted at the discretion of the faculty offering the course to complete course requirements.

Discipline: A subject of study within a department and faculty.

Field of Study: A set of courses identifying the main area of study within a program.

GPA: Grade point average.

Grade Point: A numerical value associated with an alphabetical letter grade to assess academic performance.

Graded: A letter grade for a course is assessed that is used in the GPA calculation.

Home Faculty: The faculty in which a student is taking their program through. For example, the Faculty of Science is the home faculty for a student majoring in Chemistry.

Internship: See Co-operative Education/Internship above.

Laddering Credit: Courses completed for credit towards a certificate or diploma that may also be used for credit towards a future credential when permitted by a laddered pathway.

Major: The primary area of specialization in an undergraduate degree program.

Minor: A secondary area of specialization completed by a student in a subject outside the "Major" area.

Multi-Term Course: A course that is scheduled over both the fall and winter terms. Students must register for the course in each term and select the same class section. Multi-term courses are identified as "A" for fall term and "B" for winter term.

Open Studies: A student who is permitted to register in credit courses, but who is not admitted to a program leading to a credential.

Option Course: A course chosen at the discretion of the student that can be used toward their credential. Also known as an elective.

Prerequisite: A requirement for entry into a course. Where a course is specified as a prerequisite, pass standing in the course is required unless a specific grade is indicated.

Probation: A period of time during which a student's academic standing is subject to academic conditions (e.g., has to achieve a minimum GPA within a specified period of time).

Registration: The selection and enrolment into courses or a program offered by the university.

Suspended Program: A program that is no longer accepting students; however, is not formally closed. Programs are suspended when they are under review or allowing current students to graduate before the program is terminated.

Teaching Faculty: The faculty through which a course is offered. For example, The Faculty of Science is the teaching faculty for all Mathematics courses.

Term: The University offers three terms during the year as follows - Fall Term (September to December), Winter Term (January to April), Summer Term (May to August). The terms “session” or “semester” may be used to mean the same thing.

Transfer Student: A student who has attended another post-secondary institution, and completed a minimum of 12 units, before attending the University of Calgary.

Tuition Fees: Fees assessed and due when a student registers in a course(s). The tuition fees for a course are based on the number of units associated with the course.

Unclassified Student: See Open Studies.

Unit: Is a value assigned to a course. Credential programs indicate a total number of units that must be successfully completed before the credential can be awarded. Most degree programs require 120 units. Also referred to as "credit". The number of units assigned to a course determines the cost of the course.

Visiting Student: A student who is completing a credential at another post-secondary institution who is permitted to take University of Calgary courses that will be applied to their credential at the student's home institution. Students typically present a letter of permission from their home institution.