Glossary of terms

Academic year: runs from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31.

Co-operative education: is the education received from a program that includes both academic and work terms.

Co-requisite course: is a course which may be taken concurrently with or successfully completed prior to the course for which it is required.

Course: is a unit of work in a particular subject normally extending through one semester or session, the completion of which normally carries credit toward the fulfilment of the requirements of certain degrees, diplomas or certificates.

Credit hour: is the measure used to reflect the relative weight of a given course toward the fulfilment of appropriate degree, diploma, certificate, major, minor or other program requirements. A weight of 1 credit hour normally means that the course meets for lectures one hour per week for the duration of a semester or two hours per week for the duration of a session. Unless otherwise indicated, a course normally has a credit value of 3 credit hours.

Cross-listed courses: are courses which are listed under two or more academic units and which can be taken for credit from one unit only. Cross-listed courses can be substituted, one for the other, to satisfy program requirements.

Degree: is an academic designation awarded for the completion of a specified program of study which is of longer duration than a diploma or certificate.

Diploma: is an academic designation awarded for the completion of a specified program of study which is of shorter duration than a degree and longer duration than a certificate.

Equivalent courses: are those which are determined to be equal for credit determination, although the subject area or course number will differ. These are normally identified with the phrase “same as.”

GPA: is the abbreviation for grade point average.

Major: is a subject or field of study which a student normally specializes in during the course of degree studies.

Minor: is a subject or field of study which a student normally pursues secondary to a major during the course of degree studies.

Prerequisite course: is a course which must be successfully completed prior to commencing the course for which it is required.

Program: is a series of courses, the successful completion of which, if all requirements are met, qualifies the candidate for a degree, diploma or certificate.

Registration: is the process of selecting, enrolling in, and being assessed fees for courses.

Semester: is a period of approximately 14 consecutive weeks during which there are at least 12 weeks of lecture. Normally the fall semester commences in early september, the winter semester in early January, and the spring semester in early may.

Session: is a period of approximately seven consecutive weeks in the Spring semester during which there are at least six weeks of lecture. The first half of Spring semester is designated as Intersession; the second half of Spring semester is designated as Summer session.

Transcript: is the complete and unabridged report of a student’s academic record.

Transfer credit: is academic credit granted for work completed at an institution other than memorial university of newfoundland.

Work term: is a semester where a student spends time in employment for academic credit towards their co-operative program.