Glossary: Online Degrees and Distance education
September 2nd, 2008
Academic Advisor – a representative appointed by a university to offer guidance to students in academic programs; they help by assisting in the selection of courses to meet program needs.
Advanced Standing – direct entry into advanced program levels on the basis of performance on advanced placement (AP) tests.
Affidavit – statement in written form confirmed by oath.
Associate Degree – a degree that is granted after students has finished a two-year post secondary program.
Asynchronous Communication – a two-way communication in which there is a time delay between the transmission and receipt of the message.
Audio Conferencing – voice communication with the help of internet-based software or standard telephone lines.
Audio Graphics – audio-based technology that uses phone lines to transmit visual details like drawings.
Baccalaureate – the Bachelor’s degree level of study.
Baud – a digital transmission unit commonly employed to describe the rate at which data flows between two electronic devices.
Case Study – management concepts applied to simulated or real-life situations so students can feel comfortable in applying their analytical and presentation skills apart from theoretical knowledge.
College – educational institute conducting Associate’s and Bachelor’s degrees with emphasis on education rather than research.
Compressed Video – a process for video images to get rid of extraneous details to facilitate the data transmission over narrow bandwidth carriers or telephone lines.
Concentration – a focus within a major (for example, a student doing a degree with a major in business might go for a concentration in marketing).
Consortium – an association of a number of educational bodies.
Cooperative – an education program that offers students theoretical learning with practical experience.
Core Course – a course addressing the vital parts of a program, normally as a requisite for graduation.
Credit – a measure granted for each course that is completed.
Credit Hours – a system of measuring credit in a college or university program.
Curriculum – subjects in a course of study.
Deferred Admission – postponing registration into an academic course after acceptance for a particular period.
Double Major – doing two majors during the course of one degree program.
Early Admission – acceptance into a post secondary school before the standard date of admissions.
Early Decision – a system in which students apply before deadline and (if accepted) register at the college or university.
Elective Courses – optional courses that complement the vital parts of a degree program.
Exchange – collaboration between educational institutes that give students permission to move from one educational institute to another for a certain period of time.
Faculty – researchers and professors working in a college or university.
Foundation – specific study course that forms the basis of subsequent education normally offered as a qualifying year for students who are looking for knowledge and skills to be able to take admission in a degree program.
GPA – grade point average; the average of the grades achieved by a student during the study course that is calculated on scales and evaluated by individual institutions.
Graduate Study – post baccalaureate program normally leading to masters or doctorate degrees.
Honors Program – a difficult course work offered to students who achieve exceptional grades.
Interdisciplinary – studying all areas of a particular field rather than complete specialization in one field.
Internet – electronic communications network; the main task is to link computer networks and organizational computer facilities around the world.
Internship – a concentrated period of degree-related business placement for which students may be paid.
Liberal Arts – non-technical work in the area of humanities and social sciences.
Major – a primary academic focus pursued within a degree program.
Matriculation – qualifying through examination or otherwise for admission to a college.
Mechatronic – using computer hardware and software in order to control mechanical systems.
Minor – a secondary academic focus pursued as a supplement to a major program.
Modem – an instrument that is used to convert digital details for transmission over a telecommunications channel.
Open Admissions – an admission policy where there are no academic prerequisites except for completion of secondary school.
Orientation – an organized introduction for new students at a university.
Parallel-time Co-op - a cooperative education system in which students finish classroom instruction and get a work experience related to a degree.
Placement Test – a test used to evaluate the skill level of a student.
Practicum - a concentrated period of practical work experience related to a degree.
Prerequisite – course that is mandatory as preparation for entry into an advanced course.
Private Institution – college or university that relies heavily on non-governmental sources for financial support.
Public Institution – college or university that relies heavily on governmental sources for financial support.
Reference – a commendation in the form of a letter depicting the academic performance of student.
Registrar – the individual who carefully monitors the registration and academic records of an educational institution.
Residence Hall – on-campus accommodation; often shared rooms without cooking facilities.
Rolling Admissions – an admission policy where students can apply for an admission at any time.
Specialization – a focus within the major that has enhanced concentration.
Standardized Tests – tests conducted by an outside body used to determine admission; such as SAT and ACT.
Syllabus – course structure of the degree program.
Terminal Degree – the highest degree that may be obtained in a field.
Tertiary – education that is done after secondary school.
Transcript – official academic records that includes the course name and grades achieved.
Tutor – a qualified individual who offers academic help to students.
Video Conference – a conference implemented in real time with the help of video technology that allows students to participate at the same time from separate locations.
