Glossary - Academic Calendar

Academic Renewal - A provision to exclude a returning student's prior UFV academic record from the cumulative grade point average when certain conditions are met.

Advanced placement (AP) - An advanced program taken by high school students that may be given post-secondary credit. You must provide an official transcript and a Request for Transfer Credit. Information on transfer credit is listed in the B.C. Transfer Guide.

Advanced standing - For some UFV courses, a student may demonstrate enough understanding of a subject that he or she may be permitted to register in a higher level course without completing the necessary prerequisites or corequisites. This doesn't give you credit for those courses which were bypassed. Written instructor permission is required.

Applying - Submitting an application form and fee to let UFV know that you would like to attend.

Apprenticeship - Method in which trainees learn a craft or trade by hands-on experience while working with a skilled worker, usually under a written or implied indentureship agreement.

Articulation - The process of examining another school's courses and determining how they compare to UFV courses. Once a course is articulated, it is entered into the database so appropriate transfer credit can be awarded to other students. This process is also referred to as evaluating or assessing transfer credit.

Associate degree - A credential earned after completing a minimum of 60 credits (equivalent to two years of full-time study) in prescribed subjects. It can count as the first two years of a bachelor's degree.

Audit - A regular course registration (with regular tuition charges) with a formal understanding that the student attends classes, does not write exams, and does not receive credit or a grade for the course. The instructor will normally determine the expectations of the audit student.

Bachelor's Degree - A credential earned after completion of about 120 credits, or approximately 40 courses. It usually takes four or five years of full-time study to complete. See also Associate degree.

Calendar - A catalogue containing academic policies and regulations, important dates, and detailed information about programs and courses for a post-secondary institution.

Certificate - A credential earned after taking 10-12 courses that are grouped together into a program. They are usually designed to be completed in about one year of full-time study. Non-credit certificates may be shorter.

Certificate in extended studies - These certificates are for students who have already graduated from a program and want to complete another specific option (e.g.: a new major or minor) in a different area.

Challenge - Some UFV courses may be challenged for credit. This means that a student who can demonstrate mastery of course objectives may be granted credit without taking the course. (Registration and payment is still required, however.) Challenging courses requires instructor or department permission.

Concentration - Some programs offer sets of courses within a specialized area of interest.

Continuous application - Applications are accepted at any time for the next available space in the program.

Co-operative Education - A program option that combines study and work. UFV helps you find paid employment which relates to your program of study. Co-op is currently an option for students in Arts, Business Administration, Computer Information Systems, Criminology/Criminal Justice, Fine Arts, General Studies, Library and Information Technology, and Science programs.

Corequisite - This is a course which needs to be taken at the same time as another course.

Course - A series of lectures or classes in a particular field that focus on a particular subject (e.g., ANTH 101, AGRI 228).

Credit - The value placed on a course. Most courses are worth three or four credits, which means that you will spend three to seven hours in class per week for one semester. Other terms which mean generally the same thing are 'semester hours', 'hours of credit', 'semester hours of credit', and 'credit hours'.

Diploma - A credential earned after completing a minimum of 60 credits, or a total of 20-24 courses that are grouped together into a predetermined program. They are usually completed in the equivalent of two years of full-time study. Many diplomas can be laddered into bachelor's degrees.

Elective - A course that you choose from a number of options. While most programs prescribe many of the courses you must take, there are usually also several elective options. You choose the course to meet the program requirements.

Entrance requirements - Various criteria required in order to be accepted into a program.

Extended minor - A collection of 10-18 courses in a single subject area with a minimum of 14 upper-level credits. Typically consists of the same 100- and 200-level courses required for the major, and the 300- and 400-level courses required for the minor in the same subject.

First year - Usually the first 30 credits required for the program.

Further credit - Where course notes indicate that students with credit for another course "cannot take this course for further credit", this means that if both courses are taken, credit will only be given for one (typically the course with the higher grade).

Grade point average (GPA) - A numerical average of all grades on a student's record. GPAs can be used for entrance requirements and for eligibility to continue in a program. See the UFV calendar to find out how the UFV GPA is calculated.

Graduate certificate - A program consisting of at least nine credits and fewer than 30 credits (usually 9-18 credits) at the graduate level.

Graduate/post-graduate study - Higher certificates or degrees you can earn after completing a bachelor's degree. Some examples of graduate degrees are: MA (Master of Arts), MEd (Master of Education), PhD (Doctor of Philosophy).

Interim transcript - This is a record of grades showing progress in courses before the final grades are available.

International Baccalaureate (IB) - An advanced program taken by high school students that may be given post-secondary credit. You must provide an official transcript and a Request for Transfer Credit. Information on transfer credit is listed in the B.C. Transfer Guide.

Laddering - Building on previously earned credentials. For example, courses taken as part of a certificate can be used towards a diploma, and a diploma or associate degree can make up part of a four-year degree in the same area.

Lower-level - Courses that are considered first- or second-year courses. Lower-level courses are generally numbered in the 100s and 200s.

Major - A collection of 12-18 courses in a single subject area with a minimum of 30 upper-level credits.

Master's degree - A higher degree you can earn after completion of a bachelor's degree.

Minor - A collection of 7-12 courses in a single subject area with a minimum of 14 upper-level credits.

Non-credit course - A course that can be taken for general interest, upgrading skills, employment, and/or professional development. Non-credit courses are usually offered through Continuing Education (CE).

Official transcript - A transcript is considered official if it arrives to the UFV Office of the Registrar (33844 King Road, Abbotsford, B.C., V2S 7M8) in the original sealed envelope with the institution's name and address imprinted upon it. The transcripts must have a current issue date, and bear the official institution seal or authorizing signature.

Option (in a program) - Some programs offer sets of courses within a specialized area of interest.

Prerequisite - A course which must be successfully completed before another course can be taken. You can be de-registered if you fail to prove that you have the necessary prerequisites.

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) - A flexible assessment process to assess previous training and experience and obtain credits through demonstration of mastery of specific learning outcomes.

Professional programs - Degrees or programs that usually require a significant amount of university-level course work (often a bachelor's degree) to be accepted, and that also generally result in a professional designation of some kind, for example: MD (Doctor of Medicine), LLB (Bachelor of Laws), DMD (Doctor of Dentistry).

Program - A structured group of courses that, when successfully completed, leads to a certificate, diploma, or degree.

Registering - Signing up and paying for courses once UFV has accepted you.

Specialization - Some programs offer sets of courses within a specialized area of interest.

Specific-date application - Program applications that are accepted on or after a certain date for the next semester.

Timetable - A list of courses offered for a semester, including their day and time of scheduling, the number of sections offered and the instructor teaching them.

Transferability - Recognition of credit for courses taken at another institution.

Transfer credit - UFV credit granted for course work completed at another institution.

Unassigned credit - Credit earned for a course at one institution that does not transfer as a specific course. You may be given credit in that subject area, e.g., HIST (3) or general unassigned credit, e.g., GE (3).

Upper-level - Courses considered third- or fourth-year. Upper-level courses are usually numbered in the 300s and 400s (check with the department). Degrees normally require a minimum of 45 upper-level credits out of the total 120 credits.