Glossary - Academic Calendar

The glossary is intended as a guide to understanding academic terms used at UFV. Formal policies at www.ufv.ca/policies provide further information. In the case of a discrepancy between a definition in this glossary and in a UFV policy, the definition in the policy will prevail.

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

Admission: The formal acceptance of a student into a particular program once all entrance requirements have been satisfied and space is available.

Admission requirements: The minimum qualifications required for entrance to a program.

Advanced placement (AP): A program under the College Board that offers post-secondary level courses and examinations to high school students. Advanced placement courses may be eligible for post-secondary transfer credit at UFV upon provision of an official transcript.

Appeal: A formal request by a student for a review of an academic or disciplinary decision or a final grade.

Applying: Submitting an application form, paying an application fee, and providing any other documents to request admission to a particular program at UFV.

Apprenticeship: A combination of on-the-job training and classroom learning that leads to a trade credential or “ticket” that qualifies someone to work in a skilled trade.

Articulation: The process of examining another post-secondary institution’s courses to determine how they compare to UFV courses. This process is also referred to as evaluating or assessing transfer credit.

Associate certificate: A credential that can be earned for completion of a program consisting of nine to 17 credits.

Associate degree: A credential, offered in Arts and Sciences, awarded for completion of a program that consists of a minimum of 60 university credits and meets provincial requirements. Associate degrees may count towards the first two years of a bachelor's degree.

Audit: Enrolment in a course that permits a student to attend without being evaluated for credit.

Bachelor's degree: A credential awarded for completion of a program consisting of a minimum of 120 credits (approximately 40 courses). See also Associate degree.

Block transfer: The process whereby a block of unassigned transfer credits is granted to students who have successfully completed a cluster of courses or a credential, such as a certificate, degree or diploma, at another post-secondary institution.

Calendar: A post-secondary institution’s published rules, regulations, academic policies, important dates, programs (and their requirements) and courses.

Certificate: A credential awarded for completion of a program consisting of 17 to 45 credits or, for programs that do not assign credits, a minimum of 150 contact hours.

Certificate in extended studies: A credential designed for students who have already graduated from a program to allow them to complete another program option, such as a new major or specialization).

Concentration: A program option, available in some programs, that involves a set of courses within a specialized area of interest.

Continuous application: Applications are accepted at any time for the next available intake in the program.

Co-operative education (Co-op): A program option that combines academic studies with relevant, paid work experience, usually in periods of four, eight, or 12 month placements. Co-op options are available in Arts, Business Administration, Computer Information Systems, Criminology/Criminal Justice, Fine Arts, General Studies, Library and Information Technology, and Science programs.

Co-requisite: A course that is to be taken at the same time as another course.

Course: A unit of instruction that is offered under a designated subject code, course number, and credit value; for example, ANTH 101 (3).

Course challenge: The process of assessing a student’s prior learning through examination or other forms of evaluation to allow a student to obtain credit for a course without taking the course. See UFV's Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) policy (94) for further information.

Course outline: A description of the main content, organization and expected outcomes of a course, normally including the number of credits awarded, hours of class time, how it's evaluated, assignments, and texts. An official course outline that provides the essential elements of each course is available in the academic calendar, and a detailed semester outline (also referred to as the course syllabus) is provided by the instructor in the first week of classes).

Course Reference Number (CRN): A five-digit identifying number assigned to a specific section of a course when it is offered at UFV.

Course section: A specific offering of a course at a particular location, time, and date, and designated by a Course Reference Number (CRN) in the semester timetable.

Course syllabus: See Course outline.

Credential: A qualification awarded by UFV to recognize successful completion of a program.

Credit: A numeric value assigned to a course, based on both the hours of direct instruction and the coursework done outside of the classroom, which indicates the course’s weight relative to courses across the university.

Cumulative grade point average (CGPA): A numerical average of grades based on all courses taken at UFV within a particular level of study, such as preparatory, undergraduate, graduate, etc. See also Grade Point Average.

Diploma: A credential awarded for the completion of a program consisting of a minimum of 60 post-secondary credits (about 20 courses) that can be completed in the equivalent of two years of full-time study.

Elective: A course that may be chosen from a number of course options, as specified in the requirements for completion of a particular program.

Entrance requirements: Various criteria that a student must meet to be accepted into a program.

Extended minor: A degree option in a particular subject area consisting of a defined set of courses that includes a minimum of 14 upper-level credits.

First year: Usually the first 30 credits required for completion of a program.

Further credit: Where a course description indicates students with credit for another course "cannot take this course for further credit", if both courses are taken credit will only be given for one (typically the course with the higher grade).

Grade point average (GPA): Academic performance expressed as a numerical average of grades in UFV courses.

Grade point value: A numeric value for each letter grade that is used to calculate the grade point average (GPA). See UFV's Grading System policy (101) for more information.

Graduate certificate: A credential awarded for completion of a program consisting of nine to 17 credits at the graduate level.

Graduate diploma: A credential awarded for completion of a program consisting of 18 to 29 credits at the graduate level.

Graduate/post-graduate study: Post-secondary education beyond the level of the bachelor's degree that requires at least one course numbered 600 or higher, and that leads to higher credentials, such as master’s degrees or graduate certificates or diplomas.

Honours: A degree option that involves a high level of specialization in a discipline, with more requirements than a major that may include: additional upper level credits; an honours course, seminar, project, or thesis; a higher minimum GPA.

Interim transcript: A record of unofficial grades showing progress in courses before the final grades are available.

International Baccalaureate (IB): An advanced program that offers post-secondary level courses and examinations to high school students. IB diploma level courses may be eligible for post-secondary credit at UFV upon provision of an official transcript.

Laddering: Building on previously earned credentials towards completion of higher level credentials; for eample, using credits earned in a certificate or diploma towards completion of a bachelor's degree.

Lower-level: Courses that are considered first- or second-year courses and are numbered from 100 to 299.

Major: A degree option in a particular subject area consisting of a defined set of courses, including a minimum of 30 upper-level credits.

Master's degree: A higher degree that may be earned after completion of a bachelor's degree.

Minor: A degree option in a particular subject area consisting of a defined set of courses, including a minimum of 14 upper-level credits.

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

Official transcript: The official record of a student’s educational enrolment and achievement at a particular institution, bearing the authorizing signature and/or seal of the institution and the issue date, that is sent directly, by mail or electronically, to UFV Admissions.

Option (in a program): A defined set of courses within a specialized area of interest.

Post-baccalaureate certificate: A credential awarded for completion of a program that consists of 26 to 35 credits and requires prior completion of a bachelor's degree.

Post-baccalaureate diploma: A credential awarded for completion of a program that consists of 35 to 60 credits and requires prior completion of a bachelor's degree.

Post-secondary program: A program that is considered university or college level.

Prerequisite: A requirement such as a course, course credits, or other academic skills, knowledge or achievements that must be completed prior to taking a particular course.

Prerequisite or co-requisite waiver (or instructor’s permission): Permission to register without meeting the required prerequisites and/or co-requisites for a course.

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR): The process of assessing a student’s prior learning to determine whether it is eligible to be awarded academic credit at UFV. Prior learning is learning acquired outside UFV, typically through professional, work or life experiences, independent study, or through completion of courses that are not eligible for transfer credit under UFV’s Transfer Credit policy (107).

Professional programs: Degrees or programs that often require a significant amount of university education (often a bachelor's degree) prior to admission, and that generally lead to a professional designation of some kind, such as Nursing, Medicine, Dentistry, Teaching, Engineering, Law, etc.

Program: A set of courses and associated requirements offered as a credential (such as a certificate, diploma, degree, etc.) or an option within a credential (such as a major, minor, concentration, etc.).

Registering: Enrolling in specific courses and paying course fees after being admitted to a UFV program.

Residency: The portion of credits for a program that must be completed through completion of UFV courses.

Semester grade point average: A numerical average of grades based on all UFV courses taken in a single semester.

Specialization: A program option, available for some programs, that involves a set of courses within a specialized area of interest.

Specific intake application: Program applications are accepted on or after a certain date for the next intake.

Timetable: The schedule of courses offered for a semester, including the day, time, location and instructor’s name, if available, for each course section

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

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

Unassigned credit: Transfer credit granted for a course from another institution where the course doesn't have a specific equivalent at UFV. Unassigned credit may be given in a subject, such as HIST (3), or as general unassigned credit, such as GE (3), and may be at any level offered by UFV.

Undergraduate level: Post-secondary education at the university or college level up to and including the level of the bachelor's degree.

Upper-level: Courses that are considered third- or fourth-year and are numbered from 300 to 499.