Academic Terms & Definitions
| Plan | Unit Criteria | Details | Appears on Transcript | Appears on Diploma |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Associate of Arts or Associate of Science Degrees | 60 credit hours | Associate degrees have a minimum of 60 credit hours at the 1000 and 2000 level, exclusive of physical education activity courses. These degrees are focused on the core curriculum with a pathway in preparation for pursuing a major in the baccalaureate program. A student must achieve at least a 2.0 institutional grade point average in order to receive an associate degree. | Yes | Yes |
| Associate of Applied Science Degree | 60 credit hours | Career degrees include the Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in designated fields. Career degrees may be awarded for the completion of two-year collegiate programs designed to prepare students for immediate employment. Associate of Applied Science degrees (exclusive of physical education activity) have a maximum of 60 credit hours. These degrees must contain a minimum of 20 credit hours of general education. | Yes | Yes |
| Baccalaureate of Arts Baccalaureate of Science |
120 credit hours minimum | A baccalaureate degree must contain 120 credit hours (exclusive of physical education activity/basic health). A baccalaureate program must require at least 21 credit hours of upper-division courses in the major field and at least 39 hours of upper division work overall. A student must achieve at least a 2.0 institutional grade point average in the field of study in order to receive a bachelor's degree. Individual degrees may have additional GPA or other requirements. | Yes | Yes |
| Baccalaureate Program Curriculum | 60 Credit hours | Courses beyond the Core Curriculum and Field of Study required to complete an academic program, including the major field, electives, and minor (if required for program completion). A student must complete the Program Curriculum with at least a 2.0 GPA. Individual academic programs may have additional GPA or other requirements. | ||
| Capstones | Capstone courses or projects are culminating opportunities for students nearing the end of their educational programs. The discipline-appropriate product, which encompasses a wide range of skills and knowledge, allows students to integrate key concepts and practices and demonstrate competence across general education requirements acquired while completing their degree program. Students work closely with a supervising faculty member to develop the creative projects, activities, or theses that serve as a major time investment component of the course. | |||
| Certificate | 10 -59 credit hours |
A certificate can be considered either a standalone certificate or an embedded certificate.
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Yes | Yes |
| Concentration | 15 credit hours or more |
A major may label a smaller grouping of courses as a concentration with the major. Not all majors have concentrations, but those that do allow a choice between two or more concentrations as a way of tailoring the major to a student's particular needs and interests. Concentrations must be pursued and completed concurrently with a degree program. "Concentration" can be used with either baccalaureate or graduate degree programs. |
Yes | No |
| Course Planning Guide | The Course Planning Guide is a suggested listing of courses and when to complete them. If a timeline is included it is a course planning guide. | |||
| Field of Study | Field of Study Courses comprise 18 hours usually within the first 60 hours of each student's Associate, Nexus, or Bachelor's degree progression and are in addition to the 42 hours required in the General Education IMPACTS Core Domains. Field of Study Courses should be those that prepare students for entry into their major level courses and should abide by the Field of Study Guidelines posted by each discipline area CAO Advisory Groups (CAGS). Approval by the Council on General Education is not required for courses that an institution chooses to list in their Field of Study. Instead, the CAGS will periodically review institutional Field of Study course lists for compliance (USG General Education Core Curriculum section 02.04.07). |
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| First-Year Experience | This High-Impact Practice brings first-year students together in a seminar or program that places a strong emphasis on critical inquiry, frequent writing, information literacy, collaborative learning, and/or other skills that develop students' intellectual and practical competencies. First-year seminars can also involve students with cutting-edge questions in scholarship and with faculty members' own research. The purpose of a First-Year Experience is to acclimate students to the college environment and provide them with the intellectual and practical tools necessary to be successful in completing an undergraduate degree. The specific elements included in a First-Year Experience course will depend on its modality and scope, but the course will typically cover topics such as time management, study skills, campus resources, critical thinking, and effective communication. The goal is to equip first-year students with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in their academic and personal lives during their college journey and beyond. |
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| Graduate Concentration |
Master's Degree: 9 credit hours or more Doctoral Degree: 15 credit hours or more |
A graduate major may label a smaller grouping of courses as a concentration within the major. Not all majors have concentrations, but those that do allow specialization embedded within the curriculum. Concentrations must be pursued and completed concurrently with a degree program. | ||
| Learning Communities | Students in Learning Communities take two or more linked courses as a group and work closely with one another and with their professors. Many learning communities explore a common topic and/or common readings through the lenses of different disciplines. The key goals for learning communities are to encourage integration of learning across courses and to involve students with "big questions" that matter beyond the classroom. | |||
| Global Learning | Global learning is a critical analysis of and an engagement with complex, interdependent global systems, and their implications for people's lives. Through curricular and co-curricular experiences, global learning creates intentional intercultural connections that develop leaders for a diverse, sustainable, and global society. | |||
| Major | A minimum of 21 credit hours of upper level (3000-4000) credit | A planned group of courses within a specific subject matter area, typically taken to fulfill a baccalaureate degree. A student must complete the major with at least a 2.0 in the field of study. Individual majors may have additional GPA or other requirements. A baccalaureate degree must contain 120 credit hours; at least 39 credit hours must be upper level. | Yes | No |
| Major Field | A planned group of courses within a specific subject matter area, typically taken to fulfill a baccalaureate degree. The Major Field must contain a minimum of 21 credit hours of upper level (3000-4000) credit. | |||
| Master of Arts Master of Science |
Minimum 30 credit hours; maximum 36 credit hours | A master's degree must contain no fewer than 30 credit hours and no more than 36 credit hours of planned courses within a specific subject matter area. A student must complete the course work with a minimum GPA of 3.0 in order to graduate. Individual degree programs may have additional requirements. | Yes | Yes |
| Minor | 15-18 credit hours of coursework with at least 9 hours of upper-division coursework. | Minor programs of study are designed to complement a baccalaureate major. A minor must contain 15 to 18 semester hours of coursework with at least 9 hours of upper-division coursework. Courses taken to satisfy any of the IMPACTS Core domains may not be counted as coursework in the minor. However, Field of Study courses may be counted as coursework in the minor. Minors must be pursued and completed concurrently with a major degree program. | ||
| Pathway | 18 credit hours | The pathway is a group of courses at the 1000-2000 level from one of more subject areas taken in the Field of Study of the associate degree. The pathway provides preparation for students who wish to pursue a particular major at the baccalaureate level. | Yes | No |
| Plan of Study | The plan of study (POS) provides the list of requirements for completing a degree or certificate at ¶¶Òõ̽̽App. Degree requirements and POS can change each academic year to reflect current department and program standards. The POS version used by the student is determined by the first term of enrollment at ¶¶Òõ̽̽App. Students may choose to use a future POS version at any time during their academic career. | |||
| Service-Learning | Academic service-learning is a course-based, credit-bearing educational experience in which students participate in an organized service activity that meets identified community needs, and reflect on the service activity in such a way as to gain further understanding of course content, a broader appreciation of the discipline, and an enhanced sense of personal values and civic responsibility. | |||
| Undergraduate Concentration | 15 or more credit hours | An undergraduate major may label a smaller grouping of courses as a concentration within the major. Not all majors have concentrations, but those that do allow a choice between two or more concentrations as a way of specialization within the curriculum. Concentrations must be pursued and completed concurrently with a degree program. | ||
| Undergraduate Research | This High-Impact Practice facilitates students' active engagement in systematic investigation, research, and creative projects. The goal is to involve students with contested questions, empirical observations, cutting-edge technologies, and the sense of excitement that comes from working to answer important questions and generate knowledge. In Undergraduate Research, students produce field-specific knowledge under the guidance of or in collaboration with faculty. Although students will work at a level appropriate to their scholarly development, the project itself could produce intellectual or creative contributions worthy of dissemination in a professional venue. The research process unfolds over an extended period of time and is supported by dialog and iterative feedback with sponsoring faculty as well as critical reflection and revision by the student. |
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| Work-Based Learning | This High-Impact Practice provides students an opportunity to apply the knowledge gained in their courses through direct experience in a work setting—preferably related to their career interests. Work-Based Learning gives students the benefit of supervision and coaching from professionals in the field, and it can provide opportunities to develop important skill sets within their discipline. Students complete a project or paper that is approved by a faculty member. Work-Based Learning courses should involve a significant investment of time and effort by the student where they engage in direct experiences over the course of a semester. Students may involve themselves in an apprenticeship, internship, job shadowing, or other similar practice under the supervision of an organizational member in the work setting. Coursework typically includes journaling assignments with frequent and constructive feedback from faculty and/or supervisors and opportunities for students to apply the knowledge and skills acquired during their program of study. |