Glossary of Academic Terms

Capstone means “culminating” or “crowning.” It is used to describe a course that is the culminating experience for a program of study.

Cognates are required courses in disciplines related to the major. Cognates are intended to broaden and enhance the major.

Concentration is the area of specialization. Courses in the concentration are a group of courses that relate specifically to the student’s area of study.

Content major refers to the disciplinary course work taken by students in elementary education.

Core courses within General Education consist of three courses that provide an introduction to college-level writing and interdisciplinary seminars at both freshman and upper levels.

Distribution courses within General Education consist of one course from each of the following seven areas: Arts—Visual and Performing, History, Literature, Mathematics, Natural Science (lab required), Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Advanced Quantitative/Scientific Reasoning.

Electives are courses that students may choose beyond their required courses in order to fulfill degree requirements.

Enrolled means a student has been admitted to the college and/or a program and has registered for courses.

Full-Time student is a student taking 12 to 18 credit hours per semester.

Hybrid courses combine in-class learning with online instruction. Emphasis is on in-class learning.

Major is the discipline or academic area in which the student engages in in-depth study. Majors normally require a minimum of 30 credit hours.

Matriculate means to be admitted formally to a degree program.

Minor is a secondary specialization in a degree program and normally requires a minimum of 15 credit hours.

Online courses are courses in which most or all of the learning occurs online. (Some online courses have a first meeting and a last meeting face-to-face.)

Part-Time student takes fewer than 12 credit hours per semester.

Program of study usually consists of the following: General Education courses, courses in the major, cognate courses, and elective courses.

Retention Requirements must be met in order to remain enrolled at the college and/or in a program.

Teacher preparation program is a term used in the elementary education, secondary education, and K–12 programs to describe the major and other requirements needed to be eligible for certification as a teacher.

Teaching concentration in special education is a term used in the elementary education and secondary education program and refers to a group of courses in special education taken in addition to required courses in elementary education or secondary education.