College Terms to Know
Advisory –
An Advisory to a course is preparation which
is highly recommended. Although students may enroll in a
course if they do not possess the advisory skills, they are
encouraged to abide by an advisory whenever possible.
AWE (Assessment of Written English) –
A test given to
assess a student’s current level of ability to write standard
English.
Associate Degree –
A degree usually awarded by a
community college upon completion of a program of study.
Baccalaureate –
College coursework and degrees related
to the bachelor level.
Concurrent Enrollment –
Enrollment at two different
institutions during the same semester.
Corequisite –
A course that must be taken simultaneously
in order to enroll in another course.
CSU Transfer –
Courses designated “CSU” are
baccalaureate-level and will transfer to all of the California
State University campuses and count toward graduation at
Mt. SAC.
Current student –
Students now enrolled at Mt. SAC
who have completed at least one semester. They have not
let their enrollment lapse for more than two consecutive
semesters.
Degree Appropriate –
College-level-classes that are
acceptable toward an associate degree or certificate program.
Elective –
Courses which are not required for the major or
general education but which are acceptable for credit. An
elective course may be in the student’s major area of study
or any department of a college.
Full-time –
A student enrolled in 12 units in a regular term,
6 or more in an eight-week session or 4 or more units
during a six-week session.
General Education Requirements –
A group of courses
required for graduation, selected by the student from varied
areas of the arts, humanities, social sciences, natural
sciences and math.
Part-time –
A student enrolled in fewer than 12 units during
a regular term, fewer than 6 units in an eight-week session,
and fewer than 4 units during a six-week session.
Pass/No Pass –
A form of grading whereby a student
receives a grade of PASS (P) or No PASS (NP) instead of an
A, B, C, D, or F. A Pass is assigned for coursework equivalent
to a grade of C or above.
Prerequisite –
A course or test score required BEFORE
enrolling in a course.
Probation–
A warning system to alert students and
counselors that a student is not being successful.
Resident/Non-resident Status –
Student status based on
place of legal residence. Non residents often have to pay
higher fees.
Semester system –
Approximately 16 weeks of instruction
offered two times a year, during the fall and spring.
Skills/Certificate of Achievement –
Programs designed
to develop skills and knowledge needed to enter and
progress in vocational and technical careers.
Transcript –
A list of all courses taken at a college or
university showing the final grade received for each course.
Official transcripts bear a seal of the college and signature
of a designated college official and are sent directly from
one institution to another.
Transfer –
Changing from one college to another after
meeting the requirements for admission to the second
institution.
UC Transfer –
Courses designated “UC” are baccalaureate-
level and will transfer to all of the University of California
campuses and count toward graduation at Mt. SAC
Undergraduate –
A student enrolled in the years of college
study prior to receiving a bachelor’s degree.
Unit –
The measure of college credit given a course, usually
on the basis of one unit for each lecture hour per week or
for every two to three laboratory hours per week.
Freshman –
A student who has completed fewer than
30 degree-applicable units of credit
Sophomore –
A student who has completed 30 degree-
applicable units of credit
New Student –
Anyone who hasn’t attended another
college and will be attending Mt. SAC for the first-time
Returning Student –
Students who have interrupted
their studies at Mt. SAC for more than two consecutive
semesters and now plan to resume their studies here.
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