College Lingo

Definitions of terms used in college registration.

Admission

Being allowed into an institution, faculty or program once the entrance requirements are met. Some admission is limited by spaces available and by selection criteria.

Advanced Placement

Doulgas College will grant transfer credit and/or advanced placement to students who complete certain International Baccalaureate (IB) or AP courses with minimum scores. Students must apply directly to the Registrar's Office for credit. Information on transfer credit is listed in the BC Transfer Guide.

Advanced Standing

For some 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. You do not receive credit for those courses that were bypassed. An instructor prerequisite waiver is required.

Appeals

If you have a disagreement with the College as a student, there are two formal ways to resolve the issue: the appeals and the complaints procedures. With both, you will be encouraged to resolve concerns informally before proceeding to the formal process. It's a good idea to consult with a College counsellor for assistance and guidance. Appeal Forms are available at the Registrar's Office.

Applying

Applying is when you complete an Application Form (online or paper) and forward required documents to notify Douglas College that you would like to attend. Applying is sometimes confused with Registering, which is a later step when you select courses.

Articulation

If you've already earned credits at one institution, another institution can review your courses to determine if they can be applied to another program you're starting. This is called Articulation, also known as evaluating or assessing transfer credits. Many articulation agreements already exist between institutions, so you know in advance what courses will be accepted in your new program.

Arts

Arts is a wide family of subjects, such as History, English, Political Science, Sociology, Anthropology, Creative Writing and others. At Douglas College, Arts courses are offered through the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Language, Literature and Performing Arts.

Associate Degree

You earn an Associate degree by completing 60 credits (20 courses) in University Transfer studies. There are several kinds of Associate degrees, some requiring specific courses.

Audit

Auditing a course allows you to attend classes in a course, without writing any exams or completing assignments. You must register and pay fees for the course, as all other students. The notation "Audit" is placed on your transcript. Audited courses generally do not generally provide transfer credits.

Bachelor's Degree

A Bachelor's Degree is a major program requiring approximately 120 credits (40 courses) to complete. It generally takes 4 years of study. You can earn Bachelor's degrees with different specialties, such as Arts, Science or Business. Douglas offers several career-related Bachelor's degrees, each approved by the BC government's Degree Quality Assessment Board.

Block Transfers

Block Transfers are agreements between institutions allowing you to move all or most of your credits or a cluster of credits from one certificate or diploma program into another related degree program or credential.

Calendar

A calendar is an institution's official and comprehensive source of program and course information. It also contains information on academic policies and regulations, and important dates.

Certificate

Credit certificates are 30-credit (10 courses) programs that deliver targeted work and skill-enhancing learning. Usually comprised of 10 - 12 courses, certificates are generally completed in one year of full-time study. Non-credit certificates may be shorter.

Challenge

If you have mastery of the material and objectives covered in a course, some courses may be challenged for credits. By demonstrating that mastery, you may be granted credits without taking the course. You must still apply, register and pay for the course. You will need permission from the instructor or department to challenge a course.

Citation

A Citation is a credential earned after taking 15 credits, usually 5 courses, which are grouped together into a program.

Closed Enrolment Program

See Limited Enrolment Programs.

Concurrent Studies

Concurrent Studies programs enable secondary students to enroll in college courses for credit, at the same time as they complete their secondary education.

Co-op Education

Co-op programs allow you to earn while you learn. The Co-op Office helps you find paid positions related to your program of study. Terms range from 4-16 months and also provide you with College credits. Co-op options are available in: Associate of Arts Degree, Associate of Science Degree, and many Business programs.

Corequisite

A Corequisite is a course which must be taken at the same time (concurrently) as another course.

Course

A series of lectures or classes that focus on a particular subject; for example, English 1130 or Psychology 1100.

Course Schedule

Online schedule itemizing semester courses, day/time combinations, the number of sections offered, course location and instructor.

Credit

Credits are the value placed on a course, which determines the amount of time spent in class and how much tuition fee is paid. Most courses at Douglas College are 3 credits, which means you will spend 3 - 4 hours in class per week for one semester. Other terms that mean generally the same thing are "semester hours", "credit hours" and "hours of credit".

Degree

See Bachelor's Degree.

Diploma

You earn a diploma after completing a minimum of 60 credits (usually 20 courses) which are grouped together in a program. Diplomas are generally available in career-based programs and usually take 2 years to complete.

Elective

Most programs list many mandatory courses that you must take, but there are usually several elective options as well. An elective is a course that you choose from a list of several options. You select the elective based on your interests or your specialization.

Entrance Requirements

Sometimes called admission requirements, entrance requirements are conditions that must be met in order to be admitted to the College and/or accepted into a program. Requirements can include courses previously completed, grades achieved, interviews with faculty, program-related experience, and others.

Exemption

Programs and courses often have requirements for entry. If the Registrar's Office and/or the department accepts that you have met the requirement through some other means, an exemption to the requirement may be granted. To be considered for an exemption, official transcripts must be submitted.

First Year

Generally, the first 30 credits (10 courses) you complete in a program. Course numbers usually start with the number one (eg, 1XXX).

Grade Point Average (GPA)

In post-secondary education all grades have equivalent number values; the highest grade for a single course is 4.33. The Grade Point Average is a tool to assess your academic achievement, based on the numerical average achieved in all credit courses. Semester GPA is the total of one semester only; cumulative or overall GPA is the total of all accumulated courses.

Interim Transcript

A record of grades showing courses completed to date and those courses which are still in progress.

Laddering

Laddering allows you to transfer credits earned in one program into another program you are starting. For example, many courses completed as part of a 2-year diploma may be accepted towards a 4-year degree. Always check the rules for the advanced program you plan to enter to check what completed courses can be transferred.

Limited Enrolment Programs

Limited enrolment programs can accommodate only a limited number of students. Most limited enrolment programs have their own admission requirements and application deadlines. Most career-focused programs such as Nursing or Youth Justice are limited enrolment; they are also called closed enrolment programs.

Lower Level Courses

Courses at the first or second-year level, usually numbered in the 1000's and 2000's, are considered to be lower level.

Official Transcript

An official document listing your academic history such as courses taken, letter grades achieved and awards granted from one institution. This document has the institutional seal and official signature on it and comes in a sealed envelope, or is sent electronically directly from the issuing institution.

Open Enrolment

Most University Transfer and General Studies programs are open enrolment. The courses (classes) are filled on a first-come, first-served basis determined by registration appointment time. Gaining admission does not guarantee there will be spaces in classes you want, so early application is strongly advised.

Petition

See Appeals

Preferential Admission

In many programs with limited student spaces, Preferential Admission is a process in which the department ranks all applicants based on the listed admission criteria. The highest-ranked applicants are given the first opportunities to enter the program.

Prerequisite

A prerequisite is a required course or assessment that you must successfully complete before another course can be taken. If you cannot provide proof of a listed prerequisite, you may be de-registered and removed from the course.

Prerequisite Waiver

In some cases, you may be given permission by an instructor to register into a class without proof of a listed prerequisite on your student record. You will be required to provide proof to the instructor that the prerequisite has been met.

Priority Registration

Students who have met all admission criteria and have been accepted into a Limited Enrolment Program register prior to Open Enrolment students. Students will register according to a pre-determined registration policy.

Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition

If you have skills and experience in a field connected to your studies, you may be granted some college credits or licencing. The College's Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition service can assess knowledge you've gained on the job or in other ways for credits and licencing towards your program.

Probation (Academic)

Upon registering, students make a commitment to complete a program of courses in that particular semester and maintain acceptable standards of academic performance. Students whose cumulative or semester Grade Point Average based on at least 9 credits is 1.70 or below are placed on academic probation. Academic performance is reviewed upon completion of a further minimum of 6 credits. Students whose Grade Point Average (GPA) is again below 1.70 are required to withdraw from the College for at least one major semester (Fall or Winter).

Program

A structured group of courses which, when successfully completed, leads to a citation, certificate, diploma, associate degree or degree.

Registering

After you have applied and been accepted into the College, registration is the process when you select courses online and pay for them. You will receive your official registration time from the College by mail.

Registration Guide

Available online, the Registration Guide explains how to select courses (register) online, and provides information on current tuition fees, important dates and deadlines.

Schedule of Classes

Online schedule itemizing semester courses, day/time combinations, the number of sections offered, course location and instructor.

Section

Courses are scheduled at specific times and days. Each of these day/time groupings is a section. For example, English 1130 at Monday and Wednesday at 10 am is one section. Generally, each course is offered in several sections. When you register to select courses, you must also select the section that you'll attend.

Semester

A semester is a period of study of approximately four months; standard 3-credit courses take one semester to complete. At Douglas College, the academic year for credit students is divided into 3 semesters: Fall Semester (September-December), the Winter Semester (January-April) and the Summer Semester (May-August).

Special Permission

See Prerequisite Waiver.

Transfer Credits

Credits you have already earned for courses at one institution which are accepted by another institution are called Transfer Credits.

Transferability

A course is transferable when the credit you earn at one institution is accepted at another institution. Not all institutions accept the same courses for transfer. It is important to review the BC Transfer Guide, or check with the institution you plan to attend, if it is outside BC.

Unassigned Credit

Sometimes the credit earned at one institution does not directly transfer to a specific course at another institution. You may still get credit for taking the course but it can not be applied to a specific course, nor can it be used for a course prerequisite.

University Transfer

University Transfer programs are for students planning to complete a Bachelor's degree or continue onto university. You can complete up to 2 years of University Transfer studies at Douglas, selecting from over 500 courses. Douglas also recognizes university transfer credits from other institutions.

Upper Level Courses

Courses at the third or fourth-year level, usually numbered in the 3000's and 4000's, are considered to be upper level.