Glossary of Terms

Academic Year: A full cycle of course offerings, generally made up of three semesters or four quarters. The start of the cycle varies depending on the institution.
Admission: An educational institution’s formal acceptance of the student to enter a program. Typically, entrance requirements must be met. Sometimes admission is limited by available space.
Block transfer credit: The granting of transfer credit for a group of completed courses from one institution by another without requiring a course-by-course assessment.
Calendar: The book of rules, regulations, policies, programs and requirements, and courses at a particular educational institution.
Certificate: A credential attesting to the successful completion of an educational program that is usually one year or less of full-time study.
Course: One unit of study identified by a course prefix, course number, and course value, e.g. ACCT 124(4).
Course Equivalency: The credit awarded by the Receiving Institution for a course taken at another institution. The Receiving Institution may assign a specific course as equivalent, e.g. ENGL 123(3) = ENGL 456(3). Alternately, non-specific or open elective credit may be assigned, e.g. ENGL 234(6) = Elective (6).
Credit: The value assigned to a unit of study and usually related to the number of hours of instruction. In the Transfer Credit Guide, it is displayed in parenthesis behind the course prefix and course number, e.g. ENGL 234(6) is a course with 6 credit units.
Degree (Bachelor’s/Undergraduate): A credential awarded by a university or other academic institution authorized to offer accredited degree programs. A degree normally requires three or four years of full-time study.
Diploma: A credential given for the successful completion of study, usually two years of full-time study. Post-degree diplomas are usually one or two years of full-time study.
Effective Period: The date range that courses for transfer are effective. If no dates are specified, then the effective period has no start or end date. Therefore, transfer credit is not restricted to a specific time period.
Elective Credit: A course not close enough in content to a Receiving Institution course to be granted a specific credit may be granted an elective credit. Many programs of study will allow elective courses outside of the prescribed core program of study to offer choice in learning.
Entrance Requirements: A set of criteria stipulating education and other types of training or experience for eligibility to enter an educational program. They may include minimal levels of achievement and/or scores on examinations.
Grade Point Average (GPA): Your grade point average is a weighted average based on the grades you receive and the number of credits you take. It identifies your academic standing.
Institution: A Saskatchewan organization offering educational courses and programs.
Joint Program: An educational program developed and delivered by two educational institutions, resulting in both institutions awarding credits. It also refers to an educational program developed and delivered by two different departments within the same institution.
Letter of Permission: A letter issued to the student by the Receiving Institution stating that a course taken at another institution will be granted credit upon receipt of a transcript confirming successful completion of the course.
Level: Refers to an unspecified credit awarded at a specific level of study, which is usually expressed in academic years. Typically, 100-level indicates an introductory course, while 200-level is a second-year course.
Major: A subject or area of study in a program that is chosen as the field of specialization.
Preclude: “Precludes credit for English 234” indicates that credit will not be granted if the precluded course is taken at a later date.
Prerequisite: A course or group of courses that is required and must be completed before a more advanced course can be taken.
Program: An integrated group of courses that forms an area of academic study and leads to an academic credential on completion.
Program Agreement: An agreement between two educational institutions authorizing that studies undertaken in a specific program at one institution are credited toward direct entry into, or advanced standing in, a specific program at another institution.
Receiving Institution: The educational institution offering the academic program that the student wishes to complete and awarding transfer credit.
Residency Requirement: The number of courses or credits or percentage of a program that must be taken at the institution granting the credential.
Sending Institution: The educational institution where the student took the course and which will transfer credit to another institution.
Transcript: The official document of a student’s academic record issued by the institution that the student attended. It identifies courses taken (title and course number), credits and grades achieved, and credentials earned. A student is required to submit an official transcript before transfer credit can be considered.
Transfer Credit: Credit or advanced standing awarded by an institution for academic work completed at another educational institution.