Glossary of Transfer Terms
Key Terms
- Accredited: A college or program that has been certified as fulfilling certain standards by a national and/or regional professional association.
- Advanced Placement (AP): An exam that students can take and receive college credit.
- Appeals: When a decision is rendered, on a petition, not in the favor of a student, the student provides additional documentation to the deciding party to receive a review for a favorable decision.
- Articulation Agreement: Agreements between a community college and a four-year college that indicates the acceptability of courses in transfer toward meeting specific degree requirements.
- Assist: A website that has articulation information between California community colleges and specific campuses of the University of California and the California State Universities. www.assist.org
- Associate's Degree (AA/AS): A degree granted by the community college to students who complete a specified program, usually totaling 60 units. Associate degrees are awarded in arts and sciences and are sometimes called two-year degrees, in contrast to the four-year or bachelor's degree awarded by a university.
- Bachelor's Degree (BA/BS): A level of education marked by the completion of the equivalent of four or more years of full-time education (at least 124 semester units or 180 quarter units). Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees are offered by the California State University system, the University of California system, and many private colleges and universities.
- Catalog Rights: A policy that allows, in certain circumstances, a college student to select the set of requirements he/she will follow to qualify for university graduation. Check the college catalog to determine the catalog right policy of a specific university.
- Certificate: An award granted upon completion of a prescribed series of courses preparing students for employment in selected occupational/vocational fields which require training beyond high school. A certificate may be earned while preparing for an associate degree. Some four-year colleges also offer certificate programs.
- Certification: An official notice, either on the transcript or on a certification form provided by a community college, verifying that a transfer student has completed courses satisfying all or a portion of the lower division general education requirement. Certification of CSU GE or IGETC is an important step in the transfer process.
- Course Repetition: Courses in which a grade of "D", "F", "NC" or other substandard grade has been earned may be repeated for the purpose of improving a recorded grade. Upon completion of the course, the previous grade earned shall be omitted from the computation of the cumulative grade point average on the Moorpark College permanent record.
- Electives: Courses that are not used to meet specific major, general education, or graduation requirements, but can be used to complete the total units required for a degree.
- General Education: program of courses in the arts and sciences that provides students with a broad educational experience. Courses typically are introductory in nature and provide students with fundamental skills and knowledge in mathematics, English, arts, humanities, and physical, biological, and social sciences. Transfer students often take these classes while attending a community college. Completion of a general education program is required for a baccalaureate degree.
- Grade Point Average (GPA): A grading scale that ascribes point value to letter grades based on the number of units called grade points. A GPA is determined by the following formula: Total grade points for all coursework / total graded units attempted = GPA.
- Graduate: Courses offered beyond the bachelor's degree level. Also, students who have received a bachelor's degree and who are enrolled in post-baccalaureate instruction.
- Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC): A general education program which community college students can use to satisfy lower division general education requirements at any California State University or University of California campus.
- Lower Division: A term used to describe courses that are usually taught the freshman or sophomore year of college and are general in content. California community colleges can only teach lower division courses.
- Major: A program of study that leads to a degree; the subject area in which a student pursuing a college degree develops the greatest depth of knowledge.
- Minor: Additional coursework in a specific discipline other than the declared major, usually related to the major,
- but not always.
- Petition: The ability to ask for, in writing, a special exception to a specified rule or policy.
- Priority Filing Dates: A one month period of time when applications are first accepted for a specific term at a California State University or University of California campus (i.e. November 1-30 for the following Fall term).
- Quarter System: The division of the academic year into four equal parts. Each quarter is 10 weeks in length. Three quarters (Fall, Winter, Spring) constitute an academic year, with summer school considered an optional "quarter".
- Semester: The division of the academic year into two equal parts. Each semester is 15 weeks in length and there are two semesters (Fall and Spring) in an academic year.
- Teaching Credential: A basic multiple or single subject teaching credential obtained upon completion of a bachelor's degree and prescribed professional education requirements in four or more years of college.
- Undergraduate: An enrolled student who has not completed a baccalaureate degree: a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior.
- Unit: A measure of credit earned for course completion. A unit is based on the number of hours of instruction per week required in the classroom and/or lab or in independent study. A course earning three semester units will usually meet for three lecture hours a week. One quarter unit is equal to 2/3 of one semester unit.
- Upper Division: Courses offered for junior/senior class level credit. These courses are not offered by community colleges and they often require completion of prerequisite courses. Also refers to junior and senior students.