Glossary of Terms

Accreditation The regional organization which evaluates the standards of all public and private institutions of higher education. Seattle Central is accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

AP (Advanced Placement) An exam that students can take and receive college credit. Credit is determined by the college, school, or major at the U.C. campus that the student transfers to.

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 This is information about coursework from one college that indicates whether or not a course transfers to another college or university, and usually determines if that coursework is equivalent to either major requirements, general education requirements, or elective credit.

Bachelors Degree (Baccalaureate) The diploma awarded to an undergraduate that has completed all of the graduation requirements.

Campus The physical location of the college.

Catalog The information contained in the college catalog covers policies and procedures for academic and non-academic affairs.

College A collection of departments and or majors connected together usually by an academic discipline or theme.

Department A specific part of the college that usually focuses on one specific field of academics, e.g. psychology or history.

General Education Courses to include a wide variety of subjects outside a specific major; also known as survey courses.

GPA (Grade Point Average) 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.

IB (International Baccalaureate) An exam whereby a student can receive unit credit.

Transfer Degree A specific pattern of courses that completes General Education courses after transferring from a Seattle Community Colleges for universities in the State of Washington and many universities outside of Washington.

Interdepartmental major A specific course of study usually grouped around a central theme that requires coursework from many different departments.

Lower Division A term used to describe courses that are usually taught the freshman or sophomore year of college and are general in content. Most community colleges can only teach lower division courses.

Lower Division Major Preparation Lower division courses that are required as foundation information for upper division coursework. These courses are often comprised from a variety of departments. For example, engineering students are required to complete lower division courses in physics, chemistry, and math.

Major A specific course of study that is the focus of the undergraduate degree emphasizing one specific discipline.

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.

Quarter System The division of the academic year into four equal parts. Three quarters constitute an academic year, with summer school considered an optional "quarter".

Re-entry Student An older student returning to study after a term away from formal studies.

Repetition Repeating a course where a "D", "F", or "No Credit" (NC) was earned. A Withdraw ("W") is not considered a repetition.

School A school is a separate academic unit, or college, within a University. A school can also be used to refer to a high school or any undergraduate college.

Selection Criteria When a college campus cannot admit all the eligible applicants, it applies standards that identify high academic achievers with other qualities that can contribute to the strength and diversity of the individual campus community.

Semester System The division of the academic year into two equal parts.

DTA ( Direct Transfer Agreement) A document published by the four year universities and community colleges in the State of Washington that determines the transferability of all courses from the community colleges.

Credit or Unit A specific measure of value ascribed to satisfactory completion a course of study. Sometimes referred to as credits or hours.

Credit or Unit Ceiling A maximum number of credits/ units allowed for completion of a Bachelors Degree.

Unit Credit Satisfactory completion of a course usually yields unit credit.

Upper Division A category of study at the undergraduate level that is more narrow in focus than lower division study. These courses are usually taught in the junior and senior years, and encompass most of the major.

Well-Rounded Students Students who, in addition to their major, have completed a broad array of courses in different areas of study.