Catalog Definitions
The following terms are used throughout the catalog.
Academic year: The time period containing the academic terms fall, winter, and spring (currently September through June). When summer term is considered as part of an academic year, or when it is considered as part of the Banner Student Information Systems (SIS), summer term is the first term of the academic year.
Advisor: A faculty member appointed by a program, department, school, or college to advise students during their college experience.
BA degree: The Bachelor of Arts degree is conferred for broad and liberal education in humanities, arts, social sciences, and sciences. College BA requirements provide: a) a breadth of preparation in these fields that is significantly greater than that required of all undergraduates through the baccalaureate core; and b) foreign language proficiency certified by the School of Language, Culture, and Society as equivalent to that attained at the end of the second year course in the language. Proficiency in American Sign Language equivalent to that attained at end of the second year also meets the BA language requirement.
BS degree: The Bachelor of Science degree is conferred for focused curricula that emphasize scientific ways of knowing and quantitative approaches to understanding in the sciences and social sciences, and for curricula in professional fields.
Baccalaureate core: The university's general education requirements. See Earning a Degree at Oregon State University in this catalog. Courses in the baccalaureate core list have an asterisk in front of the title.
Baccalaureate degree: An approved academic award given for the satisfactory completion of an instructional program requiring at least four but not more than five years of full-time equivalent college-level academic work that includes the following: (1) institutional general education requirements (i.e., baccalaureate core); (2) major area of study requirements; and (3) may include option, minor, supporting area, or elective requirements. A minimum of 180 credits is required for most degree programs. Some majors may require more. The conditions and conferral of the award are governed by the faculty and ratified by the Oregon State Board of Higher Education.
Blanket-numbered courses: Reserved number courses such as 401/501/601. See Reserved numbered courses.
Certificate program (undergraduate): A specified interdisciplinary program of study leading to an official certificate and notation on the transcript. A certificate program draws courses from more than one department, rather than a single department (as with most minors). An undergraduate certificate program must be taken in conjunction with a formal degree program. An undergraduate certificate requires a minimum of 27 credits.
Certificate program (postbaccalaureate): A specified program of study of undergraduate courses leading to an official certificate and notation on the transcript. A completed baccalaureate degree program from an accredited institution is required. A postbaccalaureate certificate program requires a minimum of 27 credits.
Certificate program (graduate): A structured progression of graduate-level courses that constitute a coherent body of study with a specifically defined focus within a single discipline or a logical combination of disciplines. It is designed for students who have completed a baccalaureate degree and are in pursuit of advanced-level learning. A graduate certificate requires a minimum of 18 graduate credits.
Certificate program (professional): A site-based training and professional development certificate that is not transcript visible.
Course: An organized unit of instruction or research. Types include lectures, recitations, seminars, laboratories, discussions, internships, clerkships, reading and conference, independent study, and other categories of courses.
CRED (Credential): A student who has received a previous baccalaureate degree from either OSU or another accredited university or college may be granted a subsequent minor, certificate, major or option under the guidelines of Academic Regulation 27. It indicates the student is not seeking a degree, but rather a credential to accompany an existing degree.
Credit: Credits vary, depending upon the type of course and level at which it is offered. One credit is generally given for three hours per week of work in and out of class. For example, each hour of class lecture is generally expected to require two hours of work out of class. One credit would be given for a lecture course that met for one 50-minute period each week over a 10-week period; i.e., 10 contact hours between faculty and students. One credit is typically given for a laboratory course that meets for two to three hours per week for an entire term. Equivalent credits are given for recitations, discussions, and other types of courses. All credits given in the General Catalog refer to quarter credits. When transferring in course work from a semester system institution, multiply the number of credits by 1.5 to determine how many quarter credits will be transferred (3 semester hours x 1.5 = 4.5 quarter credits). If planning to transfer OSU credits out to a semester system institution, multiply the number of quarter credits by .67 to determine how many credits will transfer (4 quarter credits x .67 = 2.68 semester credits).
Curriculum: (plural curricula) An organized program of study and courses required for a specific degree or certificate program.
Degree: An academic award granted upon satisfactory completion of a set of collegiate-level educational requirements.
Discipline: A field of study in which a student may concentrate, such as sociology, anthropology, or mathematics.
Doctoral degree: An approved academic award given as a sign of proficiency in scholarship and for the satisfactory completion of an instructional program requiring at least three years of full-time equivalent academic work beyond the baccalaureate degree, the completion of which signifies recognized competence, original research and/or the capacity to do independent advanced graduate-level analysis. A minimum of 108 credits is required beyond the baccalaureate degree. [Note: The total number, above the minimum, will vary by degree program.] The conditions and conferral of the award are governed by the faculty and ratified by the Oregon State Board of Higher Education.
Electives: Courses that students may select, either for general knowledge or for fulfilling specific degree requirements.
Endorsement: An endorsement is the subject matter (content area) or specialty in which an individual is licensed to teach. Endorsements can be part of an initial teaching license or can be added later.
First professional degree: An academic award granted for an instructional program the completion of which: (1) signifies completion of the academic requirements to begin practice in the profession; (2) requires at least two years of full-time equivalent college-level work prior to entrance; and (3) usually requires a total of at least five years of full-time equivalent academic work to complete the degree program, including prior required college-level work plus the length of the professional program itself (examples, DVM in veterinary medicine and PharmD in pharmacy). The conditions and conferral of the award are governed by the faculty and ratified by the Oregon State Board of Higher Education.
Grade-point average (GPA): The total number of grade points received for grades divided by the total number of credits attempted. OSU uses a 4-point grade scale.
Graduate area of concentration: A graduate area of concentration is a subdivision of a major or minor in which a strong graduate program is available. Areas of concentration may be referenced on the student's program of study, but they are not listed on the student's transcript. "Areas of concentration" can only be used in association with graduate programs.
Graduate major: A graduate major is the area of academic specialization, approved by the State Board of Higher Education, in which the student chooses to qualify for a graduate degree. Upon completion of a graduate degree, the degree awarded and the graduate major are listed on the student's transcript
Graduate option: Options are for students of a specific major. An option is one of several distinct variants of course aggregations within a major that focus on an area of study designed to provide a student with specialized knowledge, competence, and skills while sharing a minimum core of courses.
A graduate option consists of a minimum of 12 designated quarter credits of related course work (excluding thesis credits), comprised of course work offered by the sponsoring unit as well as by other academic units. The option may be comprised of specific courses, completion of a designated number of credits from a longer list of alternative courses, or a combination of specific and alternative course lists. Approved options may be added to a graduate program of study, and approved by the faculty advisor(s) and the director of the sponsoring unit. On the program of study, there should be no overlap in course credits between options (the same course cannot be used to satisfy credit requirements in multiple options). When the unit submits the final examination card to validate awarding of the major to the Graduate School, the unit will also validate that the requirements of the option have been completed.
Hybrid Course: A hybrid course includes both regularly scheduled on-site classroom meetings, and significant online out-of-classroom components, that replace regularly scheduled class meeting time.
Interdisciplinary: A course or program that integrates concepts, knowledge, or faculty from several fields of study.
Lower-division courses: Course offerings at a level of preparation usually associated with freshmen and sophomore students (e.g., 100- and 200-level courses).
Major (graduate): See Graduate major above.
Major (undergraduate): An extensive program of study in a designated subject area. Majors require at least 36 credits, 24 of which must be upper-division.
Master's degree: An approved academic award given as a mark of proficiency in scholarship and for the satisfactory completion of an instructional program requiring at least one but not more than two years of full-time equivalent academic work beyond the baccalaureate degree. A minimum of 45 credits is required beyond the baccalaureate degree. [Note: The total number, above the minimum, will vary by degree program.] The conditions and conferral of the award are governed by the faculty and ratified by the Oregon State Board of Higher Education.
Minor (graduate): A graduate academic area that clearly supports the major and consists of a group of related courses totaling at least 15 credits in a specific topical area.
Minor (undergraduate): A secondary field of specialized study that may be offered by an academic unit for its own majors and/or majors from other academic units. Minors require at least 27 credits, 12 of which must be at the upper-division level. An approved minor is placed on the student's transcript.
Option (undergraduate): Options are for students of a specific major. Options consist of at least 21 designated credits of course work, 15 of which must be at the upper-division level. If all requirements have been met, the option may be listed on a student's transcript.
Perspectives courses: Baccalaureate core courses that integrate fundamental knowledge from science and liberal arts disciplines to develop cultural, historic, and scientific perspectives.
Reading and conference: A course focused on reading assignments to be completed in conferences with the instructor.
Reserved numbered courses: Certain blocks of numbers that have been assigned for specific courses that may be taken for more than one term. The credits being granted vary according to the amount of work done.
100–110 and 200–210: Survey or foundation courses in the liberal arts and sciences
401/501/601: Research and Scholarship
402/502/602: Independent Study
403/503/603: Thesis/Dissertation
404/504/604: Writing and Conference
405/505/605: Reading and Conference
406/506/606: Special Problems/Special Projects
407/507/607: Seminar
408/508/608: Workshop
409/509/609: Practicum/Clinical Experience
410/510/610: Internship/Work Experience
Sequence: Two, three, or four closely related courses that are usually taken in numerical order and through more than one term.
Skills courses: Baccalaureate core courses designed to give the student fundamental mathematical, communication, and fitness competence.
Special topics courses (X99): Like reserved numbered courses, special topics courses may be repeated as specified by the academic unit responsible for the course offering. It is implied that the course content is different each time the student takes the course.
Syllabus: A list of course objectives, lecture topics, assigned reading, exams, etc., prepared and distributed by a professor at the beginning of the term.
Synthesis courses: Baccalaureate core upper-division courses that emphasize interdisciplinary, critical thinking approaches to global, technological, and societal issues.
Term: Usually one-third of the school year. Terms at OSU are divided into fall, winter, and spring terms (also referred to as "quarters"). Summer term is generally an 8- or 11-week session during the summer. See "Credits" above.
Upper-division courses: Course offerings at a level of preparation usually associated with junior or senior students (e.g., 300- and 400-level courses).
Waive: This term refers to decisions of advisors to "waive" a course or courses in a student's program. Typical reasons include transfer credit for equivalent courses, equivalent experience in the profession or discipline, and petitioning for and successfully completing an examination. Waiving courses usually does not decrease the total credits required for completion of the degree or program; students should discuss this with their advisor.
Workshop: A brief intensive course for a small group which emphasizes problem solving.
Writing Intensive Courses (WIC): Designated upper-division courses in the major discipline that use student writing as a significant approach to learning. WIC courses must meet a variety of requirements, as do other courses in the baccalaureate core. WIC courses have a carat, ^, in front of the title.
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2004 Oregon State University