(partial excerpt from the EducationUSA.state.gov website)
Academic year: The period of formal instruction. In the case of OSU, three quarters/ terms: Fall, Winter, Spring from September to June.
Accreditation: Approval of colleges and universities by nationally recognized professional associations or regional accrediting bodies.
Affidavit of support: An official document proving a promise of funding from an individual or organization.
GRE/GMAT: Graduate Record Exam and Graduate Management Admission Test both administered by ETS - Educational Testing Services and often required for admission to graduate degree programs, such as in Engineering and for MBA programs.
Graduate Assistantship: A study grant of financial assistance to a graduate student that is offered in return for certain services in teaching or laboratory supervision as a teaching assistant, or for services in research as a research assistant.
Bachelor's degree: Degree awarded upon completion of approximately four years of full-time study in the liberal arts and sciences or professional subjects. It is a prerequisite to study in a graduate program.
College: A postsecondary institution that provides undergraduate education and, in some cases, master's level degrees. College, in a separate sense, is a division of a university; for example, College of Business.
College catalog: An official publication giving information about a university's academic programs, facilities, entrance requirements, and student life.
Conditional admission: An acceptance to a college or university that is dependent upon the individual completing coursework or meeting specified criteria prior to enrollment, such as English language proficiency.
Course: Regularly scheduled class sessions of one to five hours (or more) per week during a term. A degree program is made up of a specified number of required and elective courses and varies from institution to institution.
Credits: Units institutions use to record the completion of courses (with passing grades) that are required for an academic degree. The catalog of a college or university defines the number and kinds of credits that are required for the university's degrees and states the value of each course offered in terms of "credit hours" or "units."
Department: Administrative subdivision of a school, college, or university through which instruction in a certain field of study is given (such as English department or history department).
Doctorate (Ph.D.): The highest academic degree conferred by a university to students who have completed at least three years of graduate study beyond the bachelor's and/or master's degree and who have demonstrated their academic ability in oral and written examinations and through original research presented in the form of a dissertation.
Fees: An amount charged by universities, in addition to tuition, to cover costs of institutional services, such as library services or recreational facilities.
Fellowship: A form of financial assistance, usually awarded to a graduate student. Generally, no service is required of the student in return.
Financial aid: A general term that includes all types of money, loans, and work-study programs offered to a student to help pay tuition, fees, and living expenses.
Grade Point Average (GPA): A system of recording achievement based on a numerical average of the grades attained in each course.
Graduate: A student who has completed a course of study, either at the secondary or university level. A graduate program at a university is a study course for students who already hold a bachelor's degree.
Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA): A graduate student who acts as instructor for an undergraduate course in his or her field, in return for some form of financial aid from the university.
International student adviser (ISA): The person at a university who is in charge of providing information and guidance to international students in such areas as government regulations, visas, academic regulations, social customs, language, financial or housing problems, travel plans, insurance, and legal matters.
Language requirement: A requirement of some graduate programs that students must show basic reading and writing proficiency in one other language besides their own to receive their degree.
Maintenance: Refers to the expenses of attending a university, including room (living quarters) and board (meals), books, clothing, laundry, local transportation, and incidentals.
Major: The subject in which a student wishes to concentrate.
Master's degree: Degree awarded upon completion of academic requirements that usually include a minimum of one year's study beyond the bachelor's degree.
Minor: A subject in which the student takes the second greatest concentration of courses.
Nonresident: A student who does not meet the residence requirements of the state. Tuition fees and admission policies may differ for residents and nonresidents. International students are usually classified as nonresidents, and there is little possibility of changing to resident status at a later date for tuition purposes.
Placement test: An examination used to test a student's academic ability in a certain field so that he or she may be placed in the appropriate courses in that field. In some cases, a student may be given academic credit based on the results of a placement test.
Post-Baccalaureate degree: The degree of "bachelor" conferred upon graduates of most U.S. colleges and universities.
Prerequisite: Program or course that a student is required to complete before being permitted to enroll in a more advanced program or course.
Registration: Process through which students select courses to be taken during a quarter, semester, or trimester.
Scholarship: A study grant of financial aid, usually given at the undergraduate level, that may take the form of a waiver of tuition and/or fees.
Social Security Number: A number issued to people by the U.S. government for payroll deductions for old age, survivors, and disability insurance. Anyone who works regularly must obtain a Social Security Number. Many institutions use this number as the student identification number.
TOEFL: The Test of English as a Foreign Language. An exam administered by ETS – Educational Testing Services. Scores are often required in order to determine admission status.
Transcript: A certified copy (see "Notarization") of a student's educational record.
Tuition: The money an institution charges for instruction and training (does not include the cost of books).
Undergraduate studies: Two-year or four-year programs at a college or university, undertaken after secondary school graduation and leading to the associate or bachelor's degree.
Withdrawal: The administrative procedure of dropping a course or leaving a university.
