GLOSSARY

Arts and Sciences fields of study (also called Liberal Arts): Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Economics, English, General Education (not to be confused with courses called General Education Requirements), Geography, Geology, History, Interdisciplinary, Languages, Mathematics, Other Physical Sciences, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology & Anthropology, and Speech

Calculus-based course: a course that places substantial emphasis on differentiation and/or integration. A course which culminates in calculus is not considered a calculus-based course.

Capstone course: a course for undergraduates nearing the completion of their studies that builds on skills and knowledge acquired in previous courses emphasizing "real world" situations, and provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate competencies and communication skills.

Career-oriented: see Professional fields of study

Credit course: a course for which academic credit is recorded on a student’s official transcript. A course for which academic credit is not awarded is different from a course that is not subsidy-eligible. A course for which credit is not awarded could not be associated with a subsidy level.

Computer literacy course: a course designed to provide the initial hands-on experience to the technology.

Core: a set or courses that make up a required part of the curriculum of the major program.

Courses that focus on a particular aspect of a field of study (or discipline): a course in which the primary subject matter is concentrated within one component of a field of study. This term generally is used as a criterion for determining the course level. For example, oceanography courses with prerequisites receive Baccalaureate funding; those which have no prerequisites AND serve primarily non-majors (in Geology) receive General Studies.

English as a Second Language (ESL): a course that teaches English to students who are not proficient in it or who do not speak, read or write English. Such a course should not be confused with instructional methods courses designed for individuals who intend to teach English to students who are not proficient in it or who do not speak, read or write English.

ESL: see English as a Second Language

Fine and Performing Arts fields of study: Art, Dance, Drama, Music

First-year introductory course: a beginning course or series of courses that comprise the first year of study within a curriculum. Such courses may satisfy general education, language, or prerequisite requirements.

For non-majors only course: a course offered within a particular discipline to students who are not majoring in the discipline or any option/specialty offered within the discipline. Generally, credits earned in such courses do not satisfy degree requirements for majors.

General Education Requirement (GER): a course or series of courses that are not related to a student’s formal technical, vocational, or professional preparation. All students, regardless of major, are expected to take these courses and the course(s) are intended to impart common knowledge, intellectual concepts, and attitudes that every educated person should possess. This course of study encompasses, and is generally broader or more comprehensive than, the Transfer Module defined below. It may contain both lower and upper division requirements. Relatively large enrollments are indicative of this type of course. Other names for describing GERs include Basic Education Requirements, Core Education Requirements, Foundation Requirements, Liberal Education Requirements, and University Requirements.

GER: see General Education Requirement

Liberal Arts programs: see Arts and Sciences

Major: student whose coursework will lead to the awarding of a degree or certificate in a specific discipline. (See also major program).

Major Program: a term used to describe coursework in a specific discipline that will culminate in the awarding of a degree or certificate.

Non-major: a term used to describe a student who is pursuing a specialty within a particular field of study other than that of the course in which s/he is enrolled.

Orientation course: see Survey course

Performance or production nature courses: a term applicable to certain courses in drama or music fields of study; includes courses that provide credit for participation in bands and choirs requiring a certain level of expertise and a sizeable commitment to the organization and skill development.

Personal enrichment or general interest course: a course designed for furthering one’s interest in a particular field of study. Such a course would carry no prerequisites for enrollment and would not be designed for students majoring in the field of study with which the course is associated.

Prerequisite (also called prereq's): a condition or set of conditions that must be satisfied prior to a student taking a course. Prerequisites may include coursework, class rank, or other criteria as set by the institution or department offering the course.

Professional fields of study (also called Career-oriented): Agriculture, Allied Medicine, Architecture, Business Administration, Computer Science, Education, Engineering, Home Economics, Journalism, Library Science, Medicine, Military Science, Nursing, Pharmacy, Physical Education, Public Administration, Social Work and Veterinary Medicine

Specialized skill/medium course: a course within the Fine and Performing Arts fields of study for students interested in maintaining or developing skill in a particular medium. Such a course would require competency in theory and fairly extensive previous experience in the artistic medium for enrollment. This definition does not apply to those courses which are at such an elementary level that it would not be applicable to a Baccalaureate major.

Survey course (also called Orientation course): a course which provides an overview or introduction to the college or university, or to the curriculum within a discipline or profession rather than focusing on a particular aspect of a discipline or profession. This includes courses that provide an overview of a profession to help students decide on a major as well as courses that survey the areas of the discipline in which a student could specialize. Examples: Art Appreciation, Introduction to Business, Intro to Health Professions, and Intro to Music History.

Transfer Module: a subset or a complete set (in some cases, the institution’s Transfer Module may satisfy the entire set of general education requirements) of a college's or university's general education requirements that represents a body of knowledge and academic skills common across Ohio colleges and universities, containing 36-40 semester hours or 54-60 quarter hours of courses in the fields of (1) English; (2) mathematics; (3) arts/humanities; (4) social and behavioral sciences; (5) natural and physical sciences; (6) interdisciplinary coursework (optional). This requirement is generally completed in the first two years of a student's residency and is more fully described in the Transfer Module Guidelines.