Glossary of Academic Terminology
Associate of Arts (A.A.)
The A.A. is an undergraduate degree conferred upon students who have completed the requirements of the program and institutional graduation requirements. A.A. programs are distinguished by coursework that focuses on general education and social, artistic, or literary analysis.
Associate of Science (A.S.)
The A.S. is an undergraduate degree conferred upon students who have completed the requirements of the program and institutional graduation requirements. A.S. programs are distinguished by coursework that focuses on general education, quantitative and/or scientific reasoning, and practical application.
Associate of [Specialty]
The Associate of [Specialty] is an undergraduate degree conferred upon students who have completed specialty program requirements and institutional graduation requirements. Associate of [Specialty] programs are distinguished by coursework with an emphasis on a particular field of study or career path. These programs are regular degree offerings designed by the institution. These programs are not individualized programs designed by students. (E.g., Associate of Piano Pedagogy.)
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
The B.A. is an undergraduate baccalaureate degree conferred upon students who have completed the General Education program and institutional graduation requirements. B.A. programs are distinguished by a qualitative and theoretical focus and require coursework to include at least 6 upper-level credits in courses with an emphasis on social, artistic, or literary analysis in addition to General Education requirements.
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
The B.S. is an undergraduate degree conferred upon students who have completed the General Education, program, and institutional graduation requirements. B.S. programs are distinguished by a quantitative and practical focus and require coursework to includes at least 6 upper-level credits in courses with an emphasis on quantitative and/or scientific analysis and reasoning in addition to General Education requirements.
Bachelor of [Specialty]
The Bachelor of [Specialty] is an undergraduate degree conferred upon students who have completed the General Education, specialty program, and institutional graduation requirements. Bachelor of [Specialty] programs are distinguished by an exclusive focus on a particular field of study or career path. These programs may have special accreditation standards in addition to regional accreditation, and they typically lead students to the possibility of licensure or certification after their degree is conferred. These programs are regular degree offerings designed by the institution. These programs are not individualized programs designed by students. (E.g., Bachelor of Social Work.)
Certificate
Certificates represent a successful achievement of coursework in a well-defined, cohesive, and singularly targeted body of knowledge in an academic discipline or in a specialized skill-set for a professional field. Certificate programs are comprised of 9 to 29 credit hours of 1) certificate-specific courses, 2) a subset of courses drawn from existing SAU degree programs, or 3) a combination of both. Certificates are earned independently from degree programs and are intended for knowledge or skill enhancement, professional development, discipline exploration, or preparation for exams of external credentialing bodies.
Certification
A credential issued by an external agency after fulfillment of specified curricular and possibly other requirements. Certification is not a credential earned at SAU.
Concentration
Concentrations are groups of courses within a major or program that focus on a particular specialization in the field of study. They are considered part of the major or program. At minimum, a major with concentrations should have at least two concentration choices. Concentrations are comprised of 9-29 credit hours and do not include foundation courses.
Core
Core courses refer to courses in the General Education program .
Endorsement
An endorsement is a special program designed to meet criteria or standards specified by an outside body or agency and are affiliated with outside licensure and certification. They are typically post-degree or extra-degree programs. The number of credit hours in an endorsement is determined by the standards or criteria of the outside body. Prerequisite requirements should be included in the credit-hour count unless it is expected that students will have met those requirements prior to matriculating into the program.
Foundation
Foundation courses are courses common to major programs in a specific department or school.
Institutional Endorsement
An institutional endorsement is comprised of 9-17 departmentally prescribed credit hours designed to equip students with a very specific knowledge or skill-set within a particular field of study. Institutional endorsements are supplemental to a bachelor’s degree program and cannot be earned as an independent credential. Students may earn more than one institutional endorsement, but courses in an institutional endorsement may not overlap with courses in a major, minor, endorsement, second institutional endorsement, or certificate. Prerequisites should be included in the program and credit-hour count unless it is expected that students will have met those requirements prior to entry into the program.
Major
A major is a group of courses within a baccalaureate degree program that equips students with general knowledge in a specific field of study. Majors require a minimum of 30 credit hours. Prerequisite requirements for major courses should be included in the credit-hour count unless it is expected that students will have met those requirements prior to matriculating into the program.
Minor
A minor is comprised of 18-29 credit hours of related courses that focus on a particular field of study but are secondary and complementary to a major. Minors cannot be earned independently of a bachelor’s degree. No more than two courses of a minor can overlap with a major or second minor. Minors can be more than 29 credit hours if they are designed to meet accreditation, certification, or licensure standards of outside agencies. Prerequisite requirements for minor courses should be included in the credit-hour count unless it is expected that students will have met those requirements prior to entry into the program.
Required Support
Required support courses are required by the department and essential for preparation for or prerequisite to courses in the major. They are considered part of the major and follow the minimum grade standards of the major unless otherwise specified.
Track
Tracks are distinct curriculum pathways that lead to the same credential. Tracks are differentiated at the starting point of the program but converge and culminate at the same ending point. E.g., pre-licensure and post-licensure nursing tracks.
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