Academic Plan. The term used by the IUPUI Student Information System to represent a course of study in a specific academic field, for example Chemistry.

Academic Program. The term used by the IUPUI Student Information System to represent the combination of level of study and school or division to which a student is admitted, for example, undergraduate science or graduate business – MBA.

Associate Degree. In some fields, an associate degree is awarded at the completion of a fulltime, two-year, post-secondary program. Some of the courses taken for an associate degree may apply toward a bachelor's degree should a student wish to continue studies. A high school diploma or General Equivalency Diploma (GED) is required for admission.

The Bachelor's Degree. The first four years of fulltime university study are known as undergraduate study, or college, and usually lead to a bachelor's degree. All U.S. bachelors’ programs include general education in the natural sciences, social sciences, arts, humanities and a field of specialization called the major. The major may be combined with one or two related areas of study called minors. A high school diploma or General Equivalency Diploma (GED) is required for admission.

College. (or college-level): The first level of higher education in the U.S. Also called undergraduate education.

College Preparation. U.S. citizens normally enter university study after 12 years of primary and secondary schooling that begins at age six. Applicants from other countries should have similar academic backgrounds. In particular, mathematics, natural science, and social science subjects should have been studied at the high school level.

Course load. The number of credit hours in which a student is enrolled during a semester. U.S. Ciitizenship and Immigration Service regulations require that visa students enroll fulltime during the fall and spring semesters. For graduate students, 8 credit hours per semester is the minimum fulltime course load. For undergraduate students, 12 credit hours per semester is the minimum fulltime course load.

Credit hour. (Also called “hours,” “credits,” “semester hours,” or “semester credits”.) A unit of credit that you earn for course work that takes a semester to complete. The number of credit hours assigned to a course depends upon the number of hours you spend per week in lecture, discussion, laboratory, and other instructional settings during the semester.

Doctoral or Ph.D. degree. The doctorate or Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree is the highest degree awarded in the U.S. Admission to a doctoral program requires completion of at least a four-year bachelor’s degree and in some cases a master’s degree. Earning the degree requires course work, comprehensive examinations, original research, and a dissertation. Three years of study beyond the master’s level is required. Few students, however, complete the doctoral degree in three years because of the exacting requirements.

Freshman. (or beginning freshman.) A student enrolled in the first year of college is called a “freshman”. A freshman has from 0-25 hours of credit. A “beginning freshman” has graduated from high school and is entering a college or university for the first time. (Also see “Rank or Standing”.)

Grade Point Average. (GPA) Grade point average is the most common measure of a student’s academic performance in the U.S. Compute the GPA by first multiplying the credit hours attempted by the grade earned in each course. The product of these two numbers is the quality points earned. Then divide the sum of all quality points earned by the sum of the credit hours attempted for a grade. The quotient equals the grade point average. Grade point averages are usually expressed in terms of a semester GPA and a cumulative GPA. The semester GPA represents the quotient of quality points earned divided by credit hours attempted for a grade during any one semester. The cumulative GPA represents the quotient of all quality points earned divided by all credit hours attempted for a grade.

Grading scale used at IUPUI. A=highest passing grade, B=above average passing grade, C=average passing grade, D=lowest passing grade, and F=failure. The following values are used to compute a student’s grade-point average: A+=4.0, A=4.0, A-=3.7, B+=3.3, B=3.0, B-=2.7, C+=2.3, C=2.0, C-=1.7, D+=1.3, D=1.0, D-=0.7, and F=0.0.

Graduate student. A student who is working on a master’s or doctoral degree, or a student who is taking courses or in a program that requires a bachelor’s degree to be eligible for admission.

Graduate degree. A master’s or doctoral degree. These degrees are referred to as graduate (or post-graduate) because one is required to have graduated (earned a bachelor’s degree) to be eligible for admission.

High School. The final four years of secondary education which are generally defined as grades 9 through 12 in the U.S.

High School Unit. One full semester of study in a single academic subject in high school.

International Student. An international student is a citizen of another country, who is studying in the U.S., without permanent resident, refugee, or political asylum status.

Major. The subject on which a student concentrates his or her study. This usually represents at least 30 semester hours of study in a single subject or in a group of closely related subjects. The term is used primarily with undergraduate education, but can also refer to graduate study.

Master’s Degree. Students who have excelled as undergraduates may wish to continue their education at the graduate level. For a student who does not intend to pursue a professional degree, the master’s degree is the next step. A four-year bachelor’s degree is required for admission. Depending upon the field of study, a master’s degree may require from one to three years to complete. Two years is most common. A student entering a master’s degree program often studies the same subject as the undergraduate major. A student who chooses a different subject may be required to complete undergraduate courses in the new subject to make up deficiencies in their background.

Major courses. The courses that one must take to fulfill the requirements for one’s chosen major.

Nondegree study. Nondegree study means taking courses for credit, but not a while pursuing a degree. Only under very special circumstances are students from overseas admitted to nondegree study. Acceptance in nondegree status does not guarantee admission to a degree program afterwards. Courses taken in nondegree status do not always apply toward degree requirements if a student is later admitted to a degree program.

Prerequisite courses. Refers to a specific group of IUPUI courses required for admission to a particular major or field of study. In most cases, you must complete all prerequisite courses before you can be admitted to a degree program that specifies prerequisite courses.

Professional degree. The degree that is required to practice a profession. Indiana University offers professional degrees in Dentistry, Law, and Medicine at IUPUI. Dentistry offers the Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree. The DDS requires four years of professional study after the bachelor’s degree. Law offers the Juris Doctorate (JD) degree. The JD requires three years of fulltime study after the bachelor’s degree. Medicine offers the Medical Doctor (MD) degree. The MD requires three years of professional study after the bachelor’s degree.

Professional student. A student who is working toward a professional degree in Law, Medicine, or Dentistry.

Rank or standing. These terms refer to the number of credit hours that a student has accumulated. Both transfer credit and credits earned at IUPUI count toward a student’s rank. Here are the undergraduate ranks: Freshman 0 – 25 hours, Sophomore 26 – 55 hours, Junior 56 – 85 hours, and Senior 86+ hours.

School. At IUPUI, schools are the degree-granting units within the University, e.g. the School of Liberal Arts or the School of Science.

Second Bachelor’s degree. This is a bachelor’s degree earned after the student has already received a four-year bachelor’s degree. A second bachelor’s degree is required for admission to graduate study in some programs if the first bachelor’s degree was earned in a different major subject area. In some professions, such as nursing, if a student already holds a bachelor’s degree and wants to practice the profession, earning a second bachelor’s degree may be necessary. In all cases, applicants should consult with an adviser in their chosen field before deciding to pursue a second bachelor’s degree.

Transcript. An official record of courses and grades from your school.

Transfer. A transfer is usually an undergraduate student who enters IUPUI after attending another college or university, regardless of the number of credits earned at another school.

Transfer credit. (Also sometimes referred to as “advanced standing.”) Transfer credit may be given by IUPUI for work completed at another college or university. Click here for a summary of the rules for granting transfer credit.

Tuition. The fee that students must pay to attend classes.

Undergraduate student. A student who is working on a bachelor’s or an associate degree, or any college student who is taking courses or following a study program that does not require a bachelor’s degree to be eligible for admission. Students who have already earned a bachelor’s degree and return to school to earn a second bachelor’s degree are still undergraduate students.

Visa student. A visa student is an international student who is studying in the U.S. on a student visa, usually either an F-1 or J-1 visa.