- Academic Session
- The fall/winter period from September through April or the spring/summer session from May to August. Both sessions are composed of two terms. Full-credit courses generally run for a complete session while most half-credit courses are for a single term only.
- Academic Performance Evaluation
- The decision regarding a student's eligibility to continue in the current program of study. This evaluation takes place in June of each year provided the student has attempted 4.0 or more credits since admission or since the last academic standing decision.
- Academic Warning
- One of the possible outcomes of the Academic Performance Evaluation process.
- Advanced Standing
- Courses taken at another accredited institution and counted towards a Carleton University degree upon admission.
- Adviser
- A staff or faculty member resident in the Student Academic Success Centre or a Departmental Office who assists students in planning their academic program and resolving any academic difficulties.
- Attempt
- A course in which a student remains registered past the last date for withdrawal, whether successfully or unsuccessfully completed. Students in any program are allowed 5.0 credits of additional attempts to complete the program requirements.
- Audit
- In certain cases and with the permission of the instructor a student may be permitted to audit a course. This means that the student attends the lectures but is not evaluated in the course.
- Bachelor's Degree (Baccalaureate)
- A university degree for which a student follows an undergraduate program.
- Bursary
- A monetary award to a student based on good academic performance and financial need.
- Calendar
- The university publication listing courses, degree requirements, faculty, and University regulations. The Calendar is the ultimate written authority for University policy and regulations.
- Concentration
- A Concentration or Specialization is a set of courses within a program that provides a student with specific expertise, knowledge and/or practice and so further distinguishes their program in a recognizable way.
- Concurrent
- Courses that may be taken in the same term.
- Course Load
- The maximum number of courses in which a student may register, usually five per term in a fall/winter session or two in spring/summer (see also "Overload").
- Course Number
- The four-digit code that specifies a particular course within a subject area. Each course is specified by a subject code and a course number.
- Course Reference Number (CRN)
- The unique identifier of a course section as offered in a particular term.
- Cross-listed Courses
- Two courses are cross-listed if they are the same course listed under two different subject codes, usually by two different academic units.
- Credit
- Each course has an assigned credit weight that is used in calculations related to progress and graduation. Most courses have credit weight 0.5 or 1.0, but credit values range from 0.0 to 2.0 and higher.
- Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA)
- One of the key assessment tools for Academic Performance Evaluation. Students may be assessed using the Overall CGPA, the Major CGPA, and sometimes the Core CGPA.
- Dean
- The chief academic and administrative officer of a faculty.
- Debarment
- One of the possible outcomes of the Academic Performance Evaluation process.
- Deferral
- A final examination or final assignment that has been postponed by the Registrar's Office upon successful petition by a student, usually for reasons of illness.
- Degree Audit Report
- A record, issued by the Registrar's Office, of a student's progress in a specific program.
- Degree Student
- A student registered in a program leading to an undergraduate degree.
- Department
- A branch of study and its administrative unit at the University, e.g. Economics, History.
- Discipline
- The university equivalent of a "subject" in high school.
- Equivalent Courses
- Courses are equivalent if the appropriate academic units consider the content of the courses to be sufficiently similar that either course may be used to fulfil a program requirement.
- Examinations
- Midterm: Tests administered by the instructor during term. Final: Examinations at the end of a term or session. Deferred: Final examinations or final assignments postponed to the next special examination period by petitioning the Undergraduate Student Service Centre (usually for reasons of illness).
- Faculty
- a) A major teaching division of the University, divided into departments, schools or other units and headed by a dean. (e.g. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences).
- b) The academic teaching staff of the University.
- Good Standing
- One of the possible outcomes of the Academic Performance Evaluation process.
- Honours Research Essay
- Honours Research Project
- Honours Research Thesis
- A major research essay or project required in the fourth year of some Honours degree programs.
- Ineligible to Return
- One of the possible outcomes of the Academic Performance Evaluation process.
- Instructional Television (itv)
- The provision of courses to both on- and off-campus students through cablevision and videocassette distribution services.
- Interdisciplinary Program
- A course of study that crosses departmental lines to follow a theme (e.g. labour studies). Some "thematic majors" of this type are administered by the Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies; others have their own administrative office (e.g. Canadian Studies) or committee (e.g. Criminology).
- Language Placement
- A self-assessment questionnaire or short test to establish a student's language proficiency. Usually followed by confirmation of placement in class.
- Letter of Permission (LOP)
- Prior written permission required from the Registrar's Office before a degree student may obtain credit at Carleton for study at another university.
- Limited Enrolment
- The practice of establishing a limit to the number of students who may enrol in a course or program.
- Major
- A discipline or area of specialty studied in some depth as part of a degree program.
- Mature Applicant
- Individuals who lack normal entrance requirements as published in the Calendar, but who will be 21 years of age or over by December 31 of the year in which they wish to enrol, may receive consideration for admission as a Mature Applicant to a degree program either on a full-time or part-time basis.
- Minor
- A Minor is a defined set of courses in a discipline or field that introduce the student to or extend their knowledge of that discipline or field.
- Ombuds Service
- An independent service on campus that investigates individual's grievances or complaints, reports findings and helps achieve equitable settlements.
- Option
- An addition to a program that is separate from the degree requirements. For example, the Co-operative Education Option.
- Overload
- Registration in more than the normal full course load for the students program.
- Petition and Appeal
- The process by which a student seeks an accommodation from a rule, regulation or policy.
- Preclusion
- A course that, when attempted, prevents a student from receiving credit for another course.
- Prerequisite
- A course, courses or other requirement that must be successfully completed before a student may register in the course described.
- Program
- A combination of courses over a specific area or discipline that fulfills requirements for a degree.
- Registration
- The process of selecting, enrolling in, and paying for courses for the academic session.
- Scholarship
- A monetary award based on academic achievement
- Specialization
- A Concentration or Specialization is a set of courses within a program that provides a student with specific expertise, knowledge and/or practice and so further distinguishes their program in a recognizable way.
- Special Student
- A student with permission to register in courses without being admitted to a degree.
- Stream
- A pattern of courses within the program that guides the student's studies and is distinctive from other patterns, but does not result in a designation on the diploma.
- Subject Code
- The four-letter code that specifies discipline area of the course. Each course is specified by a subject code and a course number.
- Suspension
- One of the possible outcomes of the Academic Performance Evaluation process.
- Transcript
- The official record of the students academic history at the institution.
- Tuition Fees
- Fees paid by students for instruction.
- Withdrawal
- The formal procedure, according to regulations laid down by the University, of withdrawing from a course or courses, or from the University.