Glossary of College Terms

The following information may help you better understand frequently used college terminology.

Associate's Degree—An award issued to a student that signifies completion of a two-year program. Four associate's degrees are offered at Moraine Valley. Three of them are designed to transfer to a four-year college or university—the Associate in Arts, Associate in Fine Arts, and Associate in Science degrees. The Associate in Applied Science degree is intended to lead to employment and is not designed to transfer.

Career Programs—Short-term career training programs are intended to lead to employment upon completion.

Certificates—An award given at the completion of specific career training programs. Having a certificate means that the student is qualified to enter the workforce in a particular career area. A certificate requires fewer credit hours to complete than an associate's degree.

Contact Hours—The number of hours you are in class each week.

Corequisite—If a course has a corequisite, you must take the two courses during the same semester.

Course Code—Each course is assigned a six-digit code (three letters and three numbers), along with a three-digit section number to use when you sign up for classes. Example: Principles of Marketing, BUS-130-001. The first three digits describe the subject (BUS for business), followed by the course number (130 for Principles of Marketing). Since Moraine Valley offers the same courses at different times, with different instructors, each class also has a three-digit number to designate the specific class time (001).

Course Load—The number of credit hours you take during a semester.

Credit Hours—The amount of credit you receive for completing a specific course.

Curriculum—A set of courses for a particular program.

Dean's List/President's List/Part-Time Scholastic Achievement—These lists of students are compiled each semester based on excellence in course work.

Drop/Add—The procedure by which you may change your class schedule by dropping or adding a course without penalty after initial enrollment.

Electives—Classes you choose to take that are not specifically required for graduation, but will increase your knowledge.

Extension Centers—Off-campus facilities that offer Moraine Valley classes.

Fees—Additional charges required for some instructional programs and courses. These charges may be for laboratory equipment, supplies and malpractice insurance.

Full-time Students—Anyone taking 12 credit hours or more during the fall or spring semesters, or six or more credit hours during the summer semester.

Grade Point Average (GPA)—The total number of points per credit hour earned (A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0), divided by college-level credit hours attempted.

In-district Resident—Someone who lives within the designated boundaries of Moraine Valley Community College District 524.

Internship—Also called clinical or field experience. Provides an opportunity for you to apply what you've learned in the classroom in a supervised work setting.

Part-time Student—Anyone taking 11 credit hours or less during the fall and spring semesters, or five credit hours or less during the summer semester.

Prerequisite—An introductory course that must be taken before the next level course. Prerequisites are listed in the catalog and in each semester's class schedule.

Program—See curriculum.

Registration—The process of enrolling in classes.

Semesters—The fall semester lasts 17 weeks between August and December. The spring semester is 17 weeks from January to May. There is a three-week summer session which begins in May. The regular summer session lasts eight weeks from June through July, and there are two four-week sessions during the eight-week session. Shorter courses also are available during spring and fall. Check the course schedule for details.

Support Services—Various services are available to support you in your educational goals, such as tutoring, career planning, counseling, child care, and job placement.

Syllabus —A document that lists a course's objectives and requirements. Each instructor distributes a syllabus at the beginning of the semester.

Transcript—This document is a complete record of all courses taken and grades received at Moraine Valley. It is available in Admissions for a small fee.

Transfer Programs—Curriculum that can be applied toward bachelor's degree programs at four-year colleges and universities.

Tuition—The amount charged for a course. Additional fees may apply.

Withdrawal—The process of discontinuing enrollment in a course or courses. A grade of "W" is recorded on the student transcript. No refund of tuition is given.