Glossary of Terms
Accreditation — College or University
A college or university in the United States is considered accredited if it is recognized by one of the following regional accrediting agencies:
- Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges
- North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
- Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Accreditation — High School
A high school in Texas is considered accredited if it is recognized by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). High schools outside of Texas are considered accredited if they are recognized by their state accreditation agency.
Advanced-level Work
Courses numbered 3000-4000 are advanced or upper-division courses. Courses numbered 3000 are designated as junior level, and 4000-numbered courses are designated as senior level. Approval of the department chair or dean of the college is required for enrollment in advanced-level courses by students who have not reached junior standing. Students who have not passed all portions of the TSI exam may not enroll in any advanced-level coursework if, upon completion of the work, the student would have completed 60 or more hours.
Attempted Hours
Attempted hours are the total number of hours for courses that a student has attempted, including failing grades such as “F,” “DF” and “WF.”
Census Date
The official census date is the 12th class day for regular fall and spring semesters or the fourth class day for summer sessions. Dates for traditional programs are found in the Academic Calendar. Census dates for non-traditional students (online-accelerated programs) will be published by the Office of the Registrar.
Common Course Number
If the course is generally equivalent to other lower- division courses taught at universities and community colleges within the state, the Texas Common Course Number is shown in the course description for informational purposes. See Texas Common Course Numbering System for further information.
Coursework in Residence
Coursework in residence refers to coursework actually completed on one of the UTRGV campuses or through credit by examination offered by UTRGV academic departments. Extension, credit by examination offered by external agencies (e.g. IB, CLEP, AP), and transfer credit may not be used to complete the residency requirement for graduation.
Dean’s List
After each regular semester, a dean’s list is published listing the names of all undergraduate students enrolled in a minimum of 12 college-level hours who have a grade point average of 3.5 or better for courses taken that semester. A dean’s list is not produced during the summer sessions.
Free Elective Hours
Required credit hours for which specific courses are not prescribed are listed as free elective hours.
Entering Freshman
A student admitted as an entering freshman has not attended any accredited college or university.
Full-time Graduate
A graduate student who is enrolled for at least nine hours of credit during a regular semester, or a total of six hours of credit during the summer sessions, is considered full-time.
Full-time Undergraduate
An undergraduate student who is enrolled for at least 12 credit hours during a regular semester, or at least six hours of credit during a summer session, is considered fulltime.
Half-time Graduate
A half-time graduate student is one who is enrolled for six to eight hours of credit during the regular semester or three hours of graduate credit during a summer session.
Half-time Undergraduate
A half-time undergraduate student is one who is enrolled for six to 11 credit hours during the regular semester or three hours of credit during a summer session.
Hours
College credit at UTRGV is measured in terms of credit hours. Ordinarily, a class that meets one 50-minute period per week for a regular semester will carry a credit of one hour. The majority of classes meet three periods or their equivalent each week and carry three hours of credit. Two or three laboratory hours per week are usually required for one hour of laboratory credit.
International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
Students whose native language is not English and students who studied outside the U.S. will be expected to provide test scores for either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
Leveling Work
Coursework designed to eliminate deficiencies in educational background of students admitted or being considered for admission to a graduate program is called leveling work. (Graduate programs are designed on the assumption that students have a common body of knowledge.)
Maximum Course Load
The maximum load for a full-time undergraduate student is 18 hours in a regular semester and 7 for each summer session. Students may be permitted to enroll for additional hours with the approval of his or her undergraduate academic advisor and the dean of the college.
Post-baccalaureate Student
A student holding at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution who does not wish to enter the graduate school may be permitted to register as a special student in one of the undergraduate colleges and is subject to all rules and regulations of that college.
Prescribed Electives
Students have choices within the category of prescribed electives but must complete the required number of courses or hours from those specified.
Prerequisite
A course listed with a prerequisite means that specified requirements must be met before one can enroll in the course. Specific prerequisites are listed in course descriptions.
Probation
Students are placed on scholastic probation when they fail to achieve the required overall grade point average. Students may be placed on disciplinary probation for infraction of any University regulation. In either case, they must satisfy specific requirements before they can return to a non-probationary status. For further information, refer to the sections on scholastic probation and suspension in the undergraduate and graduate catalogs.
Regular Semester
A regular semester is any 15-week fall or spring semester.
Returning Student
A student whose last institution attended was UTRGV is admitted as a returning student after an absence of one year.
Semester
(See Regular Semester)
Summer Session
As part of its regular program, the university offers two summer sessions, each five-and-one-half weeks long.
Three-Quarter Time Undergraduate
A three-quarter time undergraduate student is one who is enrolled for nine to 11 credit hours during the regular semester.
Transfer Students
Students admitted as transfer students have last attended an accredited college or university other than, or in addition to, UTRGV.
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
Students whose native language is not English and students who studied outside the U.S. will be expected to provide test scores for either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
Upper Division
(See Advanced-level Work)