Glossary of Transfer Terms

Acceptability	The process of determining which higher education courses will transfer to BSU, ISU, LCSC and U of I.
Accreditation	The process by which a private, non-governmental body evaluates and educational institution or program of study and formally recognizes it as having met certain predetermined criteria or standards. The process involves initial and periodic self-study and evaluation by peers. Accreditation implies stimulation toward quality improvement beyond the minimum standards specified by the accrediting body. The essential purpose of the accreditation process is to provide a professional judgment as to the quality of the educational institution or program offered and to encourage continual improvement thereof.
Advisor / Academic Advisor	A person who provides students with information regarding educational planning and the courses required to complete a certificate and/or degree program without taking unnecessary courses.
Applicability	The process of determining if or how course work from one institution applies to degree requirements in specific programs of study at another institution.
Articulation	The process of determining the transfer and applicability of courses from one postsecondary institution to another.
Associate’s Degree	A credential awarded for completion of requirements entailing at least two (2) but normally less than four (4) years of full-time academic work.
Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) Degree:	A credential awarded for completion of requirements entailing at least two but less than four years of full-time professional-technical study with a minimum of 60 semester credits and includes mastery of specific competencies drawn from requirements of business/industry. The A.A.S. degree has specific requirements in the individual technical fields (e.g., drafting, electronics, civil engineering technology, business occupations, information technology, etc.). An Advanced option may be awarded for additional credits of at least 15 credit hours that are beyond the A.A.S. degree.
Baccalaureate Degree	A credential, sometimes called a bachelor’s degree, awarded for completion of requirements entailing at least four (4) years of full-time academic work. In Idaho there are two primary types of degrees in this category, a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) a Bachelor of Science (B.S.).
Bachelor’s Degree	A bachelor’s degree, sometimes called a baccalaureate degree, is a college degree awarded after the completion of about 40 courses or 120 credit hours. A bachelor’s degree program usually takes four or five years of full-time study to complete, and degree candidates usually must declare a major about halfway through completion.
Community College or Junior College	A postsecondary institution established to serve a specific community. Awards the majority of credentials as certificates or associate degrees and is typically supported in part by local funds.
Course	A credit-bearing unit of instruction offered by an academic institution.
Course Prefix	Generally three or four characters identifying a department or division in which a course is taught (eg: MAT or MATH is commonly used for Math courses).
Credit	The unit used to gauge the amount of academic study that the student has completed.
Credit Hour	Time-based reference for measuring educational attainment used by American universities and colleges.
Degree Audit	A process that matches a student’s current and completed courses with the requirements of a particular academic degree program.
Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS)	A degree audit system developed by Miami University in Ohio.
Direct Equivalency	Designation offered to a course that is similar enough to another that it can fulfill the same degree requirement.
Dual Credit Program	A program that allows high school students to simultaneously earn credit toward a high school diploma and a postsecondary academic degree or certificate.
Dual Enrollment	Credit earned by secondary students who are enrolled in a course taught on the high school campus and receiving high school credit and also receiving transcripted credit from a postsecondary institution.
Elective Credits	Credits that can be applied to a degree program, but are not required for that program. Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): The application students use which determines their eligibility for a variety of financial aid programs including federal programs. There is no cost to submit this form. https://fafsa.ed.gov
Equivalent	A course that fulfills the requirement of a corresponding course at another postsecondary institution. It does not mean that the evaluated course is identical to the course to which it is designated equivalent.
Exam for Credit	The most common exams for which college credit might be offered include: Advanced Placement (AP); International Baccalaureate (IB); College Level Examination Program (CLEP); and DANTES Standardized Subject Tests (DSST)
Four Year Institution	An institution that awards the majority of credentials as baccalaureate degrees or higher.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)	The application students use which determines their eligibility for a variety of financial aid programs including federal programs. There is no cost to submit this form.
GEM	General Education Curriculum
General Education	Coursework that facilitates the acquisition of competency in broad academic areas and emphasizes global thinking.
General Studies	All undergraduate students must complete a minimum of 35 credit hours of approved General Studies courses. Some colleges, departments or majors have other requirements which may influence students’ course selections. Check with an advisor before selecting courses to fulfill the General Studies requirement.
High School Dual Enrollment	Students enrolled in high school may be dual enrolled at a local institution of higher learning, such as a community college or university. These students may take classes at either institution for credit toward their high school diploma as well as for college credit.
Loss of Credits	Credits that a student earns that are not applied toward completion of the degree or program that the student elects to complete.
Non-Transferable	A course that is not accepted at another institution.
Postsecondary	Education at any level past High School.
Prerequisite(s)	A course(s) that must be completed prior to taking a subsequent course.
Secondary	Education in schools serving grades seven (7) through twelve (12) inclusive, or any combination thereof.
Transcript	A document generated by an institution recording a student’s academic history at that institution.
Transfer	The process of completing courses at one postsecondary institution (the sending institution) then enrolling in another institution (the receiving institution) which accepts some or all of the credits earned at the previous institution(s).
Transfer Credit	Credit earned at one institution that satisfies some of the degree requirements of a second institution.
Transfer Student	An individual who completes courses at one institution then enrolls in another institution which accepts some or all of the credits earned at the previous institution(s).
Two-Year Institution	An institution that awards the majority of credentials as certificates or associate degrees.