Glossary of Advising Terms

Glossary of Advising Terms (A-G)

To "add a class" means to enroll in that class or to "add" it to your schedule. Generally, classes are added using "Regline" or "WebLine," the Office of the Registrar's automated enrollment systems.

After formal registration is closed (the Wednesday before classes begin), you may continue to add classes to your schedule for the first 15 weekdays (Mon-Fri) of classes. You need the instructor's permission and a special "add" code given to you by the instructor.

Advanced Placement Credit (AP)

A high school program by which you may earn credit for college work. At SDSU, a score of 3-5 on an AP test equates to up to 6 semester units of credit.

View the Advanced placement table for specific course credits.

American Institutions

At SDSU, this requirement consists of a pair of courses (6 units) covering 100 or more years of American History, the conception of the U.S. Constitution, and information about California Government. American Institutions is required for all California State University students.

For more information, go to the American Institutions section of the Graduation Requirements web page on this site.

Application

The application to any CSU is available online at CSU Mentor. (will open in a new browser window)

Articulation

An agreement between SDSU and community colleges in which community college courses that match SDSU courses will transfer to SDSU. Forarticulation information, please check with the Academic Advising Center, in room SS 1551.

Articulation information is also available online at www.assist.org.

Bachelor's Degree

There are a variety of different Bachelor's degrees depending on your major (e.g., Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor of Sciences (B.S.), Bachelor of Music (B.M.)). This is the first degree you may earn at a four-year college and may be followed with a Master's degree (e.g. M,A,, M.S., M.B.A.) and/or a Doctoral degree (e.g. Ph.D., Ed.D, M.D) if you wish to undertake further study.

You may have also heard the term "Associates Degree." This is a degree earned at "two-year" colleges, (i.e., Junior or Community Colleges).

C Hold

A C Hold is a "Cashier's Hold," meaning that you owe money to the University (e.g. fees, library fine, locker fee, etc.). This puts a hold on your ability to register. When the fee is paid the hold will be lifted.

Catalog

The General Catalog (will open in a new browser window) is the SDSU publication that includes the rules for earning a degree and describes the courses and majors. All students are evaluated according to the General Catalog in effect when they first start classes at SDSU, and on the major in the General Catalog the year they first declare it.

In specific instances, students may be permitted to follow a different General Catalog. However, most SDSU students should adhere to the rules stated above.

The General Catalog is different from the Class Schedule. (will open in a new browser window)

Certificate Program

Some departments offer Certificate Programs that may be available both to regular degree-seeking SDSU students and to members of the community. Details of programs may be found in the General Catalog. (will open in a new browser window)

Change of Major

A change of your major means that you were majoring in one department, such as Sociology, and would now like to study something else and major in another department, such as Chemisrty.

To change your major, you first need to obtain the "Change or Declaration of Major" form from the Office of the Registrar or the Academic Advising Center. Next, fill out your student information and take the form to the major department office of the major you wish to declare. You will receive a major code and an office signature. Finally, return the form to the Office of the Registrar.

You may change your major any time and as many times as you need by filling out another "Change or Declaration of Major" form. Each time you change your major you will be responsible for the major requirements printed in the General Catalog currently in use at the time you declare the new major.

The exception to this process is in declaring a major that is impacted. Impacted majors have special rules and specifications. You should consult the department of the impacted major, or the Impacted Programs web page for the different rules and regulations.

Class Schedule

The Class Schedule (will open in a new browser window) lists all class sections being offered in a particular semester.

For information on graduation and major or minor requirements, see the General Catalog. (will open in a new browser window)

CLEP (College Level Examination Program)

CLEP is a credit by examination option. The University grants credit on four CLEP General Examinations (Humanities, Mathematics, Natural Science, and Social Sciences) and on four of the CLEP Subject Examinations (Calculus with Elementary Functions, College Algebra and Trigonometry, General Chemistry and Statistics) if a passing score is earned. General Education credit may be awarded for these courses. However, credit is not allowed if course work in the subject area has been completed.

Commencement

The formal graduation ceremonies that take place in May of each year.

The application periods for graduation are listed in each semester's Class Schedule. (will open in a new browser window)

Competencies (now called Testing Requirements)

Every student must demonstrate competency in Writing and Mathematics. If you are not sure if you have cleared these requirements use this decision tree.

If you do not clear these requirements you will lose your registration priority and could be disqualified (expelled) from SDSU.

Continuous Enrollment

Attending college continuously without any break longer than one semester.

Course Forgiveness

Course forgiveness is your chance to improve a poor grade.

When you take a class for course forgiveness, your academic records will show both grades, but only the second grade will count toward your grade point average (GPA).

You may repeat any course in which you earn a C- ( C minus ) or lower.

Please Note: You only have 4 opportunities to re-take lower division courses and 1 opportunity to retake an upper division course.

Credential

Teaching Credential programs are offered by the College of Education to teach in elementary or secondary school. Visit the School of Teacher Education to see which undergraduate majors are most suitable for prospective teachers.

School of Teacher Education
Room: Education 100
Tel: (619) 594-6131

Credit

"Credits" and "units" are synonymous.

Units of credit are awarded for each course passed. Lecture/ discussion classes are usually 3 units for three hours of classes per week per semester; activity and lab classes take usually 2 or 3 hours per week and are awarded one unit of credit. You may also receive some credit by examination.

The credits or units granted by SDSU are called "semester units". If you transfer from another institution (UCSD, for example) with quarter units, they are converted into semester units by multiplying by 2/3. Thus, if you transferred to SDSU with 60 quarter units, SDSU would grant you 40 semester units toward your degree from SDSU.

See Unit Requirements in the Graduation Requirements section of this web site for the number of semester credits (units) needed for a degree.

Credit/No Credit (CR/NC)

The Credit/No Credit option allows students to receive a mark of CR (credit) or NC (no credit) for a class instead of a letter grade (A,B,C, etc.). However, you must earn at least the equivalent of a "C" letter grade in order to earn a "Cr" (credit) for the class.

Only 15 units of Cr/NCr will count toward your degree.

You can change the grading status of a class (i.e., change to Cr/NCr) using RegLine or WebLine. You must request CR/NC grading during the first 15 days of classes.

You may not use the Credit/No credit option for the following courses:

GE Mathematics or Communication and Critical Thinking courses ( i.e., GE math, oral communication, composition, and intermediate composition and critical thinking)
Upper-division major courses
Minor courses

CSU

California State University.

The California State University system has 23 campuses throughout the state. The oldest is San Jose State University which was founded in 1857. The 23rd campus is CSU Channel Islands and is currently being established in Ventura County. SDSU was founded in 1897.

Dean's List

Each semester, the top 10% of students in each college are named to the Dean's List, provided they have at least a 3.5 GPA for the semester and at least 12 graded units.

Declaring a Major

To delare your major, you first need to obtain the "Change or Declaration of Major" form from the Office of the Registrar. or the Academic Advising Center. Next, fill out your student information and take the form to the major department office of the major you wish to declare. You will receive a mjor code and an office signature. Finally, return the form to the Office of the Registrar.

You may change your major any time and as many times as you need by filing another "Change or Declaration of Major" form. Each time you change your major you will be responsible for the major requirements printed in the General Catalog currently in use at the time you declare the new major.

Disqualification

There are two types of disqualification: Academic Disqualification and Administrative Disqualification. Before being disqualified for either reason, students are usually on, or subject to, Academic or Administraive Probation.

Academic Disqualification

You may be academically disqualified if, while on probation, you earn a semester GPA below 2.00 (0.00-1.99) or if by the end of three semesters of continuous probation, your GPA (SDSU GPA or overall GPA) remains below 2.00 (0.00-1.99).

Once on probation you have three semesters to bring your GPA up to a 2.00 or above. If you do not, you will be academically disqualified.
If, during any one of those three semesters you earn a semester GPA below 2.00, you will be academically disqualified. (See GPA for information on how to calculate your grade point average.)

Administraive Disqualification

Once you have been placed on administrative probation, you may be administratively disqualified if you do not meet the conditions for removal of the administrative probation (specified by the administration), or if you become subject to academic probation while on administrative probation.

You may also be disqualified if you are placed on administrative probation for the same or similar reason for which you were placed on administrative probation previously.

If you are disqualified, you are notified and must reapply to SDSU if you wish to return.

Distinction

Distinction is when you are recognized for outstanding academic performance in your major.

You may earn Distinction in your major at graduation if you earn a minimum of 3.5 GPA in your upper-division major courses. You may also need an overall 3.0 average and certain grades in identified courses. Consult the department of your major for further information.

Drop

To drop a course is to remove a course from your schedule.

You may drop a course from your program during the first ten weekdays (M-F) of classes by using RegLine or WebLine.

Elective

Some majors (e.g., Engineering) require enough units to fulfill all of the units necessary for a degree. Many other majors do not. In those cases you must take extra courses, usually outside of the major department, to fulfill the degree's unit requirements.

See Unit Requirements in the Graduation Requirements section of this web site for further information on unit requirements.

ELM

The Entry-Level Mathematics test.

The Entry-Level Mathematics test is required of all entering students except those who have completed a transferable college mathematics mathematics course with a grade of C or better, or freshmen with appropriate ACT, SAT or AP test scores. See Competencies for more information.

EPT

The English Placement Test

The English Placement Test is required of all entering students except those who have completed a transferable college English composition course with a grade of C or better, or an appropriate ACT, SAT or AP test scores. See Competencies for more information.

Evaluation

An evaluation is a report that shows how courses you have completed are used to meet degree requirements. The purpose of the evaluation is to assist you in determining the requirements you need to complete in order to graduate from SDSU.

Evaluator

Your evaluator is the person who prepares your degree evaluation.

Extended Studies

Students who are not officially admitted to SDSU may enroll through the College of Extended Studies "Open University." Open University units count as residence units. However, extension courses (courses whose course number begins with an "x") do not count as residence units. (See Residence Units for more information).

Foreign Language Requirement

The Foreign Language requirement is required of some majors. Check your General Catalog (will open in new browser window) to see if you are required to complete this requirement. For more information, please visit the Foreign Language Requirement page of this web site.

Forgiveness

See Course Forgiveness above

General Education (GE)

General Education provides the "breadth" portion of your degree requirements and consists of a minimum of 49 units in areas of Communication and Reasoning, Mathematics and Science, Social Science, and Humanities. Please see the General Education section of this web site for more information.

NOTE: Students in Engineering, Liberal Studies and Nursing majors follow a modified General Education pattern that is specific to their major.

GPA

A "GPA" is a "Grade Point Average." It is the average of the sum of your grade points divided by the total number of units attempted. Please see the Grade Point Average Requirements section of this web site for more detailed information about the grade point requirements, how to calculate your GPA, and information on probation and disqualification.

GradeLine

Like RegLine, this is part of "TouchTone," SDSU's student information telephone system. By calling 594-7800, you can receive information on the grades you have earned.

Graduation

You graduate when you complete the requirements for your degree, and after having filed a request for graduation. Graduation is not automatic.

Graduation is generally confused with Commencement, which is the formal graduation ceremony that takes place in May of each year.

Graduation Requirement

Refers to any one of the nine requirements a student must fulfill to earn degree from SDSU. Please see the Graduation Requirements page of this web site for a complete listing of those requirements.

Dictionary Terms H-Q

Dictionary Terms R-Z

For more information, contact the Advising Center at:
Tel: (619) 594-6668
E-mail: advising@mail.sdsu.edu