Glossary of Terms

Accelerated Pathway Program: one-semester program in which students take courses in their chosen department and must successfully complete all progression requirements by the end of their first semester in order to be admitted to USF. Add/Drop week: the first week of classes when schedules can be adjusted without penalty. Students in the Pathway Program must meet with their advisor to request schedule changes. Core Course: a course required for the completion of a degree. Department: a division of a university devoted to a particular academic discipline. Electives: courses students can take for credit toward their degree, but are not part of the required course list. Grades: a score or mark (A, B, C, D, F) indicating a student’s academic performance on an assessment, paper, or in a course. See USF’s grading system for more information. GPA (Grade point average): a student's overall academic performance. A GPA is a conversion of the letter grade to a 4.0 grading score and averaged by the total credits taken. Pass/Fail: a grading system that results in either a pass or a fail grade, rather than a specific score or letter grade. At USF, this system results in an S (Satisfactory) or U (Unsatisfactory). If you are in the Standard Pathway Program, your English course is a pass/fail course.

Prerequisite: a required course that must be completed before a student is allowed to enroll in a more advanced one. Progression: successful completion of the Pathway Program and admission to USF. Progression Requirements: the requirements that students in the Pathway Program must meet in order to be fully admitted to USF. See your Progression Agreement to determine the requirements for your program. Standard Pathway Program: two-semester program in which students take courses in their chosen department as well as English for Academic Purposes courses. Students must successfully complete all progression requirements by the end of their second semester in order to be admitted to USF. Supplemental Documents: documents such as resume, letters of recommendation, and statement of purpose which must be submitted to meet progression requirements. See your Progression Agreement to determine which documents (if any) need to be submitted. Transcript: a certified copy of a student’s educational record containing titles of courses, the number of credits, and the final grades in each course. Waiver: the act of choosing not to require something that is usually required. Students in the Standard Pathway Program receive a TOEFL waiver upon successful completion of English courses. Withdraw: to formally stop participating in a course or attending a university. Students in the Pathway Program may not withdraw from a course. Withdrawal from the Pathway Program requires a meeting with your Academic Advisor, Immigration Advisor, and the INTO Finance Office.

Credit: University of South Florida