Academic Advisor:
University staff that are available to guide students in selecting and planning effective programs of study for credential completion, career training and university transfer through individual appointments, as well as to provide referrals to other members of the university community.

Academic Level: 
KPU offers four levels of academic programming: preparatory, vocational, undergraduate, and graduate. 
Preparatory - Pre-undergraduate education designed to upgrade or enhance academic skills in preparation for undergraduate studies. 
Vocational - Applied education, usually in a program of study of less than two years, that leads to a credential specific to a trade or profession.
Undergraduate - Post-secondary education at the university or college level that includes either baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate course work. Within the undergraduate academic level, courses numbered 1100 to 2999 are categorized as Lower Level and courses numbered 3000 to 5999 are categorized as Upper Level. Within the Upper Level, courses numbered 5000 to 5999 are categorized as Post-Baccalaureate courses.
Graduate - Post-secondary education beyond the baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate level. Graduate studies require more specialized knowledge and intellectual autonomy than undergraduate studies.

Academic Standing:
Students must maintain an Institutional CGPA of at least 2.0 (C average) in order to stay in Good Academic Standing. Students who fall below this Institutional CGPA may be placed on Academic Warning and then Academic Probation before being Required to Withdraw. See also Grade Point Average (GPA).

Academic Year:
The period from September 1 through the following August 31. The Academic Year begins with the Fall Semester from September through December, followed by the Spring Semester from January through April, and lastly the Summer Semester from May through August.

Add/Drop Period:
Once a term/instructional cycle has started there is a defined period of time during which a student may adjust their course enrolment. If a course is dropped during this period there is no record of the enrolment activity on their transcript.

Admission:
The decision to admit a student into a Faculty, School, or program after all requirements for admission have been satisfied.

Admission Requirements:
Requirements, including academic and non-academic that must be fulfilled to qualify for admission to the University and a program.

Adult Graduation Diploma:
Enables adult learners to complete their BC Ministry of Education secondary school graduation requirements in order to enter post-secondary studies or the workforce. Length of program varies.

Advanced Certificate:
In some programs, students may complete additional specialized courses after obtaining a certificate, and work towards the completion of an advanced certificate. Length of program: up to 18 months.

Alumni:
Students who have graduated from KPU.

Application for Admission:
At KPU, a formal request, or application for admission, is required of individuals who want to pursue undergraduate, vocational or preparatory studies at KPU. KPU’s application for admission is available online at kpu.ca/apply.

Apprenticeships:
An apprenticeship is a combination of on-the-job training and classroom learning that leads to a trade credential – or “ticket”. SkilledTradesBC leads and coordinates British Columbia’s skilled trades system. Length of program varies.

Associate Degree:
Program consisting of a minimum of 60 credit hours of undergraduate-level coursework that complies with the Provincially defined requirements for arts or science programs.

Award:
A monetary or non-monetary presentation recognizing achievement that is not based solely on academic performance or financial need.

Baccalaureate Degree / Bachelor’s Degree:
Program consisting of a minimum of 120 credit hours of undergraduate-level coursework with a minimum of 45 credit hours from courses numbered 3000 or higher.

Baccalaureate Honours Degree:
Program consisting of a minimum of 120 credit hours of undergraduate-level coursework. In addition to meeting the requirements of a major, a baccalaureate honours degree requires the completion of a designated honours thesis or project.

Bursary:
A monetary award based primarily on student financial need as demonstrated through an assessment of student financial resources and expenses for the applicable study period.

Certificate:
Program consisting of a minimum of 30 credit hours of undergraduate-level coursework, 30 credit hours of vocational-level coursework, or 30 credit hours of preparatory-level coursework.

Citation:
Program consisting of a minimum of 15 credit hours of undergraduate-level coursework, 15 credit hours of vocational-level coursework, or 15 credit hours of preparatory-level coursework.

Concentration:
A concentration within a baccalaureate degree credential consists of a minimum of 12 credit hours from courses numbered 3000 or higher in a specific academic discipline or defined cross-disciplinary area. A concentration constitutes part of a major.

Confirmation Deposit:
A non-refundable, non-transferrable payment that signifies acceptance by the applicant of an offer of admission by the University.

Continuous Instructional Cycle:
Instructional offerings that utilize rolling admission whereby each student starts and ends courses on an individual basis. Continuous instructional cycle offerings have a limited number of seats that are continuously filled as space becomes available.

Convocation:
The ceremony where students are awarded and conferred credentials by the Chancellor of the University.

Co-operative Education:
Applied education that formally integrates academic studies with fulltime, paid work experiences in related positions with employers, in accordance with KPU Policy. 

Co-requisite:
Course that must be taken at the same time, or previous to, a currently registered course (If taken previously, a minimum final grade of C is required to fulfill a co-requisite.).

Course Load:
The maximum course load is normally restricted to 17.5 credits per semester; however a student’s average course load is typically 3 – 5 courses per semester. Some programs may require a specific course load.

Credential:
The credential is awarded upon completion of the University's and the program's academic and curricular requirements. A credential can be a Certificate of Completion, Citation, Certificate, Diploma, Associate's Degree, Bachelor's Degree, Post-Baccalaureate Certificate, Post-Baccalaureate Diploma, Graduate Certificate, or Graduate Diploma. All formal KPU credentials must be approved by the University Senate.

Credits/Credit Hours/Semester Credit Hours:
A specific numerical value assigned to a course, generally corresponding to either the number of contact hours per week throughout the semester or to some other metric of student engagement. Most courses at KPU are 3 credits. Credit values for courses are used in the calculation of GPA and fees, as well as in the evaluation of credits required for a credential.

CRN:
An acronym that stands for 'Course Reference Number'. This is the number that is attached to a specific section of a course and used to register in a particular section of a course.

Curriculum Effective Date:
The date upon which the given set of requirements to graduate with a particular credential was initially implemented.

Department:
An educational administrative sub-unit of a Faculty and/or School within a university dealing with a particular field of knowledge.

Diploma:
Program consisting of a minimum of 60 credit hours of undergraduate-level coursework, 60 credit hours of vocational-level coursework, or 60 credit hours of preparatory-level coursework. 

Discontinuance:
Permanent closure of a program which includes removal from future academic calendars and cessation of admission or declaration to the designated program.

Double-Major:
See Major

Double-Minor:
See Minor

Drop:
De-registering from a course before the end of the add/drop period (no record of the enrolment is recorded on the student's transcript).

Elective:
A course which is freely selected by a student to fulfill degree requirements. All degree programs include some required classes and some electives. Electives may or may not be transferable to the chosen institution.

Faculty:
An educational administrative division constituted by the Board of the University. For example, the Faculty of Arts.

Faculty Member:
Instructors at KPU are known as faculty members.

Fixed Term:
A period of study that begins and ends on set dates that are usually different from KPU's regular semester dates. Generally applicable to Trades and Apprenticeship programs that have a limited number of seats and for which admission involves a selection process based on specific requirements.

Full-time:
A student who is enrolled in nine or more credit hours in a semester is considered to be full-time at KPU. The minimum course load to qualify for a student loan is nine post-secondary, undergraduate-level credits.

Grade Points:
A specific numerical value associated with the letter grade assigned to a course. Provides a basis for calculating grade point averages.

Grade Point Average (GPA):
A weighted average calculated by multiplying the grade points for a course by the number of semester credit hours assigned to that course, adding those values for a set of courses, and dividing the result by the total number of semester credit hours for those courses. A separate GPA is calculated for each academic level that includes only courses designated at that academic level. The transcript will reflect each level separately if appropriate. KPU recognizes the following GPAs:
Institutional Cumulative Grade Point Average (Institutional CGPA) The GPA calculated for all courses taken at KPU.
Program Grade Point Average (Program GPA) The GPA calculated for all courses applicable towards graduation with a specific credential.
Term Grade Point Average (Term GPA) The GPA calculated for all courses taken at KPU in a specific term.
Transfer Grade Point Average (Transfer GPA) The GPA calculated for all transfer and PLAR courses.
Overall Grade Point Average (Overall GPA) The GPA calculated for all courses.

Graduate:
Post-secondary education beyond the baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate level. A student that has a credential conferred by KPU's Senate.

Graduate Certificate:
Program consisting of a minimum of 18 credit hours of graduate-level coursework.

Graduate Diploma:
Program consisting of a minimum of 24 credit hours of graduate-level coursework.

Graduation:
Is the term used to acknowledge that a student has met program requirements, and the credential has been audited by the Office of the Registrar and conferred by KPU's Senate.

Grant:
A monetary award that is provided to a student as targeted funding in support of specific student populations and their identified needs.

Incidental Fees:
Fees for discretionary services (such as transcripts, testing services, etc.), as well as fines and/or penalties.

Internship:
A short work term where students complete a predetermined number of hours working in a position related to their field of study.

Late Registration Period:
The period after the add/drop period has ended, for which registration in a course requires the permission of the instructor, Dean and/or University Registrar.

Limited Intakes:
Programs for which a limit has been set on the number of students admitted per application cycle.

Major:
A major is a primary area of specialization and a first level of differentiation in a baccalaureate degree. It requires the completion of a minimum of 45 credit hours from courses numbered 3000 or higher, including a minimum of 24 credit hours in a specific academic discipline or defined cross-disciplinary area. A double-major consists of the completion of the requirements of each of two specific majors within a single baccalaureate degree.

Mandatory Student Fees:
Required fees other than tuition, including student fees (such as library, technology and student life fees), required course materials, and Kwantlen Student Association (KSA) fees.

Minor:
A minor is a secondary area of specialization outside of the major in a baccalaureate degree. It requires the completion of a minimum of 24 credit hours, including a minimum of 12 credit hours from courses numbered 3000 or higher in a specific academic discipline or defined cross-disciplinary area. A double-minor consists of the completion of the requirements of each of two specific minors within a single baccalaureate degree.

Open Intakes:
Programs for which a limit has not been set on the number of students admitted per application cycle.

Part-Time:
At KPU, a student who is registered in less than 9 credits hours of study in a semester is considered a part-time student.

Policies:
All official policies related to being a student at KPU can be found at kpu.ca/policies. These include information about tuition fees, grades, and withdrawal from courses.

Polytechnic:
A type of education that combines classroom learning with hands-on experience.

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate:
Program consisting of a minimum of 15 credit hours of post-baccalaureate coursework.

Post-Baccalaureate Diploma:
​Program consisting of a minimum of 30 credit hours of post-baccalaureate coursework.

Preparatory: Pre-undergraduate education designed to upgrade or enhance academic skills in preparation for undergraduate studies. 

Prerequisite:
Course that must be successfully completed previous to registering in a given course. For example, a student must successfully complete ENGL 1100 before registering in ENGL 2300. A prerequisite course must be completed with a minimum grade of C (or AEG, EXP,  MAS, PLA, or TRF) unless otherwise stated. Pre-requisite requirements can be found in the Course Description section of the University Calendar.

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA):
A process used to grant credits towards a certificate, diploma, or degree in recognition of learning gained through previous work, training, or informal experience.

Program:
A defined set of courses of instruction that lead to a credential approved by KPU Senate. A program or units of study also consists of a) a unit of study, under the governance of Senate, that results in the granting of a degree or a non-degree credential or b) a unit of study that constitutes the designation of major or minor, or c) a unit of study that constitutes a department.

Program Requirements:
Curricular stipulations that must be fulfilled by a student in order to become eligible to receive a particular credential.

Program Change:
Any changes to a program that require re-approval by Senate.

Program Suspension:
A temporary cessation of a program whereby students will not be admitted to or declare into a program for a defined period of time.

Red Seal:
This is the inter-provincial standard of excellence in the trades. An individual may get their Red Seal endorsement by successfully completing the required examination.

Registration:
The process of enrolling in a specific course. At KPU this is done online for most courses.

Scholarship:
A monetary award based primarily on academic achievement and, in some cases, in combination with demonstrated leadership or community service.

School:
An educational administrative division that may be constituted by the Board of the University to function in the full capacity of a Faculty. For example, the Melville School of Business. Alternatively, a School may be an educational administrative unit which functions within a Faculty, similar to a Department.

Semester (or Term):
Division of an academic year for undergraduate programs. Courses are taken over a semester. At KPU, we have 3 semesters per year: Fall (September-December), Spring (January-April) and Summer (May-August).

SkilledTradesBC ID:
The SkilledTradesBC Individual Identification Number, formerly known as the Trade Worker ID (TWID) and ITA-ID number.

Specialization:
A specialization within a non-baccalaureate degree credential provides a more focused education in a specific academic discipline. A specialization consists of designated course work in an academic discipline that forms at least 25% of the credit hour total for the credential.

Sponsoring Agency:
A third party agency providing sponsorship funding for KPU students.

Tuition Fees:
Fees charged to cover the instruction of a learning activity, and not assignable to a service (related or otherwise) associated with the learning activity.

Undergraduate:
Post-secondary education at the university or college level that includes either baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate course work. A student admitted to a post-secondary institution who has not yet earned a bachelor's or equivalent degree.

University Calendar:
The University’s official publication of academic programs, courses, and regulations. It includes all the academic programs at KPU, the requirements for admission, the curricular requirements for graduation, the dates of the academic terms, the fees, and University rules and regulations. It is published annually by the University Registrar and found online at: kpu.ca/calendar

Upgrading: 
See Preparatory.

Vocational: 
Applied education, usually in a program of study of less than two years, that leads to a credential specific to a trade or profession.

Voluntary Withdrawal (W): 
The process for a student to formally withdraw themselves from classes (or a program, for limited-intake programs) after the end of the add/drop period of the registration cycle, up until the established withdrawal deadline for the term/instructional cycle. A ‘W’ grade will be shown on the transcript and will be GPA neutral.

Withdrawal Under Extenuating Circumstances (WE):
Approved withdrawal from courses or programs past the published deadline for voluntary withdrawal. A ‘WE’ grade is recorded on the transcript and is GPA neutral.