Academic Advising Glossary
A glossary of terms for the Academic Advising website.
College
A college is a larger academic division that includes several related departments, like the College of Liberal Arts or the College of Engineering, each offering various programs and degrees.
Degree Requirements
Degree requirements are the specific courses and credits you need to complete in order to graduate. These include your major, general education, and elective courses.
Department
A department is a specialized academic unit that offers courses and degrees in a specific field of study, like the Department of Psychology or the Department of Physics.
Focused Student Groups
A focused student group consists of students with shared characteristics or needs, such as first-generation students, veterans, or specific ethnic communities, who receive specialized advising and resources.
General Education Requirements
General education requirements are essential for all students to graduate, providing the foundational skills needed to excel in any discipline and succeed in their future careers.
Major
A major is your main area of study in college, where you focus on a specific subject and take most of your classes. You declare your major by choosing it when you apply or by working with an academic advisor to select it later.
Minor
A minor is a secondary area of study that lets you explore another subject of interest, requiring fewer classes than a major. You can declare a minor by working with an academic advisor to choose it.
Undeclared
Being undeclared means you have not chosen a major yet. You can take general education courses and explore different subjects while working with an academic advisor to find the right major for you.
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