University General Course Catalog 2012-2013 
    
    Mar 29, 2024  
University General Course Catalog 2012-2013 ARCHIVED CATALOG: LINKS AND CONTENT ARE OUT OF DATE. CHECK WITH YOUR ADVISOR.

University Terminology


Academic Standing
  Determined by regulations governing good standing, probation, and dismissal.
Academic Probation
  Student cumulative UNR GPA is below 2.0. Please see the “Undergraduate Academic Standards”  section of this catalog for further information.
Admission
  Formal application and acceptance as a regular student in a degree program. Students are admitted to degree programs for fall and spring semesters only.
Advisor, advisee
  The advisor is the faculty member assigned by the university to assist each student in planning the proper academic program. The student is called the advisor’s “advisee.”
AR
  Academic Renewal. Search “Grades and Examinations”  in this catalog.
ASUN
  Associated Students of the University of Nevada. Undergraduate student government. 
Audit
  To take a course without earning credit or a grade.
College/School/Division
  The largest academic units consisting of smaller academic units called departments or programs.
Core Curriculum
  Group of classes, minimum of 33 credits, in eight different subject areas that are required of all undergraduate students. See the “Core Curriculum ” section of this catalog.
Corequisite
  A course that must be taken simultaneously with another.
NOTE: Students should check the co- or prerequisites carefully before registering to be sure that they have been met. Published co- or prerequisites are enforced within the registration system for all undergraduate courses. Transfer courses with equivalent content are accepted in lieu of stated co- or prerequisites; however, students may be required to get a memo from the department to enroll if the transfer course was not identified as a direct equivalent in the transfer articulation process. The University, College, and Department reserve the right to administratively drop students from a course for which they do not meet the co- or prerequisites.
Credit/Unit
  Described in semester credit hours or units, one credit is defined as three hours of work per week for one semester. Usually this work is made up of one period in class plus two hours of preparation for lecture-seminar classes, or three hours of laboratory classes.
Credit/Unit Load
  The total credits/units for which a student is registered in any registration period.
Curriculum
  A structured set of learning objectives.
Department
  An academic unit of a college.
Dismissal
  If a student remains on academic probation for three consecutive regular semesters, he or she is dismissed. Once dismissed, the student is not allowed UNR enrollment for a period of one year. Search “Undergraduate Academic Standards”  in this catalog for further information.
Emphasis
  Subdivisions of a major that contain a differing focus. Emphases are differentiated from one another by fewer than 18 credits (12 credits for graduate level programs). The emphasis name does not appear on transcripts.
Extracurricular
  Those activities that are part of student life, but are not part of the regular course of study, such as debate, dramatics and athletics.
GPA
  Grade-point average.
GSA
  Graduate Student Association.
Good Standing
  A 2.0 in any given semester as well as a cumulative 2.0 on all University of Nevada work. Students must be in good academic standing to be eligible to receive financial aid.
Grade Points
  Grades are evaluated in terms of quality points. For each credit of a letter grade completed, the following grade points are earned:
  • A = 4 grade points
  • A- = 3.7 grade points
  • B+ = 3.3 grade points
  • B = 3 grade points
  • B- = 2.7 grade points
  • C+ = 2.3 grade points
  • C = 2 grade points
  • C- = 1.7 grade points
  • D+ = 1.3 grade points
  • D = 1 grade point
  • D- = 0.7 grade points
  • F = 0 grade points

In order to graduate, undergraduate students must have an average of two grade points for each credit attempted for regular letter grade, and graduate students must have an average of three grade points for each credit attempted for letter grade, including all courses that are failed or repeated.

Graduate Special
  A post-baccalaureate student not admitted to an advanced degree program.
Graduate Standing
  An advanced-degree-seeking student officially admitted to graduate study.
Graduate Study
  Work beyond the bachelor’s degree, usually toward a master’s or doctoral degree.
Incomplete
  The “I” symbol is a mark that is given when a student has been performing satisfactory work, but, for a reason beyond the student’s control, has been unable to complete the required work for the course. Incomplete marks revert to grades of “F” if not made up within one regular semester.
International Student
  An individual who is attending the university on a student visa.
Major
  Primary subject or field of study.
Minor
  Secondary subject or field of study.
Nondegree Student
  Special student status for undergraduate students not seeking a degree. Registration is limited to eight undergraduate credits per semester. Nondegree students are not eligible to receive financial aid.
Non-resident Tuition
  Non-resident students pay tuition in addition to per-credit registration fees.
Not Reported
  The symbol “NR” is assigned when an instructor does not indicate a grade for a student in a course. “NR” must be resolved by the end of the next regular semester or it will revert to an “F.”
Prerequisite
  A course that must have been successfully completed prior to another course. Course prerequisites are designed to ensure appropriate course sequencing and/or to provide students the necessary background in the course.
NOTE: Students should check the co- or prerequisites carefully before registering to be sure that they have been met. Published co- or prerequisites are enforced within the registration system for all undergraduate courses. Transfer courses with equivalent content are accepted in lieu of stated co- or prerequisites; however, students may be required to get a memo from the department to enroll if the transfer course was not identified as a direct equivalent in the transfer articulation process. The University, College, and Department reserve the right to administratively drop students from a course for which they do not meet the co- or prerequisites.
Recommended Preparation
  Denotes that the instructor will assume that students know material covered in the course(s) listed. Students who register for a course without the recommended background may experience difficulties and are encouraged to consult with the instructor prior to registration.
Registration
  Enrolling in classes.
Registration Fees
  All students pay per-credit registration fees.
Regular Student
  A degree-seeking student who is officially admitted to the university.
Required Subjects
  Those subjects that are prescribed for the completion of a particular program. The student, after consulting the appropriate advisor, may choose elective subjects; the required subjects are determined by the college.
Resident Alien
  A student attending the university as a permanent immigrant who has not attained U.S. citizenship.
Resident Credit
  Credit which is earned for regular classes conducted on campus, as well as correspondence courses, continuing education classes, and other distance education courses offered through the University of Nevada, Reno.
Schedule, Class
  The semester list of courses offered, including the names of the teachers, the days, hours and locations of classes.
Schedule, Student
  A listing of the courses that the student takes each semester.
Semester
  75 instructional days.
Special Fees
  Additional fees required such as lab fees.
Specialization
  Those subdivisions of a major that meet the requirement of 18 credits (12 credits for graduate degrees) of sufficiently different coursework from the other subdivisions. The specialization name will appear on transcripts.
Transcript
  A certified copy of the student’s permanent academic record on file in the Office of Admissions and Records. The transcript lists each course that the student has taken and the final grade received.
Undergraduate
  A student who has not yet obtained a bachelor’s degree.
Withdrawal
  The act of officially leaving the university. Students may also drop individual courses without withdrawing from the university. Consult the “Academic Calendar ” in this catalog for specific dates in which the dropping of classes is allowed. Students who drop classes between the seventh day of classes and the end of the eighth week of classes receive grades of “W” on their transcripts. Complete withdrawal from the university results in “W” grades if the student is passing classes at the time of complete withdrawal.