University of North Texas 
Academic advisor
Your academic advisor provides support and counsel on which classes to take and when to take them.
Accreditation
Accreditation signals that a school adheres to certain educational standards set by state, federal and non-government agencies.
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Advanced Hours
Junior or senior courses, numbered 3000 or 4000 level. COS degrees require at least 36 advanced hours.
Asynchronous learning
A type of online education, asynchronous learning allows students to watch lectures
and complete assignments on their own time rather than having to attend classes on
a specific schedule.
Canvas
Secure, web-based course platform that supports course content delivery, collaboration,
and assessment.
Catalog
An online resource that includes university policies, majors/minors available &
course descriptions including any pre-requisites.
Classification
A student's academic level based on the number of hours they have completed.
Class Number
Number (in parenthesis) that appears along with the class prefix and course number
on the schedule of classes. It is used to identify a specific section of the course
to aid in registration. Ex. COS 1100 (1234)
Community college
Two-year colleges are also known as junior colleges. You can either transfer your
courses to a four-year university or receive an associate degree in a certain field.
Concurrent Enrollment
Enrollment at UNT and other institution in the same semester. May require preapproval
from your Academic Advisor.
Core requirements
Within a degree program, core requirements refer to the classes that students must
pass in order to graduate. Electives typically complement core classes.
Course prefixes
The letters indicating the department, major, or subject of specific courses. (EX:
In BIOL 1710, BIOL stands for Biology.)
Course number
A four-digit number following the class prefix. The first number indicates whether
the class is considered lower level or advanced. Ex. BIOL 1710.
Credit hour
Credit given for attending one lecture hour of class each week. Most college classes
are three credit hours, meaning their total meeting time for a week is three hours.
Degree plan
A specific list of required courses and electives to be completed for a degree.
Double major
A program of study that allows a student to complete the course requirement for two
majors at the same time.
Drop
Dropping means you remove or “drop” one or more courses from your schedule, but that you are
still enrolled in at least one course at UNT.
Eagle Connect
The official UNT email system for students. Your UNT email address is your first
and last name @my.unt.edu
First-generation student
To qualify as a first-generation college student, you must be the first individual
in your immediate family to pursue higher education. These students often qualify
for additional financial aid.
Freshman
A student in their first year of study at a college or university.
Full time
A full-time student must take a minimum number of credits per semester. At the undergraduate
level, most schools require at least 12 credits to qualify.
GPA
Grade point average: the average of your class grades, generally based on a 4.0 scale.
Half time
A half-time student takes a minimum of six credits per semester at the undergraduate
level.
Hold/block
This is applied to your account and may hinder your ability to register. (i.e. library
f ines, advising holds, or the student financial obligation hold)
Hybrid Class
A course that uses both physical classroom and online instruction.
ID Number/EUID
An 8-digit number (12345678) or user code comprised of your initials and four numbers
(abc1234) you will use for identification at UNT.
Incomplete
An “Incomplete” allows a student to take more time to complete their coursework may
be allowed in emergency situations, but only if approved by your instructor. The course
must be 75% complete and you must be passing. The coursework must be completed within
one year of granting the grade of “I”. See the current semester academic dates and deadlines before requesting an incomplete.
Internship
Internships give students the opportunity to gain relevant hands-on work experience
before graduating. Most internships offer college credit.
Major
A student’s chosen area of study, such as accounting or history.
Minor
A student’s secondary field of study.
Navigate
Navigate is UNT’s student success system. Use Navigate to set appointments with advisors,
tutors, career coaches, etc., and stay on top of your schedule with personalized
to-dos and campus event reminders and access to your class schedule.
Online courses
Classes held online instead of in a traditional classroom.
Permission Code
Access from a department offering a course to ensure all requirements have been met
prior to course enrollment. Typically provided when a class requires department consent
to enroll.
Prerequisites
A course that must be taken prior to enrolling in another course.
Recitation
A section required by some classes used to cover coursework and answer questions.
Registrar
The college or university official responsible for registering students and keeping
their academic records, such as transcripts
Registration
The process of enrolling in courses every semester.
Schedule of Classes
Available on the Registrar’s website, this tentative list will help you prepare for
the upcoming semester.
Senior
A student in their fourth and final year of undergraduate study.
Sophomore
A student in their second year of undergraduate study.
Student portal
Colleges often use student portals as a place to review assignments, check grades,
register for classes and request documentation like official transcripts.
Summer session
Classes offered during the summer that vary from six to ten weeks.
Swap
Syllabus
An academic document that communicates course information and defines expectations
and responsibilities.
TA/TF (Teaching Assistant/Teaching Fellow)
A graduate student who serves under an instructor to provide general assistance to
the instructional process, such as grading, tutoring, etc. A graduate student that
teaches courses for credit under the direct supervision of a faculty member or
chair.
Undergraduate
A student at a college or university who has not yet earned a bachelor’s degree.
W (Withdrawal grade)
This grade may be given when a student drops a course or withdraws from the university
after the census date.
Waitlist
A feature that allows students to place themselves on a list for a class section that
is full and will be automatically enrolled once a seat opens according to their
position number.
Withdrawal (from Semester)
When you choose to remove yourself from all your classes for a term. Requires permission
from the Dean of Students office.
If you are unsure about the meaning of an advising or academic term, email us at cosadvising@unt.edu for assistance.
