Glossary of Academic Terms

Student academic status terms

University Academic Good Standing (Undergraduate)
2.00 cumulative GPA

• College-specific academic good standing rules can be developed; the college name in a policy title differentiates it from university policy. Example: W. P. Carey School of Business academic good standing.

University Academic Warning
An undergraduate student with a cumulative GPA of less than 2.00 at the end of their first semester (fall or spring) is considered to be in the status of university academic warning.

University Academic Probation
An undergraduate student is placed on university academic probation if, at the end of a semester (fall or spring) that is not the student's first semester at ASU, the student has a cumulative GPA of less than 2.00, or the student received an academic warning in the prior term.

• Colleges may establish specific criteria for their own academic probation status; the college name in a policy title differentiates it from university policy. The college academic probation status may take the place of university academic probation but may not replace the university academic warning. Example: Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering academic probation.

University Continuing Academic Probation
A student is said to be on university continuing academic probation each semester (fall or spring) that student (previously on university academic probation) earns a semester GPA greater than 2.00, but yet has a cumulative GPA of less than 2.00.

• Colleges may establish individual time limits and specific semester GPA requirements for continuing academic probation; they are defined as "[College Name] continuing academic probation".

Co-enrolled Continuing Probation Program
Select disqualified students may participate in the co-enrolled continuing probation program at the discretion of their college or school. Under this program, the student takes the academic refresher course UNI 220 Mindset Connections plus one ASU course selected by the student’s advisor, and the student co-enrolls at a Maricopa Community College with a schedule selected in consultation with the ASU advisor. If, upon completion of the term, the student has a combined semester cumulative GPA of 2.50, the student may continue regular enrollment at ASU. Parameters regarding the number of co-enrolled hours required are at the discretion of each college or school.

Ineligible
A college designation for a student on university continuing academic probation who is not permitted to continue in the major based on college-specific academic requirements. The student may remain an ASU student, but is required to change their major. College-specific procedures are located on their college policies.

Disqualified
A student on university academic probation who does not earn a semester GPA of 2.00 or greater (fall or spring) will be disqualified. Students who are disqualified are not permitted to enroll at ASU in any subsequent fall or spring semester unless they are readmitted.

Catalog year
A catalog year runs from fall through summer, and a student who enters during the fall or spring semester follows the policies and requirements in effect for that catalog year. For example, catalog year 2024-2025 is the catalog year for students who enter in fall 2024 or spring 2025. Students who enter for the first time during the summer term follow the requirements in effect for the subsequent catalog year.

In most cases, a student’s catalog year is the year in which they started at ASU. Students may be in a different catalog year for a variety of reasons, including:

• change of major
• continuous enrollment in an Arizona community college or public university
• student request to move to a newer catalog year
• significant changes to curriculum either due to accreditation or rapid changes to subject matter

More information and conditions of continuous enrollment can be found at Guidelines for Determination of Catalog Year.

General Studies Gold
General studies requirements for undergraduate students beginning with the 2024-25 catalog year.

General Studies Maroon
General studies requirements for undergraduate students up through the 2023-24 catalog year.

Satisfactory Progress
This term is used in different ways for students, such as with regard to financial aid, sponsored international programs, athletics and veterans' benefits. Satisfactory progress is a complex calculation specific to major and situation. This term does not refer to academic standing.

Progression
This term refers to how a student meets milestones and degree requirements in movement toward achieving degree completion. This term does not refer to academic standing.

Quick Re-entry
The term quick re-entry refers to a streamlined process in which students do not need to submit a new application or application fee if they are undergraduate degree-seeking students who previously attended ASU but have not been enrolled at ASU for up to seven consecutive fall or spring semesters. Students absent on military deployment, on service for official church missions, for foreign aid service of the Federal government, or for permanent disability reasons should follow leave of absence procedures. Students who have not remained continuously enrolled may have their catalog year adjusted upon quick re-entry.

Reinstatement
A student who has previously been academically disqualified and seeks to return either for a fall or spring semester a) immediately or b) after a period of absence and has met college admission standards.

Readmitted
Students not eligible for quick re-entry (i.e., because they have not been enrolled at ASU for seven or more semesters, completed their academic program or were academically disqualified), must apply for readmission and submit applicable fees. Candidates for readmission who are not in academic good standing are subject to college review. A disqualified student who has not already been absent for a semester may contact the college advisor to see if reinstatement is possible.

eAdvisor terms

eAdvisor
A suite of tools used to monitor student progression towards degree completion, including Degree Search, major maps and the tracking of critical and necessary requirements (eight semester tracking application).

Academic Year
The university year, counted as a fall semester and the following spring semester and can also include the following summer semester. Example: the 2024-25 academic year consists of the Fall 2024 semester, Spring 2025 semester and Summer 2025 semester.

Major Map
A major map is an eight-semester, optimal course plan that outlines a recommended sequence of courses, enabling full-time students to graduate in four years. The major map is posted on a student’s My ASU in the My Programs box under Degree Progress.

eAdvisor Tracking
ASU’s eAdvisor tracking outlines critical courses, GPA requirements and milestones that predict success in each major and tracks students’ progress toward meeting them. Sometimes called critical tracking, eAdvisor tracking evaluates how a student’s completed courses meet degree requirements in a specific term, including both critical and necessary courses. Students who have not completed critical course requirements for two consecutive fall or spring semesters may be required to change their major.

Critical Requirement
As identified on the major map, a curricular or noncurricular degree requirement that the faculty have identified as critical predictors of success in a specific major. Critical requirements can be courses, grades, GPAs or noncurricular requirements such as submitting a fingerprint clearance card. Critical requirements appear in terms 1-4.

Necessary Requirement
As identified on the major map, a curricular or noncurricular degree requirement that the faculty have identified as necessary for timely completion of degree requirements. Necessary requirements appear in terms 5-8.

Off Track
This refers to a student who has not met one or more critical requirements as stated in terms 1-4, or one or more necessary requirements in terms 5-8 of their major map in a given fall or spring semester.

Twice Off Track
This refers to a student who has not met one or more critical requirements as stated in terms 1-4 of their major map in two consecutive fall or spring semesters. Students who are twice off track may be required to change their major.

On Track
This refers to a student who has met all critical requirements identified in terms 1-4 or all necessary requirements in terms 5-8 of the major map in the current term and previous terms against which they are being evaluated.

Academic Status Reports
ASRs allow faculty to provide weekly feedback to students regarding class performance. Through My ASU, students see an indicator notifying them that they have received an ASR, which can include suggested follow-up items and information about academic resources so that they can get the help they need to be successful.

Academic Support Team
Each student has an academic advising committee that helps them set personal academic goals, understand policies and create strategies for staying on track toward graduation. The committee is listed on the student's My ASU page. Also included is information about how advising services work in the student's department, how to get answers to advising questions, and how to make an appointment with an advisor.

Milestone
This is a curricular or noncurricular requirement that needs to be completed by a specific point in time. Examples: portfolio review or audition.

Progress Reports
Progress reports from eAdvisor allow students to track their progress through audits available on My ASU. The Graduation Audit (DARS) outlines a complete list of degree requirements, including university graduation requirements, general studies and major requirements. The DARS Graduation Audit is the official record used to verify degree completion. A major map is an eight-semester, optimal course plan that outlines a recommended sequence of courses, enabling full-time students to graduate in four years.

In addition to traditional progress reports, eAdvisor students can run a critical requirement audit and view their tracking status in My Major Map at any time during the semester. My Major Map, also available on My ASU, provides students the ability to track how their courses are meeting degree requirements as well as their progress toward completing other critical requirements (GPAs and milestones required to stay on track).

A student’s record may change multiple times during the semester because of dropped courses, transferred credit, completed milestones or changed majors. The system accounts for changes to student records and updates eAdvisor status, My Major Map and the DARS Graduation Audit nightly.

Priority Tasks
eAdvisor places important notes and reminders in the Priority Tasks box on students' My ASU page. If students become off track, an advising hold is placed on their record. While they may drop and withdraw from a course, they will not be able to add courses to the current semester. Students with off-track status will not be able to register for future fall and spring semesters until they have contacted their advisor and discussed strategies for getting back on track. The advisor will then remove the hold. Other tasks, from student support areas such as Financial Aid and the Registrar’s Office also appear in this box.

Course terms

Crosslisting
The same course offered under more than one subject, may be offered by more than one college or department, and may have different course numbers. Students get credit for only one course in the pair or group of crosslisted courses. Some programs may require students to enroll in a course under a certain subject to properly receive credit.
Examples: CDE 350/SOC 350 and AFR 363/HST 333

Corequisite
A course that must be taken while taking another course at the same time. Example: a lab that is required to be taken with a lecture.

Prerequisite
A requirement to be met before registering for a course, such as completing another particular course.

Omnibus course
A course offered on an experimental or tutorial basis, or in which the content is new or periodically changes is termed an omnibus course. The Classification of Courses Policy contains more information about omnibus courses.

Subject
The three-letter code that denotes the subject of a set of courses; sometimes referred to as a prefix.
Examples: AMS = American Studies; EEE = Electrical Engineering; SSP = Sports Science and Performance Programming

Program and degree terms

Accelerated Master's Program
Accelerated bachelor’s plus master’s degree programs are designed for high-achieving undergraduate students who want the opportunity to share undergraduate coursework with graduate coursework to accelerate completion of their master's degree. These programs feature the same high-quality curriculum taught by ASU's world-renowned faculty. These programs are preapproved combinations and are internal to ASU.

The terms 4+1 and 3+2 have been phased out, effective Fall 2023.

Concurrent Degree
Internal to the university, two degrees, same level, same time, and may include some shared courses. Concurrent degrees can either be preapproved combinations or unique combinations added by the student through an approval process. Examples: JD/PhD or BS/BSE. Two diplomas are awarded.

Disestablished Program
A disestablished program is a major, minor or certificate which the institution has chosen to discontinue. Upon the effective term and year of disestablishment, ASU may choose to stop admitting new students into the program. This includes current ASU students seeking to change into the disestablished major, to add the disestablished major as a concurrent degree, or to add the disestablished minor or certificate. Active students in a disestablished program have a period of four academic years to complete the program requirements. This includes active, not enrolled students typically eligible for quick re-entry. Students choosing quick re-entry to the institution after a period of nonenrollment cannot re-enroll in a disestablished program if four academic years have passed since the effective term of disestablishment.

Students who have not completed the requirements for a disestablished program four academic years after disestablishment will be changed administratively to a different major, or have the minor or certificate removed from their record.

Dual Degree
This is an offering that is both internal and external to ASU. The student pursues two degrees simultaneously, one with ASU and one with an external institution. Example: ASU and Mayo Clinic.

Exploratory Program
Exploratory programs are non-degree granting programs that allow students to explore their interests in different major areas before they formally declare a major. Students formally declare their major by the time they have accumulated 45 credit hours.

Honors Program
Offered by Barrett, the Honors College, an honors program gives academically outstanding undergraduate students opportunities to enhance their degree program with an intellectually rigorous honors curriculum and resources only available to Barrett students. Upon graduation, students who complete the Barrett requirements along with their major requirements are awarded an honors endorsement on their transcript.

Joint Degree
Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are a single program of study offered by more than one college at ASU that provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two or more academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by both colleges. Both colleges will appear on the transcript and diploma.

Multiple Concentration
Internal to the university, one degree awarded, same level, same time, some shared courses. For undergraduate degrees with multiple concentrations, students may not share coursework between the core concentration curricula. Multiple concentrations are typically added through an approval process. Example: Business (Global Leadership), BA and Business (Sustainability), BA.