Glossary of Program Registration Terms

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award: the degree or certificate granted for completion of an academic program e.g., Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Associate in Science (A.S.).

branch campus or interinstitutional program: a unit of an institution located at a place other than the institution’s principal center or at another degree-granting institution, at which the institution offers one or more curricula leading to a certificate or degree.

certificate: a credential issued by an institution in recognition of the completion of a curriculum other than one leading to a degree.

course: an organized series of instructional and learning activities dealing with a subject.

credit: a unit of academic award applicable towards a degree offered by the institution.

curriculum or program: the formal educational requirements necessary to qualify for certificates or degrees. A curriculum or program includes general education or specialized study in depth in a particular field, or both.

dual degree program: one program leading to two degrees offered by a single institution (e.g., BS/MS).

extension center or interinstitutional center: a unit of an institution located at a place other than the institution’s principal center or at another degree-granting institution, at which the institution does not offer any curricula leading to a certificate or degree, but at which the institution conducts more than 15 courses for credit or has more than 350 course registrations for credit in any academic year.  Commissioner’s approval is required.

extension site or interinstitutional site: a unit of an institution located at a place other than the institution’s principal center or at another degree-granting institution, at which the institution does not offer any curricula leading to a certificate or degree, and at which the institution conducts no more than 15 courses for credit and has no more than 350 course registrations for credit in any academic year.  Approval is not required.

(More information on extension sites and centers, go to Off-Campus Instruction.

initial degree program: the first college degree program the institution is authorized by the Regents to offer.

institutional representative/designated person: the individual designated by the institution as the official liaison with the Office of College and University Evaluation of the State Education Department on all matters having to do with submission and approval of proposals for new programs, changes or discontinuances, as well as with institutional review and accreditation by the Board of Regents.

jointly-registered program or program offered jointly: one program that is offered by two or more institutions.

new level of study: a degree level above the highest level the institution is currently authorized to offer (e.g., master’s degree for a baccalaureate-level institution).

program title: the name of the degree or certificate program, usually indicating the subject field of the program or the major, e.g., Human Resource Management, Latin American Studies, Chemistry.

registration: approval by the State Education Department of a curriculum in an institution of higher education for general purposes, for admission to professional practice, or for acceptance toward a credential issued by the department or by the institution.

semester hour: a credit, point, or other unit granted for the satisfactory completion of a course which requires at least 15 hours (of 50 minutes each) of instruction and at least 30 hours of supplementary assignments, except as otherwise provided pursuant to section 52.2(c)(4) of the Commissioner’s Regulations. This basic measure shall be adjusted proportionately to translate the value of other academic calendars and formats of study in relation to the credit granted for study during the two semesters that comprise an academic year.