Academic Terms and Definitions

Plan	Unit Criteria	Details	Appears on Transcript	Appears on Diploma
Associate of Arts or Associate of Science Degrees	60 credit hours	Associate degrees have a minimum of 60 credit hours at the 1000 and 2000 level, exclusive of physical education activity courses. These degrees are focused on the core curriculum with a pathway in preparation for pursuing a major in the baccalaureate program. A student must achieve at least a 2.0 institutional grade point average in order to receive an associate degree.	Yes	Yes
Associate of Applied Science Degree	60 credit hours	Career degrees include the Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in designated fields. Career degrees may be awarded for the completion of two-year collegiate programs designed to prepare students for immediate employment. Associate of Applied Science degrees (exclusive of physical education activity) have a maximum of 60 credit hours. These degrees must contain a minimum of 20 credit hours of general education.	Yes	Yes
Baccalaureate of Arts Baccalaureate of Science	120 credit hours minimum	A baccalaureate degree must contain 120 credit hours (exclusive of physical education activity/basic health). A baccalaureate program must require at least 21 credit hours of upper-division courses in the major field and at least 39 hours of upper division work overall. A student must achieve at least a 2.0 institutional grade point average in the field of study in order to receive a bachelor’s degree. Individual degrees may have additional GPA or other requirements.	Yes	Yes
Certificate	10 -59 credit hours	A certificate is a planned group of courses within a single discipline or selected from within two or more related disciplines. It must be completed with a GPA of 2.0. Some certificates may have additional GPA or other requirements. A certificate may be pursued concurrently with a degree program or as a stand-alone credential. The university offers certificates at both the graduate and undergraduate level.	Yes	Yes
Concentration	15 credit hours or more	A major may label a smaller grouping of courses as a concentration with the major. Not all majors have concentrations, but those that do allow a choice between two or more concentrations as a way of tailoring the major to a student’s particular needs and interests. Concentrations must be pursued and completed concurrently with a degree program. "Concentration" can be used with either baccalaureate or graduate degree programs.	Yes	No
Course Planning Guide		The Course Planning Guide is a suggested listing of courses and when to complete them. If a timeline is included it is a course planning guide.
Field of Study		The field of study consists of all upper-division coursework in the major field. For a program of study in which a minor is required, the field of study consists of the upper-division coursework in the major and the minor.
Major	A minimum of 21 credit hours of upper level (3000-4000) credit	A planned group of courses within a specific subject matter area, typically taken to fulfill a baccalaureate degree. A student must complete the major with at least a 2.0 in the field of study. Individual majors may have additional GPA or other requirements. A baccalaureate degree must contain 120 credit hours; at least 39 credit hours must be upper level.	Yes	No
Master of Arts Master of Science	Minimum 30 credit hours; maximum 36 credit hours	A master's degree must contain no fewer than 30 credit hours and no more than 36 credit hours of planned courses within a specific subject matter area. A student must complete the course work with a minimum GPA of 3.0 in order to graduate. Individual degree programs may have additional requirements.	Yes	Yes
Minor	15-18 credit hours of coursework with at least 9 hours of upper-division coursework.	A planned group of courses from one or more subject areas consisting of at least 15 credit hours, but no more than 18; completed with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0. Individual minors may have additional GPA or other requirements. Courses taken for areas A-E may not be counted in the minor. Courses taken to satisfy the major requirements may not be used to satisfy the minor requirements. Minors must be pursued and completed concurrently with a major degree program.
Pathway	18 credit hours	The pathway is a group of courses at the 1000-2000 level from one of more subject areas taken in area F of the associate degree. The pathway provides preparation for students who wish to pursue a particular major at the baccalaureate level or who wish to pursue a particular career.	Yes	No
Plan of Study		The plan of study (POS) provides the list of requirements for completing a degree or certificate at UNG. Degree requirements and POS can change each academic year to reflect current department and program standards. The POS version used by the student is determined by the first term of enrollment at UNG. Students may choose to use a future POS version at any time during their academic career.
Service-Learning		Academic service-learning is a course-based, credit-bearing educational experience in which students participate in an organized service activity that meets identified community needs, and reflect on the service activity in such a way as to gain further understanding of course content, a broader appreciation of the discipline, and an enhanced sense of personal values and civic responsibility.