Academic Terms & Definitions

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.

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. 

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.

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. 

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.

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.

Global learning is a critical analysis of and an engagement with complex, interdependent global systems, and their implications for people’s lives. Through curricular and co-curricular experiences, global learning creates intentional intercultural connections that develop leaders for a diverse, sustainable, and global society.

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.

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. 

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.