Glossary of Exploratory Studies Terms and Definitions

Term Definition
Major The concentration of courses required to earn a degree. For example, a biology major is pursuing a degree in biology and will take courses oriented to that area of interest. Your major typically requires 120+ credit hours to complete.
Secondary Major A complementary major completed along with a primary major. It is similar to a minor but requires more hours to complete.
Minor A concentration of courses a student chooses to complete in addition to their major. Minors are at least 15 credit hours.
Certificate A speciality area of study a student chooses to complete in addition to their major. Certificates are at least 12 credit hours.
Credit Hour The number of hours assigned to a course, which often reflects the approximate time spent in class per week. Many classes are three credit hours, which means they meet three times a week for 50 minutes, or two times a week for 75 minutes, in additio to approximately 6 hours of assignment and study time outside of class each week.
Bachelor of Arts A type of degree that includes modern language courses.
Bachelor of Science Most common type of bachelor's degree. In some programs that offer B.A. and B.S. options, it is a degree that does not include the same modern language course requirements. Instead, the Bachelor of Science degree will include more courses in the natural sciences and quantitative & abstract formal reasoning.