CBU Dictionary
Dictionary of University Terms
You can also download a PDF version of the CBU Dictionary.
ACADEMIC CALENDAR
The Academic Calendar serves as an information source and planning document for students, faculty and staff. It includes information such as important dates, academic regulations, program information and more.
ACADEMIC SUCCESS COACH
An Academic Success Coach is a CBU staff member who helps students transition to university life, define goals, develop new skills and become a more confident student.
ACADEMIC TIMETABLE
The Academic Timetable lists the classes that are offered in a particular term. It provides information such as class timings and which professor is teaching each course.
ACCEPTANCE
Acceptance means you meet all of the University’s requirements and will soon be starting your CBU journey, congratulations!
ADVANCED STANDING
The recognition of any previous relevant, successful study which may be applied to your current program. These credits could reduce the number of courses you need to take in order to complete your program.
ADVISING
Academic advising is the process in which a student meets with an academic advisor to discuss education and career planning, how to choose the right courses for you and to get an overview of how the registration process works.
ADVISING CENTRE
Located in the Marvin Harvey Building, the Advising Centre is where students complete their academic advising appointments. Here, you’ll also find Career Services, International Student Support, African Nova Scotian/Canadian Student Support, Peer Mentors and more.
ALUMNI/ALUMNA/ALUMNUS
Alumni refers to the group of people who have previously attended or graduated from an institution. Alumna is the female singular version and alumnus is the male singular version. To refer to one gender-neutral member, we would typically say a member of the Alumni family. CBU has more than 40,000 alumni in over 75 countries.
BACHELOR’S DEGREE
A Bachelor’s degree is an undergraduate degree typically completed in 3-5 years of study at CBU. An undergraduate degree is a necessary requirement for those looking to pursue graduate degrees, Master’s programs, or PhD’s.
CO-CURRICULAR RECORD
The Co-Curricular Record (CCR) is an official university document that recognizes student achievements and involvement in activities and events outside of the classroom. It’s a way to get credit for activities that are not a credited part of a program or coursework, such as volunteer work. The CCR makes a great addition to a student’s resume!
COMPASS
The Compass Student System is CBU’s student portal. It provides students with access to functions such as booking advising appointments, registration, degree progress, timetables, exam schedules, finance information and more. You can log into Compass using your CBU email and password.
CONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE
Conditional acceptance means that there are still terms that need to be met before your acceptance can be finalized. This could mean your final grades from high school aren’t in yet, or we’re still waiting on official documentation such as transcripts or IELTS scores.
CONVOCATION
Convocation is the word we use for Graduation here at CBU. When your degrees are conferred on convocation day, you have officially graduated and become a member of our Alumni family!
CO-OP
Co-op programs alternate study terms with paid work experience terms that are related to your academic field. Co-op gives you a well-rounded education and an opportunity to expand your knowledge and practice the latest theories
and hands-on approaches. Co-op also allows you to develop employment skills, explore career options, and network with potential employers. This can give you a competitive edge when entering the workforce. Co-op work terms are supervised and evaluated by both the employer and the post-secondary institution.
CORE COURSE
In some programs, you will have courses that you are required to take. These are called your program core courses.
COURSE NUMBER (COURSE CODE)
Each course will have its own course number or course code that represents the course in the registration system. For example ENGL1101 might be the course code for Introduction to English Literature. You can view courses, their descriptions and their course codes in your Compass Student Account.
CREDITS
Credits refer to what your courses are worth. Courses that are completed in a single semester are worth 3 credits. Courses that are completed over the course of two semesters are worth 6 credits. If your degree has 90 credits, that means you will have to complete 30, 3-credit courses in total.
DEFERRED
Deferring a program means that you have accepted the offer, but that you don’t plan on starting right away. Some students are accepted for September intake but may need to defer their courses and begin in January instead. If you need to defer your start date, contact admissions@cbu.ca.
DEGREE AUDIT
A degree audit is an overview of the academic progress you’ve made toward your degree. It will show you how many courses you have completed so far, the remaining courses you are required to complete and other helpful student information.
DEGREE SHEET
Your degree sheet, provided by the Advising Centre, outlines all of the courses required for your program. It is a helpful tool in terms of planning out your semesters and keeping track of the required courses you have taken and still need to take.
EARLY ACCEPTANCE (GRADE 12 ACCEPTANCE)
Early acceptance is available in September of each year to high school students with an average of at least 75% in grade 11, as long as they are currently registered in grade 12 courses that meet our admission requirements. If you meet the requirements, you can apply for conditional acceptance and take the first step toward becoming a university student! Then, when you submit your final grade 12 marks, you’ll receive your acceptance to CBU early.
ELECTIVE
In some programs, you will have a certain number of courses that you will get to choose based on your personal preferences. As long as the course you wish to take has available seats and does not have any prerequisites (that you do not meet), you can take it if you have room in your schedule for an elective.
FULL-TIME STUDENT
In the Fall and Winter semesters, full-time study is considered 9 credits per semester. In the Spring and Summer semesters, full-time study is considered 6 credits per semester. If you are a student with a disability, please contact jkc@cbu.ca for information on what full-time study means for you.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ADVISOR
CBU’s International Student Advisors (ISA) assist international students with non-academic advising, registration for medical coverage, coordination of special events and immigration concerns such as student permit and post- graduate work permit applications.
INTERNSHIP
Internships offer usually one discipline- specific, supervised, paid or unpaid,for academic credit work experience or practice placement. Internships may occur in the middle of an academic program or after all academic coursework has been completed, prior to graduation.
JENNIFER KEEPING CENTRE FOR ACCESSIBLE LEARNING
The Jennifer Keeping Centre (JKC) provides accessibility services for CBU students. If you have a medically documented disability, you could be eligible for supports through the JKC. Some examples include: learning disabilities, visual disabilities, hearing or speech disabilities, neurological disabilities, mobility challenges, mental health conditions, chronic illnesses and more.
LABS
Labs are a requirement for some courses at Cape Breton University. They are meant to enhance course work by providing students with hands-on experience. Labs must be registered for separately from your courses but will be completed at the same time as the course. This only differs with Communications Labs which students can register for in person during the first week of classes.
MAJOR
A major refers to the discipline within your degree that you will take the most courses in (i.e. English, Psychology or Folklore). Typically, you must take 48 credits of a discipline to receive a major designation. Each degree varies, so please see your degree sheet for full details.
MASTER’S DEGREE
A Master’s degree is the first level of graduate study. At CBU, we offer Master’s degrees in the fields of Business and Education.
MATH & SCIENCE CENTRE
The Math & Science Centre offers free tutoring services for current CBU students who require help in introductory-level math, science and business courses.
MATURE STUDENT
A mature student could be someone who didn’t attend university directly after highschool, or is returning to school after a period off. At CBU, it’s never too late to begin your journey as a university student!
MINOR
A minor refers to the secondary discipline of focus within your degree. Typically you must take 24 credits of a discipline to receive a minor designation. Each degree varies, so please see your degree sheet for full details.
MOODLE
This is the online platform used for your courses. When classes begin, you will be able to access all of your course information through your CBU Moodle Account.
OFFICE HOURS
Office hours are set times in which students can meet with th eir professor
or instructor. Each professor or instructor offers office hours so students can discuss class material, grades or any other issue related to their academic experience.
PART-TIME STUDENT
In the Fall and Winter semesters, part-time study is considered anything less than 9 credits per semester. In the Spring and Summer semesters, part-time study is considered anything less than 6 credits per semester. If you are a student with a disability, please contact jkc@cbu.ca for information on what part-time study means for you.
PEER MENTOR
The Peer Mentor’s role is to assist new undergraduate students in accessing information and connecting to services and events at CBU. Mentors help students get acquainted with the with CBU resources to help them begin their academic journey with confidence. They also host regular events to provide new students with opportunities to meet peers with similar interests.
PREREQUISITE
Some courses are more advanced than others and require that you complete specific introductory level courses before you can register for them. Example: Accounting II ACCT1204 cannot be taken before Accounting I ACCT1203. It is important to check the Academic Calendar and your degree sheet for prerequisite requirements when planning out your semester.
PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT
PLAs are an option for students who feel that their experience and/or training earned outside of a post-secondary institution is equivalent to a course needed for their CBU degree. Students requesting a PLA should first submit a Transfer Credit Assessment form, in addition to a PLA form.
PROSPECTIVE STUDENT
Prospective students are students who might attend a university in the future. Often, prospective students are considering coming to the university and want to learn more. Until you have officially enrolled, you will be considered a prospective student.
READING WEEK
At CBU, we have two Reading Weeks each year. The first takes place during the Fall semester, and the second takes place during the Winter semester. During Reading Week, students do not have classes. It is a designated break meant to give students time to catch up on assignments, study for midterms and enjoy some rest and relaxation.
REGISTRATION
Registration is the process in which you sign up for, or enrol, in the courses you will be taking throughout the semester.
SEMESTER
At CBU we have two official semesters (also known as terms). Fall semester runs from September to December and Winter Semester runs from January to April. Optional courses are offered in Spring and Summer, but are not required for all programs.
SPRING/SUMMER SEMESTER
The Spring/Summer Semester refers to classes that take place between May and August. Taking classes during this semester is not required for most programs unless it is your first semester at CBU. Course selection is more limited and the length of courses is shorter, so this semester is condensed.
START SMART
Start Smart is CBU’s online learning experience designed to help new students learn more about CBU before arriving on campus. It includes a series of videos offering insights into what to expect during the first few weeks of classes, as well as important support services and campus information.
STUDENT NAVIGATOR
Student Navigators provide registration support and online navigation support to students enrolling at CBU each term. They help students transition to university by providing information on CBU’s programs, services, and resources to ensure students are empowered with access to this knowledge throughout the year.
SYLLABUS
An outline of the content that will be covered in a class. Each professor or instructor will hand out a syllabus during the first week of class which will give students an idea of what will be covered throughout their time in the class.
THESIS
Students looking to graduate with honours will complete a thesis before graduating. It is typically a long paper or project presenting the students’ research and findings on a particular topic in their field of study. Students will present or defend their thesis in front of a board at the end of their degree.
TRANSCRIPT
An official academic transcript is a document certified by your institution that outlines all of the courses you have taken and the grades you have received for each.
TRANSFER STUDENT
A student who moves from one post-secondary institution to another and receives credits from the academic work they completed.
TRANSFERRING
When one institution recognizes education completed at another, students can transfer to the new school. If your credits are a good match, they will be counted toward your requirements at the new school.
TRANSFER CREDITS
Transfer credits are awarded for any college/university course a student has successfully taken that is a good match with a course offered by CBU. Students can then use these credits to fulfil up to 50% of the requirements for their CBU degree.
TRANSFER CREDIT ASSESSMENT
If you have completed university and/or college level courses already and you want to transfer any of the credits you earned to the degree you are taking at CBU, you may need to apply for a transfer credit assessment. This assessment takes into account any prior academic credits that can be applied to your program at CBU.
WAITLIST
A waitlist is a virtual queue for a class that is at full capacity. If a student registered in the class drops it, the first student on the waitlist will be invited to take their spot. Students must add themselves to a waitlist to be considered for a seat in a full class.
WRITING CENTRE
The Writing Centre offers free, one-on-one sessions in which students can discuss ways to strengthen their writing skills.
