Glossary

30 glossary terms

Additional Admission Criteria

Certain programs require you to provide additional information to be considered for admission. These additional admission criteria can include:

  • Evaluation forms
  • Reference forms 
  • Autobiographical letters
  • An interview
  • An audition
  • A portfolio

Alternative Offers

If you are not admitted to the specific program you applied to, the university may provide an offer of admission to a different (alternative) program.

Award

Given to recognize a person’s merit and accomplishments, according to criteria outlined by the person or institution granting the award. An award may be monetary or it may be signified by certificates, trophies or other public acknowledgements. It does not require repayment.

Bursary

A monetary award that is granted to a student based on financial need. A bursary does not require repayment.

Degree

A formal, academic recognition that a student successfully completed a university-level degree program.

There are many types of undergraduate degrees. An undergraduate degree program generally requires 3 or 4 years of full-time university study to complete.

You can enter an undergraduate degree program (also called a bachelor’s degree or baccalaureate) directly from high school.

An honours degree program usually involves a higher level of concentration and achievement within the honours subject and may require additional credits. 

English Language Diagnosis and Assessment

 is the name of a group of English as a Second Language experts who develop and administer English Proficiency (ELDA/COPE) tests. The tests examine 3 areas of language proficiency:

  • Reading
  • Writing
  • Listening

Enrollment

The number of students who enroll in the first year of a given program in the previous academic year. This number varies each year, according to the number and quality of applicants. It is not a cut-off point or enrollment limit but a general guideline.

Equity-seeking Applicant

Someone who faces significant collective challenges in participating in society. This marginalization could be created by attitudinal, historic, social and environmental barriers based on age, ethnicity, disability, economic status, gender, nationality, race, sexual orientation and/or transgender status, etc. Equity-seeking applicants are those that identify barriers to equal access, opportunities and resources due to disadvantage and discrimination and actively seek social justice and reparation.

Experiential Education

An educational system that allows students to combine academic studies and practical work experience in their field of study to earn credit toward a degree. Co-op education programs vary widely in how and when you apply to them, how the university implements them and how you obtain a practical work placement once enrolled.

On OUInfo, the following co-op definitions are used:

  • Not available: Co-op is not offered with this program.
     
  • Co-op program: This program is co-op only – you must complete a co-op work placement to achieve the degree.
     
  • Co-op option available with this program: When you apply to this program, you may choose whether you want to complete a co-op work placement.
     
  • Co-op available with a different program code: The university offers co-op with this program, but you will need to apply using a different code. Return to the university’s list of programs and find the specific co-op program code.
     
  • Co-op or internship application available at the university after registration: To complete a co-op work placement with this program, you must apply to the co-op option after you are registered in this program at the university.

  • Co-op available by application after first year of studies: You must apply for the co-op option after your first year of studies in this program at the university.

  • Co-op available by major: Co-op is only available with certain subjects of major interest within this program. Visit the university’s website or contact the university directly to obtain further information about which subjects have a co-op component.
     
  • Practicum or internship option available: You may choose whether to complete a practicum or internship placement when you enroll in this program.
     
  • Co-op or internship option available: You may choose whether you want to complete a co-op or an internship placement when you enroll in this program.
     
  • Clinical placement: This program includes hands-on work or research experience outside of the classroom in a clinical setting.
     
  • Field placement: This program includes hands-on work or research experience outside of the classroom in a location related to the field of study.
     
  • Entrepreneurship: This program offers the opportunity to start a business as part of your course work. 
     
  • Faculty research opportunity: This program offers the opportunity to engage in research with faculty.
     
  • Class-based experiential education: This program includes direct, hands-on experience that is relevant to the field of study and takes place in the classroom.
     
  • Embedded community engagement/volunteerism/partnership: This program may offer learning opportunities outside of the classroom and/or in the community.

Grade Range

The admission average for a program in the previous academic year. This range varies each year, according to the number and quality of applicants. It is not a cut-off point or enrollment limit but a general guideline.

Grant

Funds given to a student for a specific purpose, such as specialized research or academic projects. A grant does not require repayment.

Indigenous Applicant

A person who self-identifies as an Indigenous person if they believe they are related to, or descended from, the Indigenous or Original peoples of Canada.

Indigenous peoples of Canada include persons with First Nations (Status or Non-status), Inuit or Métis ancestry.

International English Language Testing System

The  measures the language proficiency of people who want to study or work where English is used as a language of communication. It uses a 9-band scale to clearly identify levels of proficiency, from non-user (band score 1) through to expert (band score 9). 

Internship

A program that provides hands-on work experience in an occupation or profession, often as a component of an educational program. It is a temporary position that may be paid or unpaid, part-time or full-time.

OUAC Program Code

A 2- or 3-letter code assigned to a university program and used to apply through the OUAC application.

Ontario Education Number (OEN)

The OEN is a 9-digit, unique identification number assigned to elementary and high school students across the province of Ontario. You can find your OEN on your report card. Your high school guidance counsellor will also have it on record.

If you are an Ontario high school student, you will need your OEN to apply to an Ontario university.

Practicum

A component of a university course that consists of supervised practical work.

Prerequisites

Requirements (such as courses and English-language proficiency) that you must successfully complete before you can register in a program.

Professional Program

A program of advanced learning that leads to an occupation governed by a mandatory regulatory body.

Members of the profession must complete a licensing exam before they can actively practice and must keep their credentials current, through additional education mandated by the regulatory body.

Professional programs include, but are not limited to:

  • Medicine
  • Law
  • Teacher Education
  • Rehabilitation Sciences
  • Dentistry
  • Optometry
  • Pharmacy
  • Nursing

Renewable Scholarship

A scholarship that can be received for more than 1 year. You must meet the university’s stated criteria each year to continue receiving the scholarship.

Scholarship

Financial aid provided to a student to help fund their academic studies. Unlike a loan, a scholarship does not require repayment.

Scholarships are granted based on criteria outlined by the person or institution granting the award, including academic merit, financial need, extracurricular activities or other distinctions. You can apply for certain scholarships, while you may be automatically considered for others.

OUInfo uses the following scholarship terms:

  • Application Required: You must submit an application to be considered for the award.
  • Application Not Required: You are automatically considered for the scholarship when you apply to the university. No application is necessary.
  • Renewable: A scholarship that can be received for more than 1 year if the stated criteria are met each year.
     
  • Non-renewable: A scholarship that is awarded for 1 year only.

Subject of Major Interest

A subject of major interest is a specialization within a general degree program.

For example, a university might have a degree called "Arts", but through that program, you could potentially study several subjects of major interest, including History, Drama, Economics, English, French, Sociology, Philosophy, etc.

Usually, you will be asked to choose your "subject of major interest" when you apply for the general degree program.

Test of English as a Foreign Language

The  measures your ability to use and understand English at the university level. It also evaluates how well you combine your listening, reading, speaking and writing skills to perform academic tasks.

Undergraduate

A level of university study that results in a bachelor's degree upon completion.