Mar 19, 2024  
2017-2018 Graduate Catalog 
    
2017-2018 Graduate Catalog [Not Current Academic Year. Consult with Your Academic Advisor for Your Catalog Year]

Catalog Definitions and Numbering



The information presented below will help the reader to interpret this catalog correctly. The “Definition of Terms” section provides a guide to the terminology of academic regulations and procedures and course descriptions. The sections entitled “Course Numbering” explains the significance of the course numbering system used at the University of Houston. This is generic information only; for specific course descriptions or degree requirements, see the appropriate department listing.

Catalog Definitions

Audit. To take a course without credit.

Class schedule. List of courses and sections for a specific semester, including names of instructors; day, hour, and place of class meetings; and detailed registration procedures.

College or school. One of 13 major divisions within the university that offers specialized curricula.

Corequisite. A course that must be taken at the same time as the course described.

Course load. The number of semester hours students schedule in a given term.

Credit (see semester hour). Certification given for completion of academic work.

Cumulative grade point average (see grade points). The cumulative grade point average is based upon work taken at the University of Houston, including courses that are repeated, for which grade point values are assigned. The cumulative grade point average indicates overall performance and is computed by dividing the total number of grade points earned by the number of semester hours attempted, excluding S/U hours.

Department. Division of instruction within a college, such as Department of English in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.

Drop. Official dropping of some of the courses for which students are registered. Usually initiated by students but can be done in certain instances by faculty or other campus personnel.

Elective. A course which is not required but which students choose to take as part of their degree plan.

Equivalent. In place of a course within the same discipline. Course equivalences are established through formal action and are determined on the bases of content, prerequisites, writing requirements, and level.

Grade points (see cumulative grade point average). Points per semester hour assigned to a passing grade, indicating numerical value of the grade.

Graduate study. Academic work toward the master’s or doctoral degree.

Laboratory. Descriptive of work other than class work, such as experimentation and practical application.

Lecture. A class session in which an instructor speaks on a specific topic.

Major. Primary field of study.

Noncredit course. A course for which no credit is given

Overload. Course load of more semester hours than students are normally permitted to schedule in a given period.

Petition. A formal request to be filed at the appropriate office for a specific academic action, such as a waiver for a degree requirement.

Prerequisite. Requirement to be met before a certain course may be taken.

Records, permanent. Cumulative record of students’ courses, grades, credits, classification, address, social security number, etc.

Registration. Enrollment for a semester, including selection of classes and payment of fees and tuition.

Section. A division of a course for instruction. A course may be taught in one or more sections or classes, depending on enrollment in the course.

Semester hour. (see credit). Unit of measurement of college work. One semester hour is normally equivalent to one hour of class work or from two to six hours of laboratory work per week for a semester.

Student I.D. number. A permanent number that is assigned when a student enrolls.

Summer Term and sessions. Length of study for courses offered during the summer will vary depending on the session in which the course is scheduled. Refer to the Academic Calendar  for specific beginning and end dates per summer session.

Transcript. A copy of a student’s academic record, mainly intended for communicating information from one institution to another. Unofficial transcripts may be obtained via the myUH Student Center. Official Transcripts must be requested from the Office of the University Registrar.

Tuition and fee statement. The fee bill printout of the course schedule and the tuition and fees for a given semester.

Withdrawal. Official withdrawal from all courses during a semester at the university. Usually initiated by students but may be done in certain instances by faculty or other campus personnel.

Numbering

All courses are identified by instructional area and number. The first digit of the four-digit number indicates course level (1-freshman, 2-sophomore, etc.). The second digit indicates the number of semester hours of credit given for the course (the number given exactly corresponds with the semester hours of credit given). The third and fourth digits are for departmental use.

Course numbers that begin with a “5” can be an upper-division undergraduate course, a graduate course, or a professional course. Please contact the department in which the course is offered to determine how a particular 5000-level course is classified.

Each course listed shows the semester hours of credit assigned to that specific course-for example, Cr. 3., may follow the course title. This information is usually followed by hyphenated numbers such as (2-3) that designate lecture-laboratory hours. The first digit indicates the number of class hours per week in the lecture portion of the course. The second digit indicates the number of class hours per week reserved for the laboratory portion of the course.