Page 44 - Postgraduate Catalog 2026-27

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ACADEMIC TERMINOLOGY FOR

ABU DHABI UNIVERSITY

Academic Year – The period of formal instruction that is Full-time Student – A student who is enrolled at the
divided into semesters and terms. university taking at least a minimum load of 12 credits per
semester.
Add/Drop - A process at the beginning of the semester
whereby students can delete or add classes online. Grade Point Average (GPA) – A system of recording
achievement based on a numerical average of the grades
Assessment - The gathering of evidence of student attained in each course in a given semester or term.
learning and achievement to guide instructional decisions
and aid student learning. Internship – An organized and supervised career-related
professional experience. Academic credits are awarded
Blackboard or Blackboard Learn – Web-based tool that for the learning acquired through their work experience,
allows students to access course materials and resources. depending upon their performance evaluation. Internships
are administered using well planned syllabi and work plans
Concentration - It is best thought of as a grouping of during the period of training, which are supervised by site-
courses which represent a sub-specialization taken within supervisors and college-supervisors.
the major field of study. A concentration may be specified
on the diploma or in the student’s academic record Major – A student’s principal field of study.
(transcript).
Midterm exam – An exam administered midway during
Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) – The overall the academic term covering class material studied until
average of all course grades attained during the student’s that point.
enrollment at Abu Dhabi University. The CGPA is used for
a number of academic decisions, including awards and Minor – A subject in which the student takes the second
academic probation. greatest concentration of courses.

Degree – Diploma or title conferred by a college, university, Pre-requisite – Program or course that a student is
or professional school upon completion of prescribed required to complete before being permitted to enroll in a
program of studies. more advance program or course.
Degree Program – The term degree program is used at Professional Academic Advisor – A full-time staff
Abu Dhabi University to indicate the total academic credit member within each college who advises and counsels
requirements a student must complete in order to earn a students on programs and course selection, institutional
specific degree/diploma from the University, i.e. a B.B.A. policies, career choices, effective study habits, and/or other
degree program in Management. academic and career-oriented decisions.
Early Registration – A process of choosing classes in Study Plan - Each degree program will have study plans
advance. for students entering in Abu Dhabi University. These study
plans will specify the appropriate sequences of courses
Elective – Course that student may choose to take for that students must take in order to graduate. Study plans
credit toward their intended degree, as distinguished from should include university requirements, major and elective
a course that they are required to take. courses.
Field – The term field is used at Abu Dhabi University to Term - Some courses may be offered in a time-shortened
indicate a broad academic area that generally includes period not less than 6 weeks, called a term, which
several disciplines or subfields i.e. the field of business nonetheless offers class contact time and out-of-class
administration includes the disciplines of management, assignments equivalent to a semester course.
marketing, finance, accounting etc.

Abu Dhabi University | Postgraduate Catalog 2026 - 2027