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Glossary

This is a helpful list of terms that we commonly use at Lincoln University.

Term Meaning at Lincoln
Academic Administration Committee (AAC) The University authority that administers the regulations on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor and the Academic Board. The AAC grants admission, confirms courses of study, awards credits, confirms grades and considers applications for special consideration.
Academic Board The Academic Board comprises elected professors, librarian, deans and representatives of staff and students. The Board advises the Council on academic matters.
Academic Coordinator An academic coordinator is a member of the academic staff who is given delegated authority to approve a student's course of study.
Academic record (transcript) A copy of a student's complete academic record at university.
Ad Eundem Statum This means 'of equivalent standing'. If you hold a university entrance qualification for a country other than New Zealand, you may apply for admission on the basis that the qualification is equivalent to that required for New Zealand entrance. If you have studied at a tertiary institution in the past, you may apply to be admitted with credit from your previous study towards your proposed course of study.
Aegrotat You can apply for aegrotat and compassionate consideration if you feel that personal circumstances affected your exam performance or preparation. For more information and how to apply, visit the University's Learn website (requires login and password).
Bachelor's degree A first or undergraduate degree normally requiring three or four years of study. A Bachelor's degree usually requires specialisation and progression to an advanced level in at least one field of study.
Block Each course is assigned to a timetable block. Each block is then allotted certain hours in the week, during which lectures etc will take place.
Calendar A yearly publication of the University, which is the official list of regulations, courses, dates and other information.
Certificate of Proficiency (CoP)

A course as required for a degree or diploma, but not currently being used for credit for a degree or diploma. Anyone who passes a course for a Certificate of Proficiency may apply to receive an official letter that states the pass was granted. The Certificate of Proficiency is not a graduating qualification. If a course is passed for a Certificate of Proficiency, then in many cases, it may later be credited to a degree or diploma.

Concurrent enrolment  When a student enrols in a course at Lincoln University at the same time as being enrolled at another tertiary institution then the student is said to be concurrently enrolled.
Conjoint degree From 2015, conjoint degrees are no longer offered at Lincoln University.
Core The core of a degree or diploma is the set of compulsory courses that must be passed before the degree or diploma can be awarded. There are two types of core. A core is described as 'soft' when the regulation states that students must choose at least a certain number from a specified list of core courses. A core is described as 'hard' if all of the courses in the core list must be taken.
Council The Council is the governing body of the University, and is led by the Chancellor. 
Course Each programme/qualification consists of a number of courses, which are set out in the regulations for the programme. A course is a module of work for which a grade is given that appears on the student's transcript. 
Course Advisor A course advisor is a member of the academic staff who is appointed to advise students on the selection of courses and other matters relating to their course of study. 
Course of study A student's programme is the set of courses he or she is registered for in the current academic semester. It can also be referred to as a 'course of study'. 
Credit/cross-credit degree A credit towards a degree or diploma is a decision by the University that a student has completed study that is the equivalent of the work required for a particular subject. A credit is awarded to a student on the basis of previous study towards another qualification.
Credits The number of credits allocated to a course is a measure of the size of the course, e.g. 120 credits equals one full-time year.
Curriculum Vitae (CV) The resumé to be provided by applicants when applying for admission to postgraduate study. This is compulsory for Master's and PhDs and for those who have a substantial gap between their last tertiary studies and/or are relying on their employment or project experience for entry. The curriculum vitae (CV) should be brief and must include tertiary education and any employment or project experience.
Degree A programme of tertiary study taught primarily by academic staff who are active in research in their field. There are undergraduate degrees and postgraduate degrees.
Diploma  A sub-degree qualification. There are two sorts. An undergraduate diploma is a course requiring at least one or two years of full-time study. A postgraduate diploma normally requires a degree for admission and usually requires one year's full-time study for completion.
Diplomate A person who has completed the University's requirements for a diploma and has been awarded the diploma.
Dissertation An extended research essay.
Double degree A student who takes one Bachelor's degree followed by, or concurrently with, another is said to be taking a double degree. This is similar to a conjoint degree and does not require a special application but allows fewer courses to be cross-credited and is self-managing.
Elective A course that is not part of the core of a programme but which is available to students enrolled in that programme.
Enrolment The process where students notify the University of their Intention to study by providing detailed information and enrolling in (selecting) courses or classes.
Examiner A member of the academic staff responsible for the organisation of a course. Usually, the examiner does much of the lecturing in the course. Although other members of the staff may give lectures in the course, the examiner is the person who is responsible to the Dean (head of the faculty) for the conduct of the course.
Exclusion A decision by a university to exclude a student from continuing studies at that university, usually on the grounds of unsatisfactory academic performance.
Exemption A decision that a particular student will not be required to complete a core course or will not be required to pass a certain course for prerequisite purposes. An exemption decision is made on the grounds of the student's previous study
Faculty A group of staff members who conduct, or assist in the conduct of, teaching and research in a particular field. Faculties also group departments and research centres together. The head of the faculty is the Dean.
Field trip/tour Certain courses include field trips or tours. These may be visits to a business, a farm, a factory or some other place where you may see applications of the work you are studying. A trip is one day or less, while a tour lasts several days.
Fixed course A compulsory course in a degree.
Full-time Each course has a defined number of credits that make up a full-time course of study. This is very important for student allowances or loans purposes and for international students.
Grade Awarded after the examination in a course and measures the student's performance in the course. The highest is A+ and the lowest is E.
Graduate A person who has satisfied the requirements for a degree and has received that degree.
Honours Some degrees may be awarded with Honours. In some cases, Honours involves one extra year of study. In other cases, it involves an enriched course of study or recognises the standard of the student's work. There are different classes of Honours, with first class Honours denoting the highest award.
International student If you do not have the documents to prove you are a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident then you are referred to as an international student. All international students require a current and valid passport. The name in your passport must match the name recorded on the documents you supply to support your application to study. Before you can complete your enrolment and registration, you will need to have supplied the University with a copy of your current and valid student visa.
Laboratory Many courses have laboratory requirements. These are usually practical sessions related to lecture material.
Lecture The main method of teaching at University. These are classes held at prescribed times for each course. The University timetable outlines when each lecture is held for each course.
Level Courses are taught at different levels that reflect the difficulty and the degree of advancement of the course. For example, 100-level courses are generally taken in the first year of a Bachelor's degree. 600-level courses are usually taken at Master's degree level.
Limitation of entry A limit placed on the number of students that can be registered for a particular course.
Limited full-time In special circumstances, for StudyLink (New Zealand student loans) purposes, students may enrol more than half-time and be given the benefits of full-time status. This is called limited full-time.
LUCAS The Lincoln University Campus Administration System. This system enables students to enrol in classes, register for the semester or year, view exam results, apply for new programmes or a prerequisite dispensation, update contact details, view the cost of study, make payments and view weekly schedules. All current students are given a login to LUCAS.
Major

An area of study in which you specialise by taking a group of subjects including advanced level subjects.

Master's degree An advanced course taken by a graduate. The Master's degree usually builds on the area of specialisation and commonly involves research and a thesis (a report on a substantial research project).
Names (on official documents) Must match up with all enrolment documents. The name on the proof of identity document provided should match the name on the documents proving academic achievement/s and on any other supporting documents. The name on the identity document should also match the name supplied to the University. If the names on the enrolment documents don't match, Lincoln University will require acceptable evidence of proof that explains why they are different. Please note that Lincoln University does not accept faxed or scanned identity documents.
New Zealand citizenship

To prove New Zealand citizenship, you need to provide verified copies of one of the following:

  • Your birth certificate if you were born in New Zealand
  • A New Zealand passport
  • A Certificate of New Zealand Citizenship.
New Zealand permanent residence  

Evidence of permanent residency status in New Zealand is required. We will accept verified copies of one of the following:

  • A passport with a Residence Permit or Returning Resident's Visa
  • A letter from the New Zealand Immigration Service of the Labour Department together with your passport (if your permit has not yet been issued)
  • An Australian passport.

Permanent residents must ensure that all pages of their passport relating to their name, date of birth and country of citizenship are copied, as well as their Residence Visa or Permit, and each photocopied page is verified.

 Orientation A programme of events at the start of the semester to introduce new students to university life. The first week of lectures is often known as O Week (Orientation Week).
Partial waiver of assessment A student who fails a course or receives a restricted pass in that course and who wishes to repeat it may apply to be exempt from some or all of that course's tests, assignments and field trips. This is called a partial waiver of assessment. A partial waiver will never cover the final examination. 
Part-time When only a portion of the credits required for full-time study are taken, the student is said to be part-time. Part-time study may not qualify a student for StudyLink student allowances or some of the student loan provisions. Also, most scholarships require a student to be in full-time study and part-time study may lead to the scholarship being withdrawn. 
PhD (Doctorate) A higher degree following an Honours or Master's programme. A PhD involves research and a thesis. The minimum time required for a PhD is two years of full-time study.
Postgraduate Further study usually undertaken by students who have completed an appropriate Bachelor's degree. 
Practical work Some programme regulations require a specified period of related practical work to be completed before the student may graduate or be awarded their certificate or diploma. This is work undertaken in a workplace with criteria that must be met in order to achieve the qualification. 
Prerequisite (Pre-req) In some cases, students may not enrol in an advanced course unless they have satisfactorily completed a lower level course in the same field. In this case, the required lower level course is called a prerequisite. A course is only listed as a prerequisite for an advanced course if the University considers that students could not reasonably be expected to handle the advanced course without having the prerequisite.
Prescribed course Some degrees and diplomas require students to enrol in a particular set of courses in a year and allow no electives. In this case, the students are said to be following a prescribed course.
Prescription A brief description of the course content. 
Programme Each programme consists of a number of courses which are set out in the regulations for the programme/qualification. 
Qualifications and academic records (postgraduates)

When applying for postgraduate study, a student is required to provide their qualifications and academic records. This should include:

  • Courses taken and marks/grades achieved
  • Key to the grading system used
  • Confirmation that the student has completed the course requirements or graduation certificates if applicable (unless the qualifying degree is from Lincoln University).
Recommended preparation (prep) When one course is thought by the University to be important, but not absolutely essential, as preparation for an advanced course, the course will be listed as recommended preparation for the advanced course. Students are advised to have taken the recommended preparation before enrolling in the advanced course. They are not, however, required to have taken the recommended preparation.
Reconsideration Students can apply to have their examination script remarked if they believe an error has been made. Applications for reconsideration must be made by the published key date.
Recount Students can apply to have the marks for a course recounted if they believe an error has been made. Application must be made within 28 days of the publication of results.
Registration The process of confirming a student's enrolment. This can only occur when the student has completed all enrolment requirements and paid the applicable fees.
Regulations The regulations of the University and the course regulations for degrees, diplomas and certificates are the rules by which staff and students operate. The regulations are listed in the Lincoln University Calendar.
Restriction (restrict) Students may not receive credit for two courses that have a substantial amount of material in common. If there are two courses in the same schedule that have a substantial amount of common material, then there will be a restriction between them. In that case, you may not credit both to the degree or diploma. 
Returning student A student who has previously studied at Lincoln University, e.g. a student entering second year who studied as a first year student in the previous year.
Schedule The list of courses available to students enrolled in a qualification. The schedule usually includes the course codes, course names, prerequisites, recommended preparation and restrictions.
Semester The academic year is divided into two halves called semesters. The word 'semester' derives from the Latin words 'for six and month'.
Statement of Research interest

Whilst it is not mandatory for those applying for a postgraduate certificate or diploma, applicants are encouraged to submit a statement of research interests, since at times additional information may aid the application for admission. The statement of research interest is used by the University for two main purposes:

  • To assess the applicant's relative preparedness for postgraduate study
  • To assist with matching the applicant with appropriate supervisors.

Note: The statement need only be two to three pages but it must be written in the applicant's own words. If a draft research proposal has already been prepared, this may be submitted as the statement.

If applying for Honours, a Master's by coursework and thesis, or a Master's which includes a dissertation, the applicant should use the following guidelines:

  • Write about a couple areas of study that they have particularly enjoyed and would like to pursue further at postgraduate level
  • Describe one or two projects they have undertaken as part of their previous degree work or employment that are relevant to these areas.

If applying for PhD or Master's by thesis only, the applicant should use the following guidelines:

  • Include at least a page on the background to the problem, issue or area that they propose to research. This should set the research into its context and include a few citations to key literature
  • State the overall research aims or research hypotheses to be tested, i.e. what the research will attempt to accomplish
  • Describe a proposed approach for the research, i.e. the steps that they could follow to fulfil the research aim or test the research hypothesis
  • Include full references for any literature referred to in their statement
  • Remember that submission of a statement does not commit the applicant or the University to undertake the proposed research. The eventual research project will emerge as the result of negotiation between the applicant and the research advisors
  • The statement is not the same as the formal research proposal that will be produced for the thesis (although the statement may be helpful in developing the full proposal)
  • Applicants are strongly urged to discuss their research interests with an advisor before submitting an application. The advisor will be in a position to provide feedback on a draft of their statement.
Student Administration Located on the ground floor of the George Forbes Memorial Building. Student Administration staff will be able to put you in touch with the most appropriate person to deal with any queries regarding enrolment, course of study, fees, scholarships, visas or any other administrative matters.
Student exchange Located on the ground floor of the George Forbes Memorial Building. Student Administration staff will be able to put you in touch with the most appropriate person to deal with any queries regarding enrolment, course of study, fees, scholarships, visas or any other administrative matters.
Study abroad International students may enrol at Lincoln University for one or two semesters either via direct enrolment or through a third party provider or agent.
Subject The components or modules of a course. A subject is a module of work for which a grade is given that appears on the student's transcript. 
Timetable A daily programme of the time and place where subjects are taught. All students receive a copy of their course timetable at registration.
Transcript A transcript is a copy of a student's complete academic record at university. 
Transitional arrangements If changes are made to regulations or subject schedules, occasionally students who began under the old rules are unable to meet all of the new requirements. In such cases, the University will generally set up transitional arrangements, which may include transitional prerequisites. These arrangements will normally apply for a particular group of students and for a limited period.
Translated documents If your application documents are in another language please have them translated into English by an authorised translator. Only the original and translated documents should be submitted for assessment.
Tutorial A small group teaching session where academic issues and problems of a subject are discussed with a tutor.
Undergraduate An undergraduate is a university student studying for a Bachelor's degree or a certificate or diploma that did not require a previous degree for admission.
Unit Up to and including Semester 1, 2007, all Lincoln University courses were valued in terms of units, where eight units were equal to one year of full-time study (1 equivalent full-time student EFTS)). From Semester 2, 2007, courses have been valued in terms of credits, where 120 credits are equal to one year of full-time study (1 EFTS). Units (or credits) are the measure of the size of a course.
Unsatisfactory progress Students whose academic progress is unsatisfactory may be excluded from further enrolment or may have conditions or limits placed on their enrolment. The regulations that define what constitutes unsatisfactory progress are set out in the Calendar.
Verified copies of documents A verified copy is a photocopy signed by someone in authority, who has seen the original document and checked that the photocopy is a genuine, unaltered copy of that original. The verifier must be an authorised person such as a Justice of the Peace, Solicitor, Registrar or Deputy Registrar of the Court. Please ensure that the person who verifies your document(s) prints their full name, address and uses their official stamp if they have one. Solicitors, registrars and Justices of the Peace usually have official stamps. A list of Justices of the Peace in New Zealand can be found online.