Academic Definitions

Academic year: 

Two main semesters and a summer semester if required

The Semester: 

It is a period of time not less than fifteen weeks, during which courses are taught. The period for registration and final examinations are not included within this period.

The Summer Semester:

It is a period of time not more than eight weeks. The period for registration and final examinations are not included within this period.

Academic Level:

It refers to the stage in which a student studies according the approved study plans.

Study plan:

It is a set of compulsory, optional, and free courses, its credits composed the graduation requirements that the student must successfully pass to get a degree in a specific specialization.

Course:

An educational material related to a specific level within the approved study plan for each program. Each course has a number, code, name, and specification that distinguish it from other courses. Each course has also a special file that a department keeps for the purposes of follow up, evaluation and development. Some courses may have prerequisite or co-requisite. 

Course Unit:

It refers to the weekly theoretical lecture whose duration is not less than 50 minutes; clinical lesson duration is not less than 50 minutes, or a practical or field lesson duration is not less than one hundred minutes.

Academic Probation:

It is a notification to a student whose GPA is lower than the minimum limit required, as stated in the regulation.

Marks of Mid-Term Exams:

A score given to a student showing his/her achievement on the continuous assessment from tests, research, and other academic activities related to the course.

Final Examination: 

A final examination conducted at the end of a semester.

Final Examination Score:

 The score that a student gets in each course in the final exams of the semester

The Final Score:

It is the sum total of midterm scores and final exam score for each course. The score is computed out of hundred.

The Grade:

Description of the percentage or an alphabetical code for the final score a student gets in each course.     

Incomplete Grade:

A grade of Incomplete (noted "IC" on the transcript) may be assigned when a student has completed and passed a majority of the work required for a course but, for reasons beyond the student's control, cannot complete the entire course.

In-Progress Grade:

For courses that, by their content and requirements, normally require more time than the term or session for which a student has enrolled. A grade of "IP" is most often used for graduate courses.

Semester Grade Point Average:

Sum total of the points a student got divided by the total credit hours for all the courses studied in each semester. Points are computed by multiplying the credit hours of a course by the grades a student got for each course.

Cumulative Grade Point Average:

Sum total of the points a student got in all the courses he/she studied since enrollment in the university, divided by the total credit hours for all those courses.

General Grade:

Description of the level of a student's academic achievement during the period of his study in the university

Academic Load:

The sum of credit hours a student should register for, compatible with his Grade Point Average, as stipulated by the regulations of the university.