Definitions of Terms

Academic Calendar: A listing of important events, dates, and deadlines at the University.

Academic Standing: At MSU Denver Academic Standing is defined by your cumulative, also known as overall, Grade Point Average (GPA) at the institution. Academic Standing is calculated at the end of each academic term. Types of Academic Standing at MSU Denver:

• Academic Probation: A student is placed on Academic Probation when their cumulative or overall GPA below 2.0 for two consecutive semesters OR they are a re-admitted student with a previous MSU Denver cumulative or overall GPA below 2.0.
• Academic Suspension: When a student on Academic Probation does not meet the guidelines set by their Academic Probation contract they are placed on Academic Suspension.
• Good Academic Standing: When a student has a cumulative or overall GPA of 2.0 or above
• Academic Warning: A student is placed on Academic Warning after one semester with a cumulative or overall GPA below 2.0

Academic Warning, Probation, and Suspension are not intended to be “punishment”. Being placed in one of these standings does not mean we do not think you will be successful at MSU Denver. They are intended to give students and advisors the chance to design plans for success, support, and referrals to resources.

*Please note that Academic Warning, Probation, and Suspension are different than Financial Aid warning, probation, suspension.

Advisor: As an MSU Denver student, you have access to people who can help you navigate your degree and path to graduation.  Professional academic advisors and faculty advisors, as well as staff in other offices that can help you navigate college. Whether you’re needing help with general academic advising, deciding on a major, sorting out transfer credit, looking for referrals, choosing classes for next semester, or exploring careers, we’ve got you covered.

• Professional Academic Advisors are staff whose main responsibility is to advise students. You may also hear them referred to as Staff Advisors, Major Advisors, or just Advisors.
• Faculty Advisors are the people who teach your classes. They may also advise.

It is common for students to have more than one advisor during their time at MSU Denver.

Students generally work with their professional academic advisor/s first and then transition to working with faculty advisors in their department. Keep in mind, this varies by department, so double check before you schedule. Regardless of which advisor you see, try to meet with them early and often. Check in with someone at least once a semester.

Bachelor’s Degree: A degree given by an undergraduate institution once you complete your required courses. In Colorado you must complete a minimum of 120 credit hours to earn a Bachelor’s Degree. Students in a Bachelor’s degree are called Undergraduate students.

See B.A., B.F.A., B.M., B.M.E., B.S.

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.): BA degrees cover a wide range of topics, typically highlighting critical thinking and communication. BA degrees provide a broad, holistic look at the foundation of human knowledge through the arts, humanities, and sciences.

Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.): BFA degrees are specialized degrees for students studying fine, performing, or visual arts. BFA degrees provide professional, formal education in the creative arts with a higher concentration of classes in creative disciplines than a BA. At MSU Denver BFA degrees are offered by the Department of Art and the Department of Theatre and Dance. Auditions and/or portfolio reviews are required for acceptance into our BFA programs.

Bachelor of Music (B.M.): BM degrees are intense Music degrees preparing students for professional careers in Music. They typically have a higher concentration of Music classes than BA Degrees.

Bachelor of Music Education (B.M.E.): BME degrees prepare students for careers as K-12 vocal or instrumental music teachers. They also include coursework designed to prepare students to seek state licensure.  

Bachelor of Science (B.S.): BS degrees typically specialize in specific areas of study and may not be as broad as BA programs. They focus more on math, sciences, technology, and logic.

Bursar’s Office: The office responsible for educating students about their financial responsibility in academic and in life. They provide and explain billing statements, provide information about tuition payment deadlines, provide invoices and payments for students sponsored students including veteran and military students, education students about financial rights and responsibilities, payment plans and responsibilities, manage balance due payments, and much more.

Course Catalog: sometimes referred to as “catalog”.  The undergraduate and graduate catalogs contain comprehensive information about MSU Denver, the degrees and programs we offer, and requirements students must satisfy before receiving a degree. See catalog year.

Catalog Year: A catalog year is different than a calendar year. Your catalog year determines your graduation requirements and is usually written as (year of your first Fall semester) – (year of your first Spring semester). For example, you may see it written as 2022-2023. Sometimes it’s abbreviated to just the year of your first Fall semester. Your catalog year is listed on your Degree Progress Report. There may be times when you change your catalog year, otherwise it stays the same until you graduate. It is important that you know your catalog year.

Class Standing: Class standing is based on the total number of completed credit hours, including approved transfer credit: 0-29 = Freshman; 30-59 = Sophomore; 60-89 = Junior; and 90 or more = Senior. Your registration permit time (when you can begin registering for the next semester) is determined by your class standing.

College Opportunity Fund (COF): COF provides eligible undergraduate students with a stipend that pays for a portion of in-state tuition.  If you are a resident of Colorado you must apply for and authorize COF or you will pay more of your tuition bill. Apply for your stipend on the College Opportunity Fund website.

College: The larger University is divided into several smaller Colleges. These Colleges contain groups of programs, departments, and services. For example, the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, sometimes called CLAS, is home to programs in the Fine and Performing Arts, Humanities and Social Science, and Sciences. You’ll find many other kinds of resources and opportunities in your College! You may frequently be asked “Which college are you in?”

Corequisite: Courses that must be taken together. For example, you may need to take a math or science course along with a lab.

Course Number: Every course is assigned a course number and prefix. The prefix is an abbreviation for the academic department that teaches the course. The course number identifies a specific topic. If one course is available at several different times each section will have its own section number. For example:

ENG1010 – 01

ENG is the course prefix. 1010 is the course number and -01 is the section.

• 1000-level courses are freshmen level
• 2000-level courses are sophomore level
• 30000-level courses are junior level
• 4000-level courses are senior level
• Above are graduate level

Note: 1000-2000 level course are considered lower division; 3000-4000 level courses are considered upper division

Course Reference Number (CRN): 5-digit number identifying courses. Each section of a course is assigned a CRN. You can find the CRN on your class schedule. Some University forms ask for CRN numbers.

Credit Hour: A unit of measure assigned to each course. In the state of Colorado students need a minimum of 120 credit hours to graduate. Some programs may require more. Credit hours are not the same as hours on a clock.

Cross-listed: Some MSU Denver academic departments offer the same courses under each department’s respective prefix. Credit is given for one prefix only. For example, the same course may be listed in the schedule with prefixes for both Art History and History!

Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA): See Grade Point Average

Degree Progress Report (DPR): The DPR is an advising tool used by students together with an advisor. It helps students keep track of degree requirements and their progress in completing them.  DPR’s can be accessed through the Student Hub. DPR’s aren’t considered official MSU Denver transcripts or records of completed coursework. They are advisory guides and may not reflect complete information until the final graduation check.

Courses in progress are included on the DPR. Keep in mind that changing your schedule, catalog year, repeating a course, completing a course with less than minimum required grade, changing, major, minor, concentration, or any other changes to the academic record may impact the information on the Degree Progress Report.

Drop: To remove yourself from a class by the drop deadline. This deadline is usually early in the semester. Deadlines for dropping courses are listed on the student detail copy of your schedule and in the academic calendar. Students are responsible for dropping courses from their schedules. Dropping and Withdrawing are not the same thing. Please consult an advisor and/or financial aid if you are considering dropping a course.

Faculty: Faculty teach your classes. Some also advise. They are experts in their fields, as well as great mentors and resources. Get to know them!

Faculty Advisor: See also Advisor and Faculty

Fee: See Student Fee

Full-Time Status (Part-Time Status): For undergraduate students full-time status is 12 or more credit hours in a semester. Half-time is six to eight credit hours. Less-than half-time is five hours or less.

For graduate students: full-time status is 6 or more semester hours and half-time is at least three semester hours.

General Studies: These classes allow students to explore a broad range of topics designed to create the foundation for more focused, deep study; complementing what they are learning in their major or minor. All MSU Denver students will complete a minimum of 33 credit hours of general studies in the following areas; Written Communication, Oral Communication, Quantitative Literacy, Arts and Humanities, Historical, Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Natural Sciences. One course must be designated as Global Diversity.

Grade Point Average (GPA): GPA is an average of total quality points divided by the number of semester credit hours a student has attempted

GPA is used to determine things such as academic standing, financial aid or scholarship eligibility, and entry into some degree programs. There are two types of GPA you may hear about:

• Semester or Term GPA: GPA for one semester or term only
• Cumulative or Overall GPA: GPA that takes into consideration all attempted courses at an institution

Graduate Student: See Master’s Degree

Holds: Holds prevent students from adding and/or dropping classes. In most cases, holds can be cleared only by the office that placed them. Academic Advisors can help direct you to offices that can clear your holds. Information is also available on the Registrar’s Office website.

Lower Division: See Course Number

Major: Your primary area of study.

Master’s Degree: A degree granted after additional study following a Bachelor’s degree. It may also be referred to as a graduate degree. Students in a Master’s program are referred to as Graduate Students.

Minor: A secondary area of study requiring fewer credit hours than a major.  Not all majors require a minor but minors must always be combined with a major.

MSU Denver ID Number: A unique nine-digit number assigned to students and used as a means of identification. It is something you will be asked for frequently. Please keep it “safe” as it is used to help offices, staff, and faculty identify you and is linked to your academic record. You may also hear it referred to as a 900 or 901 number.

Override: Permission from a department to take a course you may not be eligible to register for on your own. This permission may not always be granted.

Part of Term: Semesters are divided into multiple beginning and end dates. For example, some parts of term last the whole semester while others begin or end partway through the semester. You can see the start/end dates of your courses on the student detail copy of your schedule.

Part-Time Status (Full-Time Status): For undergraduate students full-time status is 12 or more credit hours in a semester. Half-time is six to eight credit hours. Less-than half-time is five hours or less.

For graduate students: full-time status is 6 or more semester hours and half-time is at least three semester hours.

Prefix: Every course is assigned a course number and prefix. The prefix is an abbreviation for the academic department that teaches the course. The course number identifies a specific topic. If one course is available at several different times each section will have its own section number. For example:

ENG1010 – 01

ENG is the course prefix. 1010 is the course number and -01 is the section.

• 1000-level courses are freshmen level
• 2000-level courses are sophomore level
• 30000-level courses are junior level
• 4000-level courses are senior level
• Above are graduate level

Note: 1000-2000 level course are considered lower division; 3000-4000 level courses are considered upper division

Prerequisite: Courses or test scores students need complete before registering for a desired course. For example, you may need certain ACT/SAT or placement scores before being able to register for your first Written Communication course.

Professional Academic Advisor: See Advisor

Quantitative Literacy: Math

Section: Every course is assigned a course number and prefix. The prefix is an abbreviation for the academic department that teaches the course. The course number identifies a specific topic. If one course is available at several different times each section will have its own section number. For example:

ENG1010 – 01

ENG is the course prefix. 1010 is the course number and -01 is the section.

• 1000-level courses are freshmen level
• 2000-level courses are sophomore level
• 30000-level courses are junior level
• 4000-level courses are senior level
• Above are graduate level

Note: 1000-2000 level course are considered lower division; 3000-4000 level courses are considered upper division

Student Hub: The MSU Denver Student Hub portal is where you can access many of your record, view your admissions status and  financial aid status, and find your degree progress report.  You can also update your personal information, register for classes, schedule appointments, pay your bill, and authorize your COF (if eligible).

Save this page! You will visit it often.

Student Fee: Amount charged in addition to tuition for courses requiring specific materials or technology and also for services provided to students.

Tuition: The price charged for instruction and teaching at a College or University. Financial or institutional aid, such as scholarships and grants, may reduce the amount of tuition students pay for their education. Tuition may vary based on the number of credit hours you are registered for, if you are a full-time or part-time student, and if you are a Colorado resident or resident of another state or country.

Tuition and Fee Appeal: to request a refund of tuition and fees. Contact an advisor or the Bursar’s office for more information about filing an appeal.

Undergraduate Student: See Bachelor’s Degree

University: An institution of higher learning offering Bachelor’s (undergraduate) and Master’s (graduate)  degrees. Universities are generally organized into smaller Colleges and Schools based around common themes of study and instruction.  At MSU Denver, we have the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, the College of Business, the College of Health and Applied Sciences, the School of Education, and the School of Hospitality.

Upper Division: See Course Number

Wait List: The waitlist is an automated function available from the start of registration through the first week of class.  If a class is full you may have the option to add yourself to the wait list. If a seat becomes available the first person on the waitlist will be sent an email authorizing them to register for the open seat within 24 hours. Waitlist closes at the end of the first week of classes.

For more information on the waitlist process, visit the Office of the Registrar’s Student page.

Withdraw: to remove yourself from a course by the withdrawal deadline. This deadline is on the student detail copy of your schedule and in the academic calendar.  Withdrawing from a class is different than dropping and happens later in the semester. A grade of “W” will be recorded. Please consult an advisor and/or financial aid if you are considering withdrawing from a course.