degree course work meaning

Definition of 'degree course'

Degree course in british english.

Examples of 'degree course' in a sentence degree course

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• degree ceremony
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Degrees Explained: What do all the terms mean?

Like virtually every other sector, the higher education world has its own unique set of terminologies. For those just navigating university life, the lingo can get a little confusing.

But fret not, we’ve got you covered. From the basic to the not-so-basic words and phrases you’ll encounter, here’s what it all means.

Undergraduate/undergrad

An undergraduate degree is the first level of degree study at university which could be a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BSc) depending on your degree type. This will be listed on your university’s website.

You are also called an undergraduate (or undergrad) student if you are studying for your first degree at university. 

You are a graduate if you have already finished university and been officially awarded your degree. Most students attend a graduation ceremony where they go from graduands (those who have completed their studies but not yet graduated) to graduates during the ceremony.

Graduands commonly move the tassel on their cap from the right side to the left to signify when they become graduates. Source: GIPHY.

Postgraduate/postgrad

A postgraduate award is for students who already have an undergraduate degree. It is often referred to as “grad school” or a “postgrad course”.

Postgrad courses allow students to further knowledge gained in their undergrad course by more advanced studies. Usually, your postgrad studies will be related but different to your undergrad course, whether this is a different area of a similar subject you wish to explore or tailored to a specific job like teaching.

Similar to undergraduate, if you study a postgraduate course you will be referred to as a postgraduate or postgrad student.

See above. A Masters degree course is exactly the same as a postgraduate course. Some institutions will use the term “Masters” more commonly whereas others prefer “Postgraduate”.

PhD/Doctoral degree

Domestic student

You are a domestic student if you study in your home country.

International student

You are an international student if you study in a foreign country.

Did you move abroad for your studies? Congrats – you’re an international student! Source: Shutterstock

Mature student

The exact definition of a mature student varies from university to university but commonly you are considered a mature student if you begin your undergraduate course aged 21 or over. Not as “mature” as you may think in some cases!

Subject/course/programme/major

A subject is a particular area of study. In most countries, you must decide what area you would like to study in before you attend university. This could be a very specific subject like Forensics or more broad like Literature.

Your subject could also be referred to as your course or programme. In the United States, you do not choose your course before you begin studying but select it as you go. This is called selecting your “major”.

A part of your course dedicated to a specific aspect of the subject. For example, if you studied History, you may have a module specifically on Ancient Greece. Typically students take between six and eight modules a year but this will vary depending on your course and university.

Credit points

No doubt you have heard this phrase and thought: “What on earth are credit points and how do I get them?”

Credit points? Nope, no idea. Source: GIPHY.

Every university must have a scoring system. At the majority of institutions, the course will have a point value of a multiple of 15 with commonly between 360 – 480 credits needed over the course of your degree to pass.

However, every university will have different requirements so make sure you check what your specific course needs. Each module will have a certain amount of credit points attached to it.

How do you get credit points? Enroll in enough modules, turn up, and do the work.

If you fail a module you will not gain the credit points and must pick up another module or retake it.

Admission/admission criteria

The admission criteria are what a university or course requires you to have before beginning your studies. This may be a certain level of study, certain grades, or other requirements. Always check your university website.

The faculty is the academic division in which research and teaching take place. For example, your university may have a department for English and another for Science – these are different faculties which can take care of many different courses in a similar area.

Contact hours

Your contact hours are the number of hours you are expected to be physically present at university and interacting with your professors and/or classmates.

Typically you will have the most contact hours in your first year, gradually decreasing in subsequent years as you are expected to become more independent. Source: Giphy

This time is commonly made up of the hours you spend in lectures, seminars, tutorials and practicals.

“What’s the difference”, you ask? Read on to find out.

Often held in large halls, lectures are usually made up of all students who take a particular module. The professor will stand at the front and teach while students listen and take notes. Sometimes, there will be interaction between lecturer and student but other times it will be just listening.

Seminars are similar to lectures but are often made up of much smaller cohorts of students. In a seminar, you are much more likely to be asked to interact with your peers and discuss certain texts or ideas. They typically take place in a smaller room, more similar to a classroom.

Not every course will have practicals but Science-based courses in particular will. In practicals, you will physically be doing something, whether that be operating on a dummy, pulling out a tooth, building a go-kart or sewing a garment.

Tutorials often comprise of one-to-one sessions with your personal tutor or the lecturer who takes the particular module your tutorial is for. You may be joined with one or two other students and it is a chance to gain constructive feedback on your work and to have any question you may have answered.

Personal tutor

Your personal tutor is the professor on your course who will be appointed to you at the beginning of your degree studies. He or she will be the first person you should go to with any problem, and is there to help and support you academically as well as in your personal life as you navigate being a student.

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What's the difference between a Masters by Coursework and a Masters by Research?

A  Master by Coursework  is a professional qualification involving the study of a specified set of core units and a selection of eligible elective units. Undertaking a coursework program will mean that you will attend classes, complete assignments and sit exams where applicable. Some Masters by Coursework also require the completion of a minor thesis as part of the course. Depending on the course, part-time and online study options are available. For more information, please see our Postgraduate study at ECU webpage. A Master by Research involves the submission of a completed thesis based on an independent research project. Students studying a Master by Research work independently with the support of a supervisor and the School. Students may be required to attend units to help expand their skills in the area of research. For more information, please see our Research Degree  webpage.

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Published: 9 Sept 2024

9 Sept 2024 Knowledge

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Coursework Meaning & Definition: A Complete Guide

• Last Update: May 23, 2024
• May 1, 2022
• Post Views: 3,219 views
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Transitioning from high school to university is a major leap for international students. Connecting with people, living on your own, and making your own agenda are just a few of the interesting & new tasks that await you. Academics might sometimes take a back seat owing to the exhilaration of starting a new life in college. However, the transition to your academics is sometimes the most difficult battle of all. Even the best students may be startled by the complexity of college courses. On that note, let’s take a look at coursework meaning, definition and what you’ll be asked to do for your assignments, projects, and exams at uni.

Coursework Meaning

What is coursework in university? Coursework is practical work or studies completed by a student in partial fulfilment of training or degree. Coursework includes projects, fieldwork, design studies, extensive college essays, and other activities. The type of work required varies on the course. It is mostly a part of the learning process and a step towards preparing students to handle the needed work/task successfully and efficiently. Here’s what your coursework could ideally include –

• Art & Craft
• Speaking Tests
• Practical Work
• Assignments 
• Experiments

What Are The Rules Of A Coursework?

Now that you’ve looked at the coursework meaning and what it includes, let’s go through some rules to keep in mind when doing your coursework. Before you begin working on your course, you must have a clear comprehension of the standards. Failure to follow the rules, whether unintentionally or on purpose, may result in your coursework (or even your whole degree) being disqualified.

• No plagiarism – This is particularly difficult these days, considering the easy availability of pertinent material on the internet. Ensure that everything is written in your own words; you will be required to sign a certification indicating that it is your own original work.
• Minimal Guidance – The professors and lecturers can guide you only to a certain extent. They can only give you the coursework meaning, theme, and hints on how to go about it. They can also advise you as to what to include and what the inspectors will be looking for. You may ask them questions, but they will typically only be able to go through your initial draft once and provide broad recommendations on how to improve it.
• Word Count – Check the word count and keep to it. Determine if footnotes, appendices, and bibliographies would be included in the word count.
• Topics – Check what topics you’re permitted to complete your coursework on; if there’s a test on this topic, you’ll most probably have to pick a different one for your coursework.

What Is The Purpose Of Coursework?

Before joining your uni, knowing coursework meaning alone is not enough, understanding its purpose is essential. Coursework is intended to demonstrate comprehension of what has been taught. How effectively you could grasp it and use it in various scenarios. Your final product reflects your own views and manner of thinking about a topic. Universities may require you to write (essays, papers, term papers, thesis, etc.) or build something (sculpture, art, and craft related items) or take a test.

All of these coursework activities earn you marks or grades, which are put together to determine your total grade for a certain course or purpose. Your originality, understanding, inventive aspect, talent, and so on are represented in your work. 

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Tips To Make Your Coursework Stand Apart

To perform your coursework well, you adhere to the basic rules stated in the earlier section. But to make your coursework stand out from the rest, we have a few tips we think could be of use to you –

Originality – Your topic/idea must be unique. The originality of a concept is highly valued and may be a deal-breaker. In most circumstances, this is not only a necessity but also a scoring component. There are a plethora of students and academics conducting the study, so having a unique concept puts you on the right track.

Solution-Oriented – If your coursework is solution-oriented, you must clearly define the primary problems and challenges that you intend to address in your work. A good solution cannot be delivered until the problem is properly understood.

Uniqueness – Individuality in terms of thought and labour. Preparing appropriate questionnaires and doing surveys contributes to the content’s originality and uniqueness. Your theme, as well as your content, should be distinctive. Avoid plagiarism; copying is a no-no. If you are detected plagiarising in any shape or extent, you will be dealt with severely and your contribution may be disqualified. Therefore, before submitting your work, check it for plagiarism. For that, you can use a  free plagiarism checker  famous for providing accurate and dependable plagiarism reports.

Your Opinion – This is the most important factor. Your inputs, suggestions, or remarks will demonstrate your expertise and application of the topic. Making sure that you have put your best foot forward shows how well you’ve understood and incorporated the coursework’s meaning and theme into your project. A well-structured and presented piece of work is something that a teacher or mentor looks for.

The Outcome – Working hard and putting in a lot of effort isn’t worth much until relevant results are demonstrated. Having a strong and useful data analysis and presentation using the finest data extraction service is critical.

Thank you for reading this blog on Coursework Meaning &Definition. If you’d like to read more, here are some blogs that may be of interest to you –

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1 thought on “Top PGDM Courses In Canada: Universities, Specialisations & Eligibility”

I have done Bachelor’s in Culinary Arts from India and completed my graduation in the year 2022 .I am 22 years old. After graduation, I have done 1 year paid internship from USA .Now, I would like to take occupational experience and learn culinary skills and also do masters in Culinary arts.How can I find the college n best course / country where I can persue studying further

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Meaning of coursework in English

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• academic year
• access course
• Advanced Placement
• asynchronous
• foundation course
• grade retention
• immersion course
• on a course
• the national curriculum
• work placement

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Translations of coursework.

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to move so close to someone or something that the person or thing cannot move away

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Definition of coursework

Examples of coursework in a sentence, word history.

1890, in the meaning defined above

Dictionary Entries Near coursework

Cite this entry.

“Coursework.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coursework. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

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