Academic advisors: These professional academic counselors work with each Iowa student to map out a graduation plan. Most first-year students work initially with someone in the Academic Advising Center and later with an advisor from the department offering their major. New transfer students are often assigned to an advisor within the department offering their area of study.

Certificate programs: These are similar to degree programs in that they reflect a certain level of education, but in a combination of academic areas. For instance, Iowa offers undergraduate certificates in aging studies; American Indian and native studies; American Sign Language and deaf studies; entrepreneurship; global health studies; international business; Latin American studies; medieval studies; museum studies; philosophies and ethics of politics, law, and economics; public health; sexuality studies; risk management and insurance; and nonprofit management.

Class standing: This is a reflection of the number of semester hours (s.h.) you have earned toward your degree. First-year students have completed 0-29 s.h.; sophomores have completed 30-59 s.h.; juniors have completed 60-89 s.h.; and seniors have completed 90 or more s.h.

Credit by Exam: Credit by Exam opportunities allow you to earn course credit by taking various exams.

Combined degrees: These are open to eligible students interested in pursuing two degrees simultaneously. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers combined degree programs with the Tippie College of Business, the UI Carver College of Medicine, and the Colleges of Engineering and Nursing.

Degree: This reflects achieving a certain level of education in a specific area of study, but should not be confused with a student's major, or area of study. For instance, there are about 100 undergraduate majors at The University of Iowa (such as sociology, journalism, or finance), but fewer undergraduate degrees, such as the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, or Bachelor of Fine Arts. There's also a Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Liberal Studies, Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Science in Engineering, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Iowa.

Degree Audit: This information helps you and your academic advisor monitor your progress toward graduation by comparing the course work you have completed with the course work required for your degree. The audit also is available online through Iowa Student Information Services (ISIS).

Electives: These are courses you choose to round out your degree program. These are opportunities to explore and study something completely different from your major, and some students use these courses to add a minor or certificate to their degree.

General Education Program: This describes a set of course work required as one component of earning a degree from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (and some College of Education programs) at Iowa (aside from electives and courses taken to satisfy the requirements of your major).

Interdisciplinary: A program of study involving two or more academic, scientific, or artistic disciplines.

Major: This describes your primary area of study.

Minor: This is an optional course of study you may choose to supplement your major.

Placement tests: Iowa uses Placement Tests to help your academic advisor determine which math, foreign language, or chemistry courses at Iowa are appropriate for your level of proficiency.

Professors: These instructors hold advanced degrees. In addition to their teaching responsibilities, most professors spend part of their time doing research. Get to know the professors in your area of interest by scheduling an appointment to visit during their office hours.

Semester hours (s.h.): A semester hour is a unit of measure. Each course is worth a certain number of semester hours of credit. This number usually corresponds roughly to the number of hours spent in class each week. Semester hours are used to determine your class standing.

Teaching assistants (TAs): These instructors are graduate students working toward an advanced degree. They work with professors to lead some undergraduate class discussions or labs.