Frequently Asked Questions

The set of courses and other formally established learning experiences and total academic credit requirements a student must complete in order to earn a specific degree/diploma from the University, i.e. a BSc degree program in Public Health.

A student’s principal field of study, at the baccalaureate level. Students must complete a minimum of 30 semester credits that are specified for the major and distinctive to that subject area. A student receiving a degree with a major will be issued a degree certificate that includes the name of the major.

A grouping of courses which represent a sub-specialization taken within the major field of study. A concentration is specified on the student's academic record (transcript) but not on the degree certificate. A concentration requires 15 credits of study, or equivalent, in the specialized field. In graduate programs this includes the thesis and at least 9 credits of other courses.

A separate field of study outside the major, in which a student has a secondary area of specialization, requiring less course work than the major. Minors require minimum 12 semester credits in subject area courses.

A course consists of a number of instructional activities over a prescribed period of time. It deals with a single subject and is commonly described by title, number, credits, and expected learning outcomes.

Program or course that a student is required to complete before being permitted to enroll in a more advanced program or course.

Mandatory courses that a student must study to meet the requirements of a degree program.

Course that student may choose to take for credit toward their intended degree, as distinguished from a course that they are required to take. Electives may be Open Electives—selected by the student from any course offering, or Major Electives—chosen from a pre-determined list of major course options.

The academic credit hour system provides a means to measure the amount of engaged learning time expected of a typical student. A credit, or credit hour, is a unit of measurement defining the student’s overall effort towards attaining a qualification. At ADU, 1 semester credit hour equals 15 hours of direct in-class instruction/lecture. For laboratory-based courses, the allocation of credit differs; 1 semester credit normally is given for 2-3 hours of laboratory or studio time.

An organized and supervised career-related professional experience in which a student has a program-related assignment involving attachment to a recognized business, agency or organization. Academic credits are awarded for the learning acquired through the guided work experience, depending upon performance evaluations. Internships are administered using well-planned syllabi and work plans during the period of training, which are supervised by site supervisors and by college faculty supervisors.

The processes used in gathering evidence of student learning in order to evaluate achievement of learning outcomes, guide instructional decisions and aid student learning.

A system of recording achievement based on numerical average of the grades attained in each course in a given semester or term.

The overall average of all course grades attained during the student’s enrollment at Abu Dhabi University.

A certified copy of a student’s educational record detailing, for a given qualification/award, formally recognized groups of learning outcomes achieved against the standards/requirements set by ADU.

A qualification awarded to students upon successful completion of a course of study in higher education, usually at a college or university.