College of Arts and Sciences
Academic Advising Terms
Academic advising comes with its own vocabulary. Use this glossary to understand common terms related to degree planning, registration, academic progress, and graduation.
Policies and procedures may change. Consult the Undergraduate Catalog or your academic advisor when making decisions about your individual academic plan.
A–C
Academic history
An unofficial record of your final grades, terms attended, and academic standing at UT. You can view your academic history in MyUTK under Academic Resources.
View transcripts and academic history information
Academic plan
A semester-by-semester outline of the courses and requirements you expect to complete before graduation. Your advisor can help you create and update your academic plan.
Download the College of Arts and Sciences Academic Plan
Academic probation
An academic standing assigned when a student does not meet the university’s minimum academic requirements. Students on academic probation are required to meet with an advisor and may need to complete additional academic-success steps.
Because academic-standing policies can change and may depend on a student’s circumstances, consult the Undergraduate Catalog and your advisor for guidance.
Review grades and GPA information
Academic year
The annual academic cycle consisting of fall, spring, and summer terms.
Add/drop
The process of adding a course to or removing a course from your schedule. Most schedule changes can be made through MyUTK before the applicable deadline.
Dropping a course may affect your academic progress, tuition, scholarships, or financial aid. Consult your advisor and review the current deadlines before changing your schedule.
Review add/drop instructions and deadlines
Add slip
A Change of Registration form used to request a course addition that cannot be completed through MyUTK. Depending on the situation, approval from the instructor, department head, college, or another university office may be required.
Learn about adding a class after the deadline
Catalog
The official source for UT academic programs, courses, degree requirements, and university policies. Students are responsible for understanding the requirements and policies that apply to their degree programs.
View the Undergraduate Catalog
Catalog year
The edition of the Undergraduate Catalog that establishes the academic requirements used to evaluate your degree progress. Your applicable catalog year generally corresponds with when you entered UT, although individual circumstances may differ.
Your advisor can help you identify your catalog year and understand which requirements apply to you.
Closed course
A course that has reached its enrollment capacity. Depending on the course, you may be able to join a waitlist, select another section, monitor MyUTK for an opening, or contact your advisor or the department about available options.
Co-requisite
A course or other requirement that must be completed at the same time as another course.
Concentration
A defined area of focus within a major. Concentrations may have their own required courses and progression standards.
Course load
The number of credit hours in which you are enrolled during a term. Undergraduate students enrolled in at least 12 credit hours during fall or spring are generally considered full-time.
The right course load depends on your academic preparation, program requirements, employment, and other responsibilities. Consult your advisor before taking an unusually heavy or light course load.
Course Program of Study (CPOS)
The process UT uses to determine whether your registered courses apply toward your degree requirements for financial-aid purposes. Enrolling in courses that do not apply to your program of study may affect your financial aid.
Review DARS and consult your advisor when selecting courses.
Learn more about class registration and CPOS
Credit hour
A unit used to measure the academic work associated with a course. Credit hours contribute to enrollment status and the total number of hours required for graduation.
CRN
A course reference number that identifies a specific course section during registration.
D–G
DARS
The Degree Audit Reporting System, or DARS, shows how your completed, transferred, and in-progress coursework applies toward your degree requirements.
Use DARS as a planning tool and review it regularly with your advisor. DARS does not replace advising or the official requirements in the Undergraduate Catalog.
To access DARS, log in to MyUTK and select DARS and uTrack from the My Resources menu.
Review DARS and registration instructions
Degree requirements
The courses, credit hours, GPA standards, and other requirements you must complete to earn a degree. Requirements may exist at the university, college, major, concentration, and minor levels.
Review your catalog year, DARS report, and academic plan with your advisor.
Review College of Arts and Sciences degree requirements
Drop
Removing a course from your schedule. The academic and financial consequences depend on when the course is dropped.
A course dropped after the applicable deadline may appear on your academic record with a W. Dropping a course can also affect financial aid, scholarships, enrollment status, degree progress, or other requirements.
Review current add/drop information
Elective
A course that counts toward the total credit hours required for graduation but does not necessarily fulfill a specific major, minor, college, or Vol Core requirement.
Some programs have limited space for elective credit, so confirm with your advisor that a course fits your academic plan.
Full-time enrollment
For undergraduate students, enrollment in at least 12 credit hours during a fall or spring semester. Requirements for financial aid, scholarships, athletics, international students, and other programs may differ.
GPA
Grade point average. Your GPA is calculated by dividing the quality points you have earned by the credit hours attempted in courses that count toward your GPA.
UT reports both a semester GPA and a cumulative GPA. You can view them in your academic history through MyUTK.
Review GPA information and access the GPA calculator
Grading scale
The system used to assign grades and quality points. UT’s undergraduate grading scale includes:
- A: 4.0
- A−: 3.7
- B+: 3.3
- B: 3.0
- B−: 2.7
- C+: 2.3
- C: 2.0
- C−: 1.7
- D+: 1.3
- D: 1.0
- D−: 0.7
- F: 0.0
Other grades and notations, including I, S, NC, NR, and W, may appear on an academic record but are treated differently in GPA calculations.
Review grades and GPA information
Graduation application
The application students submit through MyUTK when they are preparing to complete their degrees. Applying to graduate is separate from registering to participate in commencement.
Learn how to apply for graduation
I–M
Incomplete
A temporary grade of I that an instructor may assign when a student has completed most course requirements satisfactorily but cannot finish the remaining work because of extraordinary circumstances.
The instructor determines what must be completed. An incomplete that is not resolved within one calendar year—or before graduation—converts to an F. Students should work directly with the instructor and their advisor and should not register for the course again unless instructed to do so.
Major
A student’s primary field of study. A major consists of a defined set of courses and may include progression, GPA, concentration, or supporting-course requirements.
Explore College of Arts and Sciences majors
Milestone
A course, GPA, or other requirement that a student must complete by a designated point to remain on track in a major or exploratory area. Milestones are monitored through uTrack.
Minor
An optional secondary field of study requiring fewer credit hours than a major. A minor can complement your major, support a career goal, or allow you to explore another area of interest.
MyUTK
UT’s student portal for registration, schedules, academic history, DARS and uTrack, financial information, graduation applications, and other student services.
N–R
NetID
The username associated with your UT account and email address. Your NetID provides access to university systems including MyUTK, Online@UT/Canvas, email, and other services.
Learn about your NetID and UT account
Prerequisite
A course, placement level, test score, or other requirement that must be completed before you can enroll in a particular course or program.
Progression requirement
A course, GPA, milestone, or other standard that must be completed before you can officially enter or continue in certain majors or concentrations.
Progression requirements vary by program. Review your catalog year and speak with your advisor about requirements that apply to your intended major.
Quality points
The numerical points used to calculate GPA. Quality points for a course are determined by multiplying the value of the grade by the course’s credit hours.
For example, an A in a three-credit course earns 12 quality points: 4.0 × 3 credit hours.
Required advising
Certain students must meet with an academic advisor before registration. Current university guidance requires advising each fall and spring for:
- Students with fewer than 30 hours completed at UT
- Students following exploratory tracks
- Students identified as off track by uTrack
- Students on academic probation
Other students are generally required to meet with an advisor once each academic year during a designated semester. Program-specific requirements may also apply.
Schedule your appointment early because advising calendars fill quickly before registration.
Learn about undergraduate advising requirements
Registration
The process of enrolling in courses for an upcoming term. Your registration date and time become available in MyUTK after the timetable is published.
Before registering, review your DARS and uTrack reports, confirm that planned courses apply to your degree, and address any holds.
Review class registration instructions
Registration hold
A restriction that prevents or limits registration until a required action is completed. A hold may relate to advising, financial obligations, health requirements, academic standing, or another university requirement.
Check MyUTK for information about the hold and the office responsible for resolving it.
S–W
Section number
A number that distinguishes one offering of a course from another when multiple sections are available. Different sections may have different instructors, meeting times, locations, or delivery formats.
Sequence
Two or more related courses that must be completed in a specified order.
Student ID number
The unique identification number assigned to you by UT. Your student ID number is different from your NetID.
Timetable
The searchable schedule of courses offered for a specific term. The timetable includes course sections, meeting times, instructional formats, instructors, availability, and other registration information.
You can search upcoming courses through MyUTK after the timetable is published.
Review class registration instructions
Transcript
The official record of your UT coursework, grades, academic standing, and degrees awarded. Official transcripts can be ordered online through MyUTK or Parchment.
Learn how to order a transcript
Transfer credit
Academic credit earned at another institution and accepted by UT. Transfer courses may apply differently depending on your degree, major, catalog year, and program requirements.
Use the Transfer Equivalency Tables as a planning resource and consult your advisor before enrolling in courses at another institution.
Search the Transfer Equivalency Tables
University, college, and department
UT Knoxville is the university. Within the university, academic colleges oversee groups of related programs and disciplines. Departments and schools are academic units within colleges.
For example, the College of Arts and Sciences includes departments and schools representing the arts and humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences.
uTrack
UT’s academic monitoring system. uTrack compares your progress with milestones established for your major or exploratory area and helps identify when you may be falling behind the recommended path toward graduation.
Review your uTrack report with your advisor through MyUTK.
Vol Connect
UT’s online student-success platform. You can use Vol Connect to identify members of your Vol Success Team, connect with your academic advisor, and schedule available appointments.
Vol Core
UT Knoxville’s general education curriculum. Vol Core courses help students develop foundational knowledge and skills across areas such as written and oral communication, quantitative reasoning, natural sciences, arts and humanities, social sciences, global challenges, and engaged inquiry.
The Vol Core requirements that apply to you depend on your catalog year. Review your DARS report and academic plan with your advisor.
Waitlist
A registration option available for some closed courses. A waitlist allows eligible students to be enrolled if a seat becomes available.
Joining a waitlist does not guarantee enrollment. Monitor your UT email and registration status and consider backup course options with your advisor.
Withdrawal
Leaving all courses for a term. Withdrawing from the university is different from dropping an individual course and may have significant academic and financial consequences.
Speak with your advisor and One Stop before withdrawing.
Writing emphasis course
A College of Arts and Sciences course designation indicating that writing is an important part of learning and assessment in the course. Writing-emphasis courses may have specific assignment and word-count expectations.
Consult the Undergraduate Catalog and your advisor to determine whether a writing-emphasis course is required for your program.
Written Communication course (WC)
A course approved to satisfy a Volunteer Core Written Communication requirement. WC courses use writing as an important part of learning and include multiple opportunities to practice and develop written communication.
Review your DARS report and catalog-year requirements to determine which WC courses you need.
Last reviewed: August 2026