 ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS |
| Knowledge and skills required for enrolment in an educational institution or practice in an occupation. Academic qualifications are usually obtained through formal study in a recognized educational institution and are documented. In the absence of documentation, academic qualifications may be established through prior learning assessment and recognition (PLAR)
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| ACADEMIC RECORD |
| A file containing academic information on each student at an institution. It may include such information as a student's program of study, transfer credits awarded, names of credit and non-credit courses completed, course grades and grade-point average, repeated courses, prior learning assessments, disciplinary actions, and appeals.
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| ACCEPTANCE |
| The willingness to allow credentials obtained outside a jurisdiction or institution to be used for entry into an educational program of study or occupation, but without the formal or official granting of an equivalency. In some occupations, acceptance takes the form of provisional licensing. The term acceptance is most often used in European Union countries.
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| ACCREDITATION |
| A process of quality assurance through which accredited status is granted to an educational institution or program of study by responsible authorities. It means that standards of education established by professional authorities have been met.
In Canada, individuals and educational institutions are not accredited. The term applies only to educational programs of study. The process usually includes self-assessment by the program under review and on-site visits by qualified, external reviewers from government and/or nongovernmental agencies. Degrees, diplomas, or certificates emanating from non accredited programs do not have the same status as those issued by accredited programs and may not be recognized at all. A program's accreditation status is normally subject to periodic review and may be withdrawn by relevant professional authorities.
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| ACCREDITING BODY |
| The authority that is acknowledged as having the responsibility of granting accreditation to formal education programs. Accrediting bodies can be (but are not necessarily) mandated by legislation or by regulatory bodies and can consist of government representatives, stakeholder representatives, external academic experts, and professional regulatory bodies.
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| ADMISSION |
| An educational institution's or occupational body's formal acceptance of a person to enter a program or occupation.
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| ADVANCED STANDING |
| The waiving of the requirement to complete a course or unit of coursework. Formal credit for the waived coursework is not normally given.
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| APPLIED DEGREE |
| An undergraduate degree offered by postsecondary institutions normally requiring four years of full-time study. Degrees are primarily in technology fields, emphasize technical applications, and frequently involve field work or practical training.
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| APPRENTICESHIP |
| A workplace-based training program involving in-school studies and supervised on-the-job training, during which the apprentice learns the knowledge, skills, tools, and materials of an occupation. Apprenticeship may be regulated by legislation or custom, according to an oral or written contract that imposes obligations on the apprentice, sponsor, and workplace. Occupations may require a term of apprenticeship as a condition of licensing.
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| APPROVAL |
| A process by which a governmental agency or other body establishes basic standards for the review of educational programs. Approval is distinguished from accreditation in that the approval process is generally not a voluntary process, and the standard-setting entity is usually governmental (whereas accreditation bodies may include non-governmental components). [Canadian Nurses Association]
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| ARTICLING |
| A one-year period of paid workplace training as part of a formal educational program in law.
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| ARTICULATION AGREEMENT |
| An agreement between two institutions that authorizes studies undertaken in specific programs at one institution to be credited toward direct entry into or advanced standing in specific programs at another institution.
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| ASSESSMENT |
| The identification and measurement of learning, credentials, and other forms of qualifications required for entry into programs of study or occupations. Assessment may include testing, examinations, or other prescribed activities.
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| ASSOCIATE DEGREE |
| An undergraduate degree offered by colleges and university colleges, normally requiring two years of full-time study.
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| BACHELOR'S DEGREE |
| An undergraduate degree offered by universities, normally requiring three or four years of full-time study.
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| BLOCK TRANSFER |
| The transfer and granting of credit for a group of completed courses from one institution to another without requiring course-by-course assessments.
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| BRIDGING PROGRAM |
| A program of study involving courses designed specifically to provide individuals with skills and knowledge required for entry into an occupation or a higher-level educational institution. It supplements learning outside a jurisdiction or at another institution and may consist of workplace training and occupation-specific skills acquisition, as well as language training.
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| BURSARY |
| A financial award made to students based on an assessment of financial need.
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| CALENDAR |
| A book of rules, regulations, policies, programs, and courses for a specific institution.
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| CERTIFICATE |
| A document attesting to the successful completion of an educational course or program that is normally less than four semesters in length. A certificate may also qualify holders for entry into an occupation (e.g., Certificates of Qualification in the skilled trades).
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| CERTIFICATION |
| Documented recognition by a governing body that a person has attained occupational proficiency.
Renewal: Certificate holders may be required to undergo periodic renewal procedures involving reassessment, retesting, and/or proof of continuing and upgraded education or training.
Revocation: Certification may be revoked if requirements are not met.
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| CHALLENGE EXAM |
| A method of assessment developed by subjectmatter experts and/or faculty to award credit for previously acquired learning. It measures learning through a variety of written and nonwritten evaluation methods including examinations and demonstrations.
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| CLINICAL TRAINING |
| A period of on-the-job, generally supervised, training included in a professional or vocational qualifying program of study. May be required in addition to academic qualifications for entry into a trade or profession.
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| COMPETENCY |
| A measurable skill or set of skills, level of knowledge, and behavioural practices obtained through formal, non-formal, or informal learning; ability to perform occupation-specific tasks and duties.
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| COMPETENCY ASSESSMENT |
| Measurement of skills, level of knowledge, and behaviours obtained through formal or non-formal education, work experience, or other means, with the purpose of establishing applicant's possession of requirements for a trade or profession or for a program of study, or to identify training needs. Competency assessment may be in the form of examinations or task-based performance testing.
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| COMPETENCY-BASED MODULE |
| Sets of short training sessions that teach discrete associated skills and knowledge that in combination constitute a training program. Used for training and evaluation purposes.
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| CONTINUING COMPETENCE |
| The ability over time to integrate and apply the knowledge, skills, judgment, and personal attributes required to practise an occupation safely and ethically. Occupational bodies may require members to verify that they have met continuing competence standards.
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| COOPERATIVE EDUCATION |
| Educational programming in which classroom instruction is alternated with semesters of work placement and performance evaluation in workplaces related to the field of study.
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| COURSE |
| A single unit of study offered by educational institutions.
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| COURSE DESCRIPTION |
| A documented description of a course. It may include learning outcomes, objectives, content, texts and other resources, and student evaluation methods.
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| CREDENTIAL |
| Documented evidence of learning based on completion of a recognized program of study, training, work experience, or prior learning assessment. Degrees, diplomas, certificates, and licences are examples.
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| CREDENTIALING |
| Pertaining to the recognition of qualifications through the issuance of formal documentation.
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| CREDIT |
| A unit of recognition indicating successful completion of study, training, or a defined competency as documented in an academic record.
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| CREDIT TRANSFER |
| Acceptance or recognition of credits by a host institution from another institution within or outside the jurisdiction.
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| CRITERION |
| An objective and measurable indicator relating to skill level, knowledge, and/or competency. Most often “standards” refer to a set of criteria and required levels.
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| CURRENCY |
| The period of time during which something is valid, accepted, or in force.
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| CURRICULUM |
| List of subjects composing a structured training and/or education program “organized into a course, courses, or work experiences which develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities of learners.” The curriculum has an implicit or explicit set of goals and objectives with respect to learning outcomes.
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| DACUM |
| An acronym for “Developing a Curriculum,” a model used in competency-based training for developing learning activities that generate specific skills required by an occupation.
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| DEGREE |
| A title awarded by a university or other authorized academic institution for successful completion of a program of academic study.
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| DESIGNATION |
| Term used to select or denote educational institutions, programs, or courses of study according to set criteria of eligibility (e.g., for student financial assistance programs, certain designated institutions are accessible to students for financial aid purposes). This term also sometimes refers to restricted occupational titles. In the context of apprenticeship, “designation” refers to a trade that has been formally recognized through provincial/territorial legislation for apprenticeship training and certification.
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| DIPLOMA |
| Title awarded upon or document attesting to the successful completion of a program of postsecondary academic and/or vocational training and education. (Ontario: Document of recognition awarded by a board of governors of a College of Applied Arts and Technology to a student who has completed an approved program of at least four semesters' duration or the equivalent.)
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| DIPLOMA SUPPLEMENT |
| A document produced by national institutions in European countries that is appended to credentials and that provides a description of the nature, level, context, content, and status of studies pursued and successfully completed by an individual. Attached to the diploma supplement is a description of the national higher education system within which the individual named on the original qualification graduated.
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| DISCIPLINE |
| A grouping of several related fields of study that forms the basis for organizing educational programs.
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| DOCTORATE |
| A graduate degree that is one level higher than a master's degree.
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| E-LEARNING |
| Distance learning conducted through the Internet.
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| ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS |
| A set of criteria stipulating education and other types of training or experience for eligibility to enter an educational program or occupation. May include minimal levels of achievement and/or scores on examinations.
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| EQUIVALENCY |
| A term used to describe and/or determine a relationship of parity between one system, jurisdiction, or institution and another with respect to the value and significance of courses, diplomas, certificates, licences, and/or degrees. Ideally, these relationships are mutual so that holders of “equivalent” credentials are treated in the same way by institutions and occupations.
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| EVALUATION |
| See Assessment.
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| EXEMPTION |
| The waiving of specific courses as requirements for completion of a formal program of study based on an assessment of prior studies or prior learning through work or other life experience. Exemptions are granted on a case-by-case basis and result in advanced standing. Students may be required to replace exempted courses with alternatives.
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| EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING |
| Learning acquired through doing. Can be acquired in formal and non-formal education programs or through informal work and life experience.
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| FORMAL LEARNING |
| Learning acquired in educational institutions.
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| GRADUATE STUDIES |
| Studies normally taken following an undergraduate degree (most often a master's or doctoral degree).
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| INFORMAL LEARNING |
| Learning acquired through work and life experience, using unstructured methods and settings.
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| INTERNSHIP |
| A supplementary period of practical, supervised, on-the-job training designed to give practitioners the required skills and knowledge for entry into a trade or profession. An intern is an advanced student or recent graduate in a professional field who is getting practical experience under the supervision of experienced workers.
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| JOINT PROGRAM |
| An educational program developed and delivered by two educational institutions and resulting in credits being awarded by both institutions. It can also refer to an educational program developed and delivered by two different areas within the same institution.
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| LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT |
| Stipulated requirement for applicants to demonstrate oral and/or written language skills and general comprehension prior to entry into an educational institution or a trade or profession. Minimum standards may be set by the institution, trade, or profession, and may include trade- or profession-specific comprehension skills.
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| LANGUAGE TESTING |
| Process of determining oral and written language skills, as well as general comprehension, based on achievement scores in a written and/or oral examination. Sometimes used as part of certification process or for entry into an academic institution or for membership in a trade/professional body.
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| LEARNING OUTCOME |
| A statement of what a person knows and can do as a result of learning. It is often used in connection with academic courses and programs and can also be used to describe knowledge and skills acquired through work and life experiences.
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| LETTER OF PERMISSION |
| A letter issued to a student by a postsecondary institution stating that credit for a course taken at another institution will be granted upon receipt of a transcript confirming successful completion of the course.
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| LICENCE |
| A document used by some trades and professions to signify that the licence-holder meets competency and other requirements and is entitled to practise. Although generally used within a regulatory system prohibiting practice without a licence, there are occupations for which licensing is voluntary. Licences may also be granted to services and facilities (as in a licensed day-care facility).
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| LICENSING BODY |
| An authority charged with the exclusive right to determine eligibility for and to issue licences in a specific occupation or set of occupations. Licensing bodies set the minimum standards of practice for many professions.
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| LICENSURE |
| Mandatory procedures for determining licence eligibility, granting licences, and protecting the public regarding licensed occupations.
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| LIFELONG LEARNING |
| All learning that is acquired throughout a person's life, including formal, non-formal, and informal learning.
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| MAINTENANCE |
| The process of renewing standards, updating curricula, and upgrading professional/ occupational development of certificate and licence holders for the purposes of keeping their professional and occupational practice and standards current.
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| MASTER'S DEGREE |
| A graduate degree offered by universities. It normally follows an undergraduate degree and takes one to two years of full-time study.
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| MENTORSHIP |
| A service associated with educational programs and licensing/registration processes, through which individuals obtain ongoing advice and assistance from persons experienced in their field of study or occupation.
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| MOBILITY |
| The extent to which a worker is able to move freely from one jurisdiction to another and to gain entry into an academic institution or occupation without undue obstacles or hindrances.
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| NON-FORMAL LEARNING |
| Learning acquired in structured programs outside formal educational institutions.
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| OCCUPATION |
| A group of related job activities consisting of sets of knowledge, skills, and related tasks.
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| OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS |
| Identification of relevant tasks, knowledge and/or skills, and performance levels associated with a particular occupation. Benchmarks for skills and knowledge against which the practice of an occupation is measured. Generally established by the regulatory body governing the occupation.
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| PLACEMENT RECOMMENDATION |
| Judgment made regarding an applicant's appropriate level within an educational institution and based on an evaluation and assessment of prior credentials. Does not constitute formal equivalency or recognition.
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| PORTABILITY |
| The condition of transferability and recognition of a credential between one jurisdiction or institution and another. (Also called “TRANSFERABILITY”)
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| PORTFOLIO |
| Formally presented documentation and other supporting evidence that demonstrates and provides validation of learning achieved from prior experience and that articulates the learning toward course or program requirements.
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| POSTGRADUATE STUDIES |
| Studies normally taken following completion of the highest-level credential available in a field of study (e.g., postdoctoral).
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| POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION |
| Formal education at a higher level than secondary school.
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| PRACTICUM |
| A unit of work undertaken by a student that involves the practical application of previously studied theory and the collection of data for future theoretical interpretation.
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| PREREQUISITE |
| A course that must be completed before a more advanced course can be taken.
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| PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT AND RECOGNITION |
| Identification and measurement of skills and knowledge acquired outside formal educational institutions. Assessments are most often used to grant academic credit or determine eligibility to practise a trade or profession. Recognition is based on an assessment of skills and knowledge obtained through work and other life experiences. Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition may also include determination of future goals and individual training needs.
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| PROFESSION |
| An occupation that typically requires a bachelor's degree and in some cases a period of postgraduate study. Professions are normally selfregulating, with members adhering to a code of ethics and standards. However, “profession” and “professional” have a wide variety of more common usages that include semi-professional and technical occupations as well as creative and performing arts occupations.
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| PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION/ ORGANIZATION |
| A body in which membership is based on common occupational interests. Membership is voluntary in some professional bodies and mandatory in others. Activities range from advocacy on behalf of members to formal regulatory responsibilities. Activities generally include the protection of their members' interests, hosting conferences and meetings, information dissemination, professional development and training, and publishing. Membership may imply adherence to a code of professional conduct and discipline.
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| PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT |
| Studies completed by individuals to enhance knowledge and skills in their fields of practice.
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| PROGRAM |
| An integrated group of courses or learning activities in a particular field of study, completion of which leads to an academic credential.
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| PROVISIONAL LICENCE |
| A licence that permits practice in an occupation on a temporary basis. It may contain restrictions on the practice or conditions that must be met for the holder to qualify for a permanent licence.
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| QUALIFICATION |
| Possession of knowledge, skills, and experience for entry to an educational program or practice in an occupation.
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| QUALITY ASSURANCE/QUALITY ASSESSMENT/QUALITY CONTROL |
| Planned and systematic review process of an institution or program to determine that acceptable standards of education, scholarship, and infrastructure are being met. Some regulatory bodies also have structured quality assurance or continuing competency programs.
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| RECOGNITION |
| Formal acceptance of a student's knowledge, skills, or former academic studies and the granting of advanced standing or credit. May also apply to formal acceptance of an educational institution by another institution or public authority.
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| RED SEAL TRADES |
| Trades for which common interprovincial standards have been established, allowing opportunity of portability of credentials as related to the designated trades. These trades are designated by the Interprovincial Standards Program under the authority of the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship, the body which is also responsible for setting standards in the trades. A nationally registered trademark symbol adopted for the Interprovincial Standards Program to signify interprovincial qualification of tradespersons at the journeyperson level, the “Red Seal” is a passport that exempts the holder from further examinations, when moving between participating provinces and territories.
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| REGISTRATION |
| Formal entry following admission into an educational institution; acceptance into a professional body in compliance with regulations governing the profession.
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| REGULATION |
| Governance of a trade or profession with regard to entry requirements, occupational standards and ethics, credentials, licensure, discipline, professional development, continuing competence, compliance with legislative provisions, portability, etc.
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| REGULATORY AGENCY |
| An organization that has legislated authority to carry out the governing legislation of a profession.
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| RESERVED TITLE |
| Occupational title not required for practice of a trade or profession or certain parts of a trade or profession, but available to individuals who can satisfy the regulating body that they have achieved a certain skill level, and can be used only by individuals who are members of the regulatory body. Offered as evidence that the regulating body has scrutinized the practitioner's credentials, that the practitioner has satisfied the standards set by the regulating body, and that he/she agrees to uphold the standards maintained in the profession or trade.
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| RESIDENCY |
| A specific amount of time that must be spent or number of courses or credits that must be completed by a student at a specific institution in order to receive his or her credential.
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| REVOCATION |
| Cancellation of a certificate or licence or withdrawal of permission to offer an educational program. Certificate or licence holders may be subject to disciplinary measures by the issuing body, including cancellation of the certificate or licence. Permission to offer an educational program may be withdrawn if the institution no longer meets the faculty or program requirements set by the program's accrediting body.
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| RIGHT TO TITLE |
| A provision in legislation that authorizes use of a professional title.
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| SCHOLARSHIP |
| A financial award made to students based on an assessment of academic performance and other education-related activities (e.g., participation in community or volunteer activities).
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| SKILL |
| Ability to perform a task or set of tasks, as acquired through formal or informal education and/or training, work and life experience, or other means; identifiable in an occupationspecific context, and measurable through a variety of instruments.
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| SKILL LEVEL |
| The amount and type of education and training required to enter and perform the duties of an occupation, taking into account as well the type of experience required to practise the profession or occupation, considering its complexity and its responsibilities.
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| STANDARD |
| The desirable and achievable level of performance for tasks, knowledge, and skills required for entry into an educational institution or admission to a trade or profession.
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| STANDARD SETTING |
| The process of identifying the pertinent tasks, knowledge, and skills within an educational program, profession, or trade and establishing the required performance levels.
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| STANDARDIZED TESTING |
| Measurements designed to assess knowledge and skills, and intended to be applied on a uniform basis, for the purpose of entry into a trade or profession. A set of questions or exercises is administered to an individual, measuring his/her performance and comparing it to that of a large group of individuals for the purpose of evaluating the individual's degree of learning, knowledge, skills, or competencies. Standardized testing may be used to measure success in an academic or training program or qualifications to enter a trade or profession.
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| SUBSTANTIAL EQUIVALENCY |
| Comparability in program content and educational experience. It implies reasonable confidence that individuals possess the academic competencies needed to enter a program of study or begin professional practice at the entry level.
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| SYLLABUS |
| A written description of a program of study and its courses.
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| TECHPREP |
| A program of study developed by the education sector in partnership with the private sector that begins in high school, continues at a postsecondary institution, and culminates in a credential in a vocational occupation. It may also link a community college program to a four-year college/university or apprenticeship program.
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| TRADE |
| Occupations generally regarded as requiring one to three years of postsecondary education at a community college or university; or two to four years of apprenticeship training; or two to three years of on-the-job-training, or a combination of these requirements. A licence/certificate may be required to practise the trade.
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| TRANSCRIPT |
| The official document or record of a student's enrolment, progress, and achievement within an education institution. The transcript identifies courses taken (title and course number), credits and grades achieved, and credentials earned.
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| TRANSFER CREDIT (EXTERNAL) |
| Advanced standing for individual courses awarded on the basis of successful completion of courses at another educational institution.
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| TRANSFERABILITY |
| See Portability.
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| TRANSNATIONAL EDUCATION |
| All types of educational courses, programs, or services in which the learners are located in a country different from the one where the awarding institution is based.
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| UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES |
| First level of studies at a university (bachelor's degree program).
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| VALIDATION |
| Sometimes used interchangeably with “verification,” “certification,” and “recognition.” Also used to indicate bona fide origins of documented credentials. Another use of the term refers to validity of standards in the sense of “credibility.” Validation is the stage of development of standards during which they are subjected to scrutiny to assess the validity of their content or the confirmation by a larger group of knowledgeable individuals that the tasks, sub-tasks, and enabling objectives of an occupational analysis, which was developed by a skilled group of practitioners, are representative and reflect actual occupational requirements.
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| VERIFICATION |
| Confirmation of credentials.
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| VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS |
| Credentials related to formal training courses and/or practical, on-the-job preparation for entry into a trade.
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