Jargon Buster

If you need some help unravelling Higher Education jargon, then please use our A to Z guide.

Parents’ Learning Allowance

If you are a full-time student with dependent children, you may be entitled to help from the Parent's Learning Allowance. This extra finance (along with the childcare grant) can help pay for childcare and other costs related to your course. How much you get depends on your income and that of your dependants. Jobcentre Plus should not count this grant when they work out your benefit entitlement. You apply for this help through your Local Education Authority (LEA).

Periodicals

Many students spend time in the university library reading and researching for essays. As well as books the library contains specialist periodicals or journals, which are published on a regular basis and contain articles written mainly by university researchers.

PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)

This is a specialist degree (in any subject) that is usually awarded for at least 3 years of supervised, but original research work. All research students starting PhD research would expect to hold a good degree first and after completing a PhD they can use the title ‘Doctor’.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is when someone uses someone else’s writing or ideas and pretends that they are their own. Universities are very keen that students should not cheat in this way and so if you do any research then you should always reference your source of information.

Postgraduate Courses

Courses at a higher level that are usually only available for those who have already passed their degree, although wide experience at work may be sufficient for entry. Postgraduate study can lead to a Masters Degree, PhD or a Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma.

Professor

Usually one of the senior academic staff within a department who becomes a professor as a result of specialist research and teaching. Some large departments will have more than one professor each with their own specialist subject.

Prospectus

A prospectus is a booklet (or CD-ROM or website) which gives the details of courses, activities and student life at a university or college. Potential students can ring any university to request a copy.

Reading Week

A period during a semester or term when students can concentrate on their individual learning and research. During these weeks there are usually no formal teaching sessions.

Redbrick

Redbrick is a term that is often applied to the large civic universities like Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, Leeds, Newcastle and Birmingham.

Research

Research is a key feature of most university courses. Research involves collecting information about a subject from a variety of sources, including books, journals and the internet or by carrying out experiments or talking to people and analysing this information.

RAE – Research Assessment Exercise

This is the research rating for individual university departments. A good indicator of the university’s prestige, but students should take other considerations into account too, like teaching quality. You can find these out from the Aimhigher site www.aimhigher.ac.uk (use the links to universities and colleges).

Russell Group

The Russell Group is an association of 20 major research-intensive universities of the United Kingdom. Formed in 1994 at a meeting convened in the Hotel Russell, London, the group is composed of the Vice-Chancellors/Principals of the following Universities:

University of Birmingham, University of Bristol, University of Cambridge, Cardiff University, University of Edinburgh, University of Glasgow, Imperial College London, King's College London, University of Leeds, University of Liverpool, London School of Economics & Political Science, University of Manchester, Newcastle University, University of Nottingham, Queen's University Belfast, University of Oxford, University of Sheffield, University of Southampton, University College London, University of Warwick.

Residential Colleges

There are 6 long-term residential colleges (all very different) which offer a range of higher education courses and courses to prepare people for higher education. They may be able to offer bursaries to help with costs. The colleges are:

• Coleg Harlech (Wales) www.harlech.ac.uk

• Fircroft College (Birmingham) www.fircroft.ac.uk

• Hillcroft College, (Surrey) www.hillcroft.ac.uk

• Newbattle Abbey College (Scotland) www.newbattleabbeycollege.co.uk

• Northern College (Barnsley) www.northern.ac.uk

• Ruskin College (Oxford). www.ruskin.ac.uk

There are also a number of residential colleges which offer short courses for adults including sport, creative areas, politics and conservation. You can find a list via www.arca.uk.net/colleges.html

Sandwich Courses

Sandwich courses are degree courses which include an extra year 'sandwiched' between the years of study. During the extra year the student usually goes on work experience with an organisation or department in their subject field. If the degree is in languages, the extra year will usually involve a trip abroad (e.g. a sandwich course in French may involve a year living and working in France).

Scholarships

Some trusts and charitable bodies have funds to help students but these are often restricted to people in particular circumstances and may only be for the last year of a course.

SCR – Senior Common Room

In the same way that all students can belong to the Junior Common Room, all staff can belong to the Senior Common Room. This may be a particular room or can just be a term that describes a collection of staff.

Semester

Some universities divide the student year into 3 terms; some divide it into 2 semesters. A semester is half a study year.

Seminar

A group of students meet to discuss a subject with a tutor; usually someone (or a group) prepares a paper for discussion and shares the research they have done and their opinions on the subject. Seminars are more interactive than a lecture and are often student led.

Single Honours Degree

A degree programme based on one main subject of study, e.g. BSc Physics.

Societies

All universities will have a huge range of clubs and societies where people can share their interests, beliefs, religion or sport.

Social Work Bursaries

Students on Social Work courses may be eligible for bursaries.

Sponsorship

Some companies offer a sum of money to students during their studies. In return the student may work for them during their studies or during vacations and should have an interest in working for the company when they graduate. Sponsorships are not only for students on vocational courses.

Student Loans

These are low interest loans from the government to help students pay their living and study costs while they are at university.

Students’ Union

Each university will have a Students’ Union (which will probably be part of the National Union of Students). The Union campaigns on behalf of students, provides a wide range of activities you can get involved with and can help with a range of issues from childcare to cheap holidays.

Teaching Quality Assessments

Academic departments are regularly assessed on the teaching provision within specific areas. You can find Quality Assessment Reports on the standard of teaching in HE institutions in England and Northern Ireland on www.qaa.ac.uk

Teacher Training

Teacher Training and financial support for teacher training in England is coordinated by the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA). Their website is www.tda.gov.uk

Postgraduate Teacher Training applications are organised by the Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR). Their website is www.gttr.ac.uk

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees for full-time courses are set by the Government and paid to the university directly by the student or by the local authority if the student is eligible for fees support. Depending on your (or your family's) circumstances the entire fees may be paid for you by the Local Education Authority. The tuition fees for part-time courses will vary according to the length of the course and the university.

Tutor or Lecturer

Members of staff responsible for teaching students in universities and for assisting students with their learning.

Tutorial

A small group meets to discuss with each other and their tutor the work they are doing and more general course issues. Tutorials can also be on an individual basis with a student discussing their work with a tutor.

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