Degree Authorization

Glossary

Applicant / institutional contact	Each institution assigns an institutional contact who is authorized by the institution to submit an application.
Board	Degree Quality Assessment Board – an advisory board, appointed by the Minister of Advanced Education, with a mandate to carry out quality assessment reviews and make recommendations to the minister.
Credit unit	The value given to a course. May be related to the number of hours of instruction. The majority of academic courses are worth three credits.
Degree	Means recognition or implied recognition of academic achievement that (a) is specified in writing to be an associate, baccalaureate, masters, doctoral or similar degree, and (b) is not a degree in theology.
De novo organization	A post-secondary institution that is at an early stage of organizational formation and does not yet offer degree programs.
FTE – full time equivalent	Represents all full-time and part-time enrolments converted to the number of students carrying a ‘normal’ full-time course load. A normal full-time course load is the standard number of credits/units required in a year for normal progression in a credential program. For most undergraduate general degree programs in Arts and Sciences, this represents 15 units or 30 credits per year.
Minister	Minister of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development. May also include a person designated in writing by the minister for the purposes of the Degree Authorization Act.
Ministerial consent	Means a written consent given by the Minister of Advanced Education under Section 4(1) of the Degree Authorization Act. Obtaining ministerial consent is a necessary step before a private institution or a public institution from another jurisdiction may advertise, offer or grant a degree program or use the word "university" in British Columbia.
Quality assessment process	A review process to ensure that proposed degree programs meet consistent and high quality standards. The quality assessment process can include a review of an organization. It can also incorporate a review of requests to obtain exempt status or use the word “university”.
Public post-secondary institution	An institution that receives a significant amount of its regular and ongoing operating funds from a government for the purpose of providing post-secondary education, or is governed by a body where the majority of its members are appointed by elected or other government officials. For the purposes of the Degree Authorization Act, this definition does not include British Columbia public post-secondary Institutions.
Residency	The amount of coursework a student must be registered and paying tuition for, and completing at the institution in order to receive a degree from that institution.