High School, College, and Career Terms
Grade Point Average (GPA): is a number representing the average value final grades earned in courses over time. A student's GPA is calculated by adding up all final grades and dividing that figure by the number of grades awarded. (A’s=4.0, B’s=3.0, etc.)
High School Credits: Credits are awarded upon completing and passing a course. One credit generally takes 1 year to earn. At PHS, you need 26 credits to graduate.
Scholarship: Money given to support a student's education and is awarded on the basis of academic or other achievement. The money does not need to be given back.
Loan: Money that is borrowed and is expected to be paid back with interest.
Apprentice: A person who is learning a skill from another who is highly trained. PHS students can be an apprentice for local companies during high school.
Academic degree: a college or university diploma. The most common degrees awarded are associates, bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees.
Associate degree: an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, technical colleges, universities, etc. upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years.
Bachelor’s degree: an undergraduate academic degree that usually requires three to five years of study (depending on institution and field of study).
Non degree: schooling beyond high school that leads to extra training, but does not result in a degree (example: certificate).
Graduate degree: an award given by a college or university stating that a student has completed an academic degree beyond a bachelor’s degree (examples: master’s, doctorate).
College Program: An academic program is defined as any combination of courses and/or requirements leading to a degree or certificate, or to a major, co-major, minor or academic track and/or concentration.
Career Cluster: groupings of careers that have similar characteristics.
Career pathway: paths that divide career clusters further to provide even more specific career choices and paths of study.
Semester: a half-year term in a school, typically lasting fifteen to eighteen weeks.
Recommendation: letter written to support and highlight characteristics about a person.
Pre-requisite: a requirement that is completed before a student can take a class.
High School Credits: Credits are awarded upon completing and passing a course. One credit generally takes 1 year to earn. At PHS, you need 26 credits to graduate.
Scholarship: Money given to support a student's education and is awarded on the basis of academic or other achievement. The money does not need to be given back.
Loan: Money that is borrowed and is expected to be paid back with interest.
Apprentice: A person who is learning a skill from another who is highly trained. PHS students can be an apprentice for local companies during high school.
Academic degree: a college or university diploma. The most common degrees awarded are associates, bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees.
Associate degree: an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, technical colleges, universities, etc. upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years.
Bachelor’s degree: an undergraduate academic degree that usually requires three to five years of study (depending on institution and field of study).
Non degree: schooling beyond high school that leads to extra training, but does not result in a degree (example: certificate).
Graduate degree: an award given by a college or university stating that a student has completed an academic degree beyond a bachelor’s degree (examples: master’s, doctorate).
College Program: An academic program is defined as any combination of courses and/or requirements leading to a degree or certificate, or to a major, co-major, minor or academic track and/or concentration.
Career Cluster: groupings of careers that have similar characteristics.
Career pathway: paths that divide career clusters further to provide even more specific career choices and paths of study.
Semester: a half-year term in a school, typically lasting fifteen to eighteen weeks.
Recommendation: letter written to support and highlight characteristics about a person.
Pre-requisite: a requirement that is completed before a student can take a class.