Registration Glossary

Academic and Career Advisor (ACA)

Advisors in the Center for Academic & Career Success (CACS) that provide academic and career advising to undergraduate students and career counseling to graduate students and alumni. Academic and Career Advisors (ACAs) are separated into cohorts responsible for students in specific departments: Business & Humanities, Hard Sciences, Social Sciences, and Honors. Undergraduate students are assigned an Academic and Career Advisor upon entering Catholic University and work with their advisor throughout their college career at the university. More information regarding staff and advisors is listed here.

Academic Coaches

Staff members in the Center for Academic and Career Success (CACS) dedicated to providing support to students as they transition from high school to university academics. Academic Coaches use a holistic approach to assist students in identifying obstacles and creating plans that allow students to achieve their academic and personal goals.

Add/Drop

The first two weeks of the semester are considered the Add/Drop period. Within these first two weeks, students are able to add and/or drop classes from their schedules without it being recorded on their transcripts and without grade penalization. Students can add and/or drop classes by logging into Cardinal Station.

Bachelor’s Degree

A post-secondary undergraduate degree students acquire upon graduation by completing at least 120 semester credits including all in-major and university requirements. Students can earn different types of Bachelor Degrees based on the course of study. Degrees by School and Major are listed here.

Cardinal Mail

Cardinal Mail is the student email system at Catholic University. All messages for CatholicU students are delivered to your Cardinal Mail account, and your CatholicU e-mail address is your [username]@cua.edu. To activate your Cardinal Mail account, you will need to change your password by visiting the Technology Services website. This email account should be used when contacting faculty and staff.

Cardinal Station/Students

Cardinal Students is the University's student information system. Please use your username and password (same one you created for Cardinal Mail) to log in. It allows students to perform enrollment management self-service activities such as: register for classes, view class schedules, check grades, change contact information, request transcripts and other activities related to academic records at the University.

Cardinal Success/Navigate (EAB)

Catholic University's platform that provides centralized access to resources and support across the university. Students are able to schedule appointments with CACS advisors, faculty, coaches, staff, and tutors via Cardinal Success. Login information is the same information used to sign into the Catholic University Network.

Center for Academic and Career Success (CACS)

CACS serves as a campus resource to students and alumni by providing support and opportunities to prepare and implement plans aimed towards achieving academic and career success. Resources available through the office include academic advising, tutoring services, academic coaching, career counseling, and more. The CACS office is located in McMahon Hall 102. Please see our website to learn about our resources for academic support and career support.

Certificate

A certificate is a program of study consisting of 5 to 6 courses separate from a student's major. A certificate allows for students to use electives to focus coursework that can lead to a more specialized knowledge base and skill set. You can find a list of certificates offered at Catholic University here.

Chair

A faculty member assigned to manage the department in which he/she serves, usually referred to as department chair. Department chair report to the dean of their school.

Consortium

The Consortium is a nonprofit educational association of 17 member colleges and universities committed to the advancement of higher education in the Washington Metropolitan Area. CatholicU degree-seeking students enrolled in an approved on-campus program may take courses that are not offered during a particular semester at Catholic in any of the universities within the Consortium. Students will not need to apply for admission, and enrollment in the course will be processed by Catholic's Office of Enrollment Services. Please discuss with your CACS advisor if you're interested in taking a course through the Consortium. You can learn more about Consortium registration here.

Dean

A senior staff member at the university that oversees a school. Dean may also refer to a senior staff member that oversees a non-academic office or department on campus. Academic deans can be found here.

Department

An instructional unit within a school that offers courses within or related to its discipline. It is characterized by its own faculty and staff, overseen by a department chair, and offers distinctive courses leading to degrees in its area(s) of specialization.

Enrollment Services

Enrollment Services is a combination of the Registrar and Bursar offices on campus. The Enrollment Services office oversees Student Accounts, course registration, classroom scheduling, transcripts, diplomas, VA benefits, and Student Records and Privacy (FERPA). The Office of Enrollment Services is located on the second floor of Fr. O'Connell Hall, Room W200. Contact information for Enrollment Services can be found here.

Faculty/Major Advisor

A faculty member within the department of the student’s declared major that serves as an advisor by providing support and guidance pertaining to academic planning and success while you are at Catholic University.

Hold

A hold is a service indicator placed on a student’s account that may block the student from registering for classes, receiving an official transcript or diploma, or use financial aid and/or other services. Students can view holds on their accounts by logging into Cardinal Station. Questions about removing a hold can be answered by contacting the office that is responsible for placing the hold on the account.

Incomplete

A provisional grade notated as (I) may be given only to a student who has not completed the requirements of a course for legitimate reasons (e.g., unexpected illness or death in the family), provided the work thus far completed in the course is of passing quality. The grade of I may not be given to one who has simply failed to meet the academic requirements of the course on time. Students will need to reach out to their course instructors to discuss the process and requirements. Grades of I must be submitted to the respective dean for approval and entry in Cardinal Station.

Foreign Languages Placement Test

A test that places students in a language course at the appropriate educational level based on student’s test scores. All students who have studied a foreign language for two years or more in high school are required to take the placement test if they plan to continue in that language at Catholic University. There are separate placement tests for Heritage Speakers. Please review our page on the foreign languages placement test here.

Learning Community

As part of your First-Year Experience at Catholic, students take a four course sequence in Philosophy, Theology, and English within their first two semesters. You will take all four courses with the same group of students, this group is called a Learning Community. Learning Communities range from 15 to 20 students.

Liberal Arts Curriculum Requirements

All undergraduate students complete the Liberal Arts Curriculum as the core of their studies at Catholic University. The curriculum provides a common educational experience, grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition and focused on enduring questions, that fosters a holistic understanding of reality and human life. For most students, the Liberal Arts Curriculum requires the completion of courses from the 15 courses and a focus area. To accommodate for more extensive major requirements, students in some professional programs complete 10 courses and no focus area.

Major

A major is a specialized program offered by department that serves as a student’s primary area of study. A student can choose a major during the admission process and can also change majors while attending Catholic University. Explore the different majors at Catholic University here. Find information on choosing a major here.

Major Requirements

A group of required courses determined for a specific major that must be completed in order to graduate.

Math Placement Exam

A test that places students in a math course based on students’ test scores. The placement exam can be taken online through Blackboard. To learn more about whether you are required to take the math placement test, click here. Information about registering for the exam can be found here.

Minor

A minor is a program of study offered by a department consisting of 5 to 6 courses separate from a student's major. A minor allows for an intentional use of requirements and/or electives by focused coursework that can lead to a more specialized knowledge base and skill set. See a list of minors offered at Catholic University here. Learn how to declare a minor here.

Professional School

A professional school refers to a school at the university that offers a professional degree, any major that requires 84 or more credit hours of coursework. Professional degrees usually have more extensive curricular requirements, with coursework that is often sequenced.

School

A “school” refers to the academic college a student’s academic program (major, minor, certificate, etc.) belongs. Each school is headed by an Academic Dean and is comprised of several academic departments. As a student at Catholic, you will graduate from the school your primary major belongs to. There are 12 schools that make up Catholic University. Learn about the 12 schools here.

Withdrawal

Withdrawing from a class is the process of dropping a class after the add/drop period has ended. Withdrawal from a course is permitted up to the date specified as the Withdraw deadline on the Academic Calendar. After withdrawing the course remains on the student's record with a "grade" of (W), indicating that the student withdrew from that particular course. Students should meet with their ACAs or academic/program advisors before withdrawing from a course to discuss the pros/cons for a decision.