Glossary

Candidacy is the academic level a doctoral student attains upon completion of a set of requirements, culminating in the passing of preliminary examinations. Once a student has been advanced to candidacy, special tuition rules become effective. Section 2.1.1

CIC is the Committee on Institutional Cooperation, a consortium of the eleven members of the Big Ten Universities plus the University of Chicago. Section 1.2.1

Cognate Courses are those that are in a different discipline or area than a student's field of study, but are related to or connected with some aspect of this field. Section 2.1.1.1 and Section 2.2

Credit Hour is a measure of the academic weight of a course, which may or may not actually correspond to contact hours or class time. Section 1.3.1

Detached Study is a registration status for students who are not enrolled for courses or directed research, but who are working toward completion of the degree as a primary activity. Section 1.3.3

Dissertation Research/Writing is an enrollment status for full-time international students who are doctoral candidates to comply with US Citizenship and Immigration Services regulations. Section 1.3.4

Dual Degree Program is a course of study leading to two degrees in two areas of specialization. Section 2.3

GEO, or Graduate Employees' Organization, is a labor union that represents University of Michigan's Graduate Student Instructors and Graduate Student Staff Assistants.

GSI, or Graduate Student Instructor, is a graduate student who is hired by a school or college to teach courses, or coordinate, lead, or assist in the instructional process throughout at least one term.

GSRA, or Graduate Student Research Assistant, is a student in a University of Michigan graduate degree program who performs personal research (including thesis or dissertation preparation) or who assists others performing research that is relevant to his or her academic goals.

GSSA, or Graduate Student Staff Assistant, is a graduate student whose employment either fulfills a degree requirement or is considered academically relevant by the department or degree program in which the degree is being pursued, and who is employed to perform administrative, counseling or educational duties other than those of a graduate student instructor.

IDP, or Interdepartmental Degree Program, is a doctoral program, leading to a single degree, that brings together faculty from two or more departments, schools, or colleges.

MIGS, or Michigan Intercollegiate Graduate Study, is a program sponsored by the Michigan Council of Graduate Schools that enables graduate students who are in good standing in a degree program to elect courses at various graduate schools in Michigan, with the approval of both institutions. Section 1.2.1

NCFD, or Non-Candidate for Degree, is a status granted to qualified applicants who want to take courses for graduate credit, but who do not want to pursue a degree. Section 1.3.5

OARD, or Academic Records and Dissertations, provides information to Rackham students, monitors the degree process, and assists in the interpretation of policies regarding the academic record.

RFT, or Required Fee Total, designates the number of credit hours for which tuition has been paid for Rackham courses. A Rackham doctoral student must accumulate a specified number of these credit hours, also called fee hours, in the course of a degree program. Section 2.1.2.1

Term, designates a period of time in the academic calendar. The Fall Term, Winter Term and Spring/Summer Term are full terms, and the Spring or Summer Terms are half terms. The Registrar sets the dates of the terms in the academic calendar.

Visit, also called Audit, designates a course for which a student registers but does not take for credit. Section 1.2.3