Glossary

Cognate – A limited block of courses or hours required outside the unit in which the major is offered.
Concentration – A collection of courses within a major that focuses on a particular subject area. The term concentration describes the nature of the set of courses.
Corequisite – Specific conditions, requirements, or courses that must be completed at the same time as another course.
Major – The principal educational interest of a student as represented by one of the curricula prescribed by the various units at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The major specifies the minimum requirements for a degree.
Minor – An area of interest secondary to the major that is represented by a specified set of hours and/or courses. Differs from a concentration in that a minor is not a subdivision of the major.
Option – The means of designating thesis/non-thesis requirements.
Prerequisite – Specific conditions, requirements, or classes that must be completed before enrolling in another course. For example, English 101 is a prerequisite for English 102.
Registration Restriction(s) – Conditions for enrollment enforced by the Registration System. These restrictions may include one or more of the following – minimum GPA, student level, college, major, concentrations, degree, or a qualification such as teacher licensure.
Specialization – A sub-collection of courses within a concentration that focuses on specific subject matter. The term “specialization” describes the nature of the set of courses.
Tool – A limited block of course or hours required to enhance research or methodological expertise.
Track – A separate route leading to the same degree but with different requirements.