Key Definitions | Registration Services | Seneca Students

Academic year

Three consecutive terms of study beginning in September and concluding in August of the following year.

Course

An individual unit of instruction offered at a postsecondary institution.

Domestic student

A student who is a Canadian citizen or person with permanent resident status.

Fees

Funds owed to Seneca prior to registration, including the tuition deposit, tuition, ancillary fees and, if applicable, program fees.

Full-time postsecondary program

A sequence of courses leading to an Ontario college credential offered in two-to-eight arranged semesters.

Full-time student

An individual who is registered in at least 66.66 per cent of the assigned course requirements for a specific term or at least 70 per cent of the scheduled contact hours of an approved postsecondary program.

International student

A student attending a postsecondary program or course on a valid study permit, who is not a Canadian citizen or person with permanent resident status.

Mature applicant

A mature student applying to a postsecondary program.

Mature student status

An individual applying to a certificate, diploma or advanced diploma program who has reached, or will reach, the age of 19 years on or before the start of the program.

Ontario college credential

A credential awarded upon successful completion of a certificate, diploma, advanced diploma, degree or graduate certificate program that meets the minimum requirements included in the Framework for Programs of Instruction Minister’s Binding Policy Directive.

Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD)

A provincially recognized credential earned on successful completion of secondary school requirements established by the Ministry of Education. Also known as a Secondary School Graduation Diploma (SSGD) or a Secondary School Honours Graduation Diploma (SSHGD).

Overload registration status

Assigned to a student who, during a single semester, is registered in more courses or credit hours than is required by their program.

Part-time student

An individual who is registered in less than 66.66 per cent of the assigned course requirements for a specific term and less than 70 per cent of the scheduled contact hours of an approved postsecondary program.

Prerequisite

A course that must be completed before taking a course.