| Academic Career | A Duke Hub term typically indicating the school (e.g., Fuqua School of Business, Sanford School of Public Policy). | |
| Academic Plan | An instructional program leading toward a bachelor's, master's, doctor's, or professional degree or certificate, or resulting in credits that can be applied to one of these degrees (or non-degree). Sometimes Academic Program may be used for Plan. Academic Plan is a DukeHub term and pertains to the major, minor, or certificate for undergraduate students. | |
| Academic Program | An instructional program leading toward a bachelor's, master's, doctor's, or professional degree or certificate, or resulting in credits that can be applied to one of these degrees. | |
| Academic Year | Begins with the Summer term 2 of one year and ends with the Summer term 1 of the following year (e.g., Summer 2 2018 - Summer 1 2019 is Academic Year 2018-19). | |
| Active (student) | A status referring a student's academic program, specifically, for students who have matriculated (no longer applicants) and are ready either to enroll in a term or to be evaluated for transfer credit. | |
| Admit Term | The term in which an applicant is to begin a program/plan of study | |
| Alumni/a/us | A former student who completed N number of units at Duke. | |
| American Indian/ Alaska Native | A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South and Central America who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community attachment. | The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System |
| Applicant | An individual who submitted an admission application to Duke University and has been notified of their application status and/or has been admitted, not admitted, placed on a wait list or has withdrawn the application. | |
| Asian | A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian Subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand and Vietnam. | The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System |
| Asynchronous Online | Asynchronous online instruction mode whereby classes are not assigned a time slot and enable any student to fully participate regardless of time zone or location. |
Help guide: Instruction Modes
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| Audit | A student electing to take a course, but does not wish to receive credit for the course toward a degree or other formal award. | |
| Bachelor's degree | An award (baccalaureate or equivalent degree, as determined by the Secretary, U.S. Department of Education) that normally requires at least 4, but not more than 5 years, of full-time equivalent college-level work. | |
| Black/ African American | A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. | The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System |
| Calendar Year | The common twelve-month period (year) that runs January 1 - December 31. | |
| Campus | The physical campus in the Durham, NC location of Duke University: Central, East, West, Lemur, and Medical. Duke University also includes a Marine Lab campus located in Beaufort, NC. | |
| Campus residency | Designates whether student is residing in off-campus housing or on-campus/Duke provided housing. | |
| Cancelled (student) | A status referring to an applicant's academic program, specifically, for those applicants whose admission has been denied, deferred, or withdrawn. | |
| Careers, Non-Degree (student) | Non-degree programs such as Interinstitutional. | |
| Catalog Number | The number that is associated to a class, e.g. 103L. | Course Catalog |
| Census date | Fourth Friday from the beginning of classes, including day on which classes begin, for regular spring and fall terms. The census date is not considered for summer. | |
| Certificate | A formal award certifying the satisfactory completion of a postsecondary education program. | |
| CIP Code | A national standard six-digit code (in the form xx.xxxx) that identifies instructional program specialties across all higher educational institutions. | |
| Citizenship | U.S. Citizenship status (e.g., U.S. Citizen, Permanent Resident, Temporary Alien Resident). | |
| Class | An individual section of a course, designated by the class number, that is offered in a specific session and term in the schedule of classes. | |
| Class Attribute | A data tag inherited from the course at the catalog level, or manually added to a class at the scheduled class level to assign various attributes to a given class. (See Course Attribute.) | |
| Class Component | A class component refers to the type of section a given class is, for example a lecture or lab. | |
| Class Status | The status of a class, i.e. active, cancelled, closed, tentative. | |
| Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) | A standard numerical and terminological classification system for secondary and postsecondary instructional programs. CIP codes are used by universities nationally to report various instructional program data to the U.S. Department of Education and other government and higher education organizations. The CIP is the accepted federal government statistical standard on instructional program classifications and is used in a variety of education information surveys and databases. | |
| Cohort | A specific group of students established for tracking purposes (e.g., Class of 2026). | |
| Completed (student) | A student who graduated from an academic program from the institution. | |
| Completion Term | The term in which a student graduated or completed their program requirements. | |
| Continuing (student) | A student who is considered currently enrolled at the institution, whether they are active, on leave, or temporarily suspended. | |
| Course | A curricular offering in a particular topic or subject area. | |
| Course Attribute | A data tag added to a course at the course catalog level to assign various attributes to a given course. | |
| Course Code | Contains the Subject Area and Catalog Number of the designated course. | |
| Course enrollment | Total number of students enrolled in each course. | |
| Course Level | The number by which a course is designated indicates the level of the course. | Course Catalog |
| Course number | 5-digit number of a course. Also referred to as a Catalog Number. | |
| Course title | The abbreviated or short title of a course. | |
| Course Topic | Topics are used by faculty who wish to teach a very specialized subject on a one-time basis, or to try out a new course that may eventually become a permanent course. Special topics may also be used for specialized courses taught by visiting faculty. | |
| Credential Level | Master's, Doctorate, Undeclared, Non-degree, Auditor, Bachelor's, Post Bachelor's. | |
| Cross-list | Cross-listed classes are offered under different subject codes on the Schedule of Classes but share the same content matter. For example, ARTHIST 227, Medieval Castles of Europe, is also offered as MEDREN 226. All sections of a cross-listed course meet in the same classroom during the same meeting pattern, as the class content is uniform. | |
| Cumulative GPA | The cumulative GPA is a calculation of grade points, assigned per grade, for all Duke courses taken in a student’s degree program. (See also GPA.) | Grade Point Average (GPA) |
| Degree | An award conferred by a Duke University as official recognition for the successful completion of a program of study. | |
| Degree name | Full name of degree and program awarded. | |
| Degree type | Type of degree awarded, i.e. BS, MA, PhD. | |
| Degree-seeking student | Students enrolled in courses for credit and recognized by the institution as seeking a degree, certificate, or other formal award. | |
| Demographics | Information about a person, such as ethnicity, sex, address, nationality, religious affiliation, etc. | |
| Department | Department of a course, program of study or degree awarded. | |
| Doctoral degree | Highest award a student can earn for graduate study. The doctor's degree classification includes such degrees as Doctor of Education, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Doctor of Occupational Therapy, Doctor of Nursing Practice and Doctor of Philosophy. | |
| Domestic (student) | A student with U.S. citizenship, including naturalized, or permanent residence in the U.S. | |
| Enrollment Capacity | The maximum number of students allowed to register for a class section. | |
| Enrollment Total | The total number of students who registered for a specific class section (exclusive of cross-listings). | |
| Ethnic group | A student's self-reported ethnicity based on U.S. Federal categories. Any student (domestic or international) who has self-identified their ethnicity is counted. The categories that you will see on our reports/dashboards include: Hispanic/Latino, American Indian/ Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African-American, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, White, Two or More Races, or Unknown. Non-'Domestic' students (see under Domestic) are counted as "Non-resident" in federal reports. | |
| Ethnicity detail | The detailed ethnic category associated with the ethnic group. Many ethnicities can be associated with the same ethnic group. A student can have multiple self-selected ethnicities; e.g., a student can select Mediterranean, Assyrian, and Turkish under their general Ethnic group of "White." | |
| Expected Graduation Term | The term in which a student is expected to graduate or complete their program requirements. Could also be referred to as anticipated completion date. | |
| Faculty | Primary and Secondary instructor who is assigned to a class and whose name is printed on a class and/or grade roster. | |
| FERPA | Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. The policy (1) permits students to inspect their education records, (2) limits disclosure to others of personally-identifiable information from education records without students' prior written consent, and (3) provides students the opportunity to seek correction of their education records where appropriate. |
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
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| First-time undergraduate | A student attending any institution for the first time at the undergraduate level. Includes students enrolled in the fall term who attended college for the first time, including those that attended for the first time the prior summer term and those who entered with prior college credits either from test scores or postsecondary work while in high school. | IPEDS Glossary |
| FTE | Full Time Equivalent enrollment; a calculation showing how many students would be attending if all were enrolled full time. | |
| Full-Time Degree Status | Load status assigned to a student who enrolls in a normal course load (e.g., at least 4.0 course credits in the Undergraduate Schools) each semester. | Full-Time and Part-Time Degree Status |
| GPA | A Grade Point Average (GPA) is calculated for all undergraduate students, as well as those students in the Fuqua School of Business, the Law School, the Divinity School, and, for students matriculating in Summer 2004 and after, the Graduate School, Engineering Management, and the Sanford School of Public Policy. Graduate School and Engineering Management students who matriculated prior to Summer 2004 do not carry a GPA. | |
| Graduate student | A student who holds a bachelor's degree or above and is taking courses at the postbaccalaureate or post-masters level. These students may or may not be enrolled in graduate programs. | |
| Graduation term | Term of degree conferral (e.g. Summer 2011). | |
| Headcount | Total number of students enrolled at Duke a particular point in time. | |
| Hispanic/Latino | A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. | |
| Incoming First-Year (student) | An undergraduate student who has not attended any college, university, technical or proprietary school after graduation from high school. | |
| Incoming Grad/Prof (student) | A graduate or professional school student who is attending the institution for the first time. | |
| In-Person | Instruction mode whereby class attendance in the classroom is expected at the scheduled time. | Help guide: Instruction Modes |
| Institution | The academic institution under which all schools, courses, students, and other entities belong. | |
| Instructor name | The full name of the Primary or Secondary instructor of a course. | |
| International (student) | A category of all students who are not U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents (e.g., green card holders). | |
| IPEDS | The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), conducted by the NCES, began in 1986 and involves annual institution-level data collections. All postsecondary institutions that have a Program Participation Agreement with the Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE), U.S. Department of Education (throughout IPEDS referred to as "Title IV") are required to report data using a web-based data collection system. | |
| Leave of Absence | The academic status of a student that indicates time off from the institution for personal, medical, or other reasons. | |
| Load | Academic load is determined by the total number of units a student is enrolled for in a given semester/term, such as part-time or full-time. Anything less than full-time is included in the part-time status. | |
| Location (class) | The physical location that is assigned on a class (e.g., Durham, Online, Beaufort, etc.). | |
| Major | Program of study, e.g. Computer Science (BS). (See Academic Plan.) | |
| Major-concentration | Concentration within a program of study. | |
| Master's degree | An award that requires the successful completion of a program of study beyond the bachelor's degree. | |
| Meeting pattern | A specific combination of meeting days and times that is assigned to class section. | |
| Military status | The designation to indicate service in the United States armed forces. | |
| Minor | Minor program of study, e.g., History (MIN). | |
| Mode of Instruction | The manner in which a class component — lecture, discussion, lab, etc. — is delivered in a given semester, e.g., In-Person, Online, Asynchronous Online, Online & On-Campus (Hybrid). | Help guide: Instruction Modes |
| Multi-racial | A person who identifies as Not Hispanic with more than one race category. | |
| National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) | The statistical agency of the U.S. Department of Education; primary federal provider of education statistics on the condition of American education. | |
| Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander | A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa or other Pacific Islands. | |
| Non-degree seeking student | A student enrolled in courses for credit who is not recognized by the institution as seeking a degree or formal award. | |
| Non-regular term | Summer or Winter term. | |
| Non-Resident Alien | A person who is not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States and who is in this country on a visa or temporary basis and does not have the right to remain indefinitely. | |
| Not indicated/unknown | This value is seen across various data categories and refers to the lack of (or null value) data for a specific student data element, which typically is not obligatory. | |
| Online | Synchronous online instruction mode whereby class attendance is expected at the scheduled time. | Help guide: Instruction Modes |
| Online & On-Campus (Hybrid) | Hybrid classes include both in-person and online components. Both local and remote students can enroll. If the course includes synchronous components, it can require in-person attendance for local students, but it should also provide remote students the means to access the material remotely if there is not an online section. | Help guide: Instruction Modes |
| Other Undergraduate student | A student taking undergraduate level courses but not enrolled in a degree seeking undergraduate program. | |
| Owning Department | Pertains to which department owns a given class, is determined by the department itself and may be subject to change upon the department’s request. | |
| Part-Time Degree Status | Load status assigned to a student who enrolls in less than a normal course load (e.g., less than 3.0 course credits in the Undergraduate School) each semester. | |
| Postbaccalaureate certificate | An award that requires completion of an organized program of study beyond the bachelor's. It is designed for persons who have completed a baccalaureate degree, but does not meet the requirements of a master's degree. | |
| Post-Master's certificate | An award that requires completion of an organized program beyond the master's degree, but does not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctor's level. | |
| Primary Instructor | The instructor of record who is ultimately responsible for providing instruction and grading for the class. | |
| Pronoun | A gender identifier for the third-person singular. | |
| Race/Ethnicity | Race and Hispanic ethnicity are now considered separate categories by the federal government and are reported as follows: All persons who identify themselves as Hispanic are reported only in the Hispanic ethnicity category. Individuals who are not Hispanic and report more than one racial background are reported in the Multi-racial, non-Hispanic category. All other individuals who do not claim Hispanic origin, nor multiple races, are classified in the single racial category chosen (Black, White, Asian, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, American Indian). | |
| Regular term | Spring and Fall | |
| Resident Alien | A person who is not a citizen or national of the United States but who has been admitted as a legal immigrant for the purpose of obtaining permanent resident alien status. | |
| School | A college (e.g., Trinity College of Arts & Sciences) where students are enrolled in a degree or non-degree program. | |
| Secondary Instructor | The second instructor of record who supports the primary instructor in providing instruction and grading for the class. There may be multiple secondary instructors assigned to a class, just like there may also be multiple primary. | |
| Section | A single division of a class, with its own meeting pattern, instructor, and class enrollment. Denoted by the last two or three digits of a class (e.g., “01” in WRITING 101-01). | |
| Semester | A calendar system that consists of four sessions called semesters during the academic year with about 15 weeks for each semester of instruction. Sessions include fall, spring, summer (1 and 2), and winter. Semester is also referred to as Term. These two elements are used interchangeably. | |
| Semester GPA | The semester GPA is calculated using the courses taken in the semester in question. | Grade Point Average (GPA) |
| Sex | The biological or legal sex of an individual, e.g. Male or Female. Sex is not equal to Gender. (See Gender.) | |
| Study abroad | Arrangement by which a student completes part of the college program studying in another country. The instruction can be at a campus abroad or through a cooperative agreement with some other U.S. college or an institution of another country. | |
| Subject Area | Subject of a course. | |
| Term | A unit of the calendar system during the academic year with about 15 weeks of instruction. Terms at Duke include fall, spring, summer (1 and 2), and winter. Is also referred to as a semester. | |
| Term Type | Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter | |
| Transfer student | A student transferring to the institution from another college/university. | |
| Transfer-in student | A student entering the reporting institution for the first time but known to have previously attended a postsecondary institution at the same level (e.g., undergraduate, graduate). This includes new students enrolled in the fall term who transferred into the institution the prior summer term. The student may transfer with or without credit. | |
| Undergraduate | A student enrolled in a four- or five-year bachelor’s degree program, an associate degree program, or a vocational or technical program below the baccalaureate. | |
| Undergraduate level | Based on terms in residence (e.g., First-year, Sophomore, Junior, Senior for the Undergraduate School). | |
| Unit (course) | For students in undergraduate and Duke Divinity School programs, a course unit is the equivalent of four credit/semester hours. | |
| Unknown | An unknown value. | |
| Unknown race and ethnicity | The category used to report persons whose race and ethnicity are not known. | |
| Variable | A fundamental unit of data contained in a file which is given a unique label. | |
| Veteran status | See Military Status. | |
| White | A person who identifies as Not Hispanic and White. | |