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Study Abroad at UCL

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Glossary

Some of the terms used at UCL and in the UK generally might be unfamiliar, below is a glossary of some of those terms to help you better navigate our site.

We hope that this Study Abroad Programme guide gives you a good overview of the atmosphere and ethos of UCL and what subjects and study options are available, however, we know that some of the terms used at UCL and in the UK generally might be unfamiliar.

Below is a list of some of the terms that you may not have heard before and their definitions:

Affiliate study

"Affiliate study" is a slightly more formal name for study abroad.


Affiliate Tutor

When you come to UCL you will be registered as an Affiliate student, and the study director for your particular area is called the Affiliate Tutor.


Term

The UCL year is divided into three parts, called "terms", in much the same way that some universities divide their year into semesters. UCL's terms are:

  • Autumn (Fall) Term, also known as Term 1, which begins in September and marks the start of the academic year
  • Spring Term, also known as Term 2, which begins in January
  • Summer Term, also known as Term 3, which begins in April and is usually set aside for revision (review) and examinations, rather than timetabled teaching.

Modules

Individual courses making up your programme of study are referred to as "modules".


Module credits

Most of our modules are worth either 15 or 30 credits. More about credit equivalency.


Faculty

At UCL you'll hear the word "Faculty" used to refer to a grouping of departments working in related disciplines, rather than to members of academic staff. For example, the Department of History and the Department of Geography both sit within our Faculty of Social & Historical Sciences.