Academic Master’s Degrees (usually called Research or Professional Master's Degrees)
These are the broad Master of Arts (M.A.) or Master of Sciences (M.Sc.) degrees, usually awarded in the traditional arts, sciences, and humanities disciplines. M.Sc. degrees are also awarded in technical fields, such as engineering and agriculture. These degrees may lead to your entrance into a doctoral program.

Academic Calendar
The online Calendar is the official Calendar. In the event of any discrepancies between program websites and the online Calendar, the online Calendar will be binding.

Academic Standing
Students are normally in good academic standing if they are making adequate progress toward the completion of degree requirements and maintain a cumulative overall average of 70%.

Active Status
In order to maintain active student status, students must be registered in program.

Advisory Committee
As soon as possible following a student's first registration in a program, an advisory committee, including a research supervisor, should be named.  It is the responsibility of the Advisory Committee to assist students in course selection and definition of the research area, to provide support and advice, to evaluate regularly the student's progress by meeting at least once yearly, to take appropriate and timely action in view of this progress, and to keep records of this evaluation and all actions are taken.

Assistantship
Assistantships are available at many grad schools with graduate programs and can be teaching or research centered. Students are paid as teaching, research or student assistants. An RA, SA, TA may be unrelated to your thesis work or be paid from your supervisor's funds to do your thesis resarch. Find more info here.

Cohort based program
When students start the program with other students at the same time and advance through either part or all the program together (i.e. those students starting a cohort-based graduate program in 2020 belong to the 2020 cohort group).

College of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (CGPS)
A non-departmentalized college that oversees graduate education and provides services to its programs and students. Grad students at USask are students of the CGPS.

Conceptual Frameworks
A conceptual framework is an analytical tool with several variations and contexts. It can be applied in different categories of work where an overall picture is needed. It is used to make conceptual distinctions and organize ideas. Strong conceptual frameworks capture something real and do this in a way that is easy to remember and apply.

Cognate course
Cognate courses are courses from outside a defined discipline that complements and enhances the breadth of knowledge and skills found in the area of study. use it in a sentence e.g. Students are required to choose one cognate course and 3 credit units of core coursework.

Core/required course
A course that is a mandatory requirement for the completion of the program according to the program regulations in effect at the time of admission.

Course completion date
The course end or the date that the student completes the course.

Course extension
The process of lengthening the time allowed for the completion of a course(s) is called an extension.

Credit
The numerical value assigned to the course, normally based upon the number of contact or classroom hours per week and/or workload.

Defense
Generally starts with an oral presentation to a committee of people where you provide a summary of your thesis and the research results you obtained. The examining committee then presents you with questions and you must respond and "defend" your work.

Department
A department is an administrative unit with space and resources. A department also includes budgeted faculty members who offer instruction in a titled, specialized discipline, normally affiliated with a school or college.

Dual Degree
Two degrees cooperatively from two institutions that the student must fulfill the requirements of both institutions, but completes one thesis project. (e.g. a Coutelle Program)