Described below are common codes, abbreviations, acronyms, and other types of academic shorthand that students and advisers might encounter at Penn State, along with a brief explanation of each and links to relevant websites.
| Code | Explanation |
|---|---|
| A | Top |
| A | Course suffix that indicates different versions of the same course, e.g., CAS 100A, CAS 100B, CAS 100C |
| A | Special topics courses (x97) reviewed for inter-domain status = GA/GN |
| A & A | Arts and Architecture |
| AA | Arts and Architecture (college/premajor code) |
| AB | Abington (college code) |
| AB | Abington (campus code) |
| ACUE | Administrative Council on Undergraduate Education |
| AG | Agricultural Sciences (college/premajor code) |
| AL | Altoona (campus code) |
| AL | Altoona (college code) |
| AP | Advanced Placement Program |
| APPL | Course requires an application with the School of Music (course characteristic) |
| APPT | By appointment |
| AU | Audit, attended regularly (grade reporting symbol) |
| AUDN | Course requires an audition (course characteristic) |
| B | Top |
| B | Course suffix that indicates different versions of the same course, e.g., CAS 100A, CAS 100B, CAS 100C |
| B | Special topics courses (x97) reviewed for inter-domain status = GA/GH |
| BA | Bachelor of Arts Courses |
| BA | Business, Smeal College of (college/premajor code) |
| BC | Behrend (college code) |
| BK | Berks (campus code) |
| BK | Berks (college code) |
| BR | Beaver (campus code) |
| BW | Brandywine (campus code) |
| C | Top |
| C | Course suffix that indicates different versions of the same course, e.g., CAS 100A, CAS 100B, CAS 100C |
| C | Special topics courses (x97) reviewed for inter-domain status = GA/GS |
| CA | Capital (college code) |
| CALC | Course requires a calculator (course characteristic) |
| CAMP | College Assistance Migrant Program |
| CAT | Online catalog, University Libraries |
| CC | Commonwealth Campuses |
| CCP | College Contact Person |
| CCRR | College Contact and Referral Representative |
| CCSG | Council of Commonwealth Student Governments |
| CE | Continuing Education |
| CGPA | Cumulative grade-point average |
| CLEP | College-Level Examination Program |
| CM | Communications (college code) |
| CNCR | Course is scheduled concurrently with another course (course characteristic) |
| CNTL | Course is controlled (course characteristic) |
| COMM | Communications (premajor code) |
| CORD | Course is coordinated with other course(s) (course characteristic) |
| COST | Course requires an additional fee (course characteristic) |
| D | Top |
| D | Course suffix that indicates different versions of the same course, e.g., ENGL 202D |
| D | Special topics courses (x97) reviewed for inter-domain status = GA/GHW |
| DAA | Dean/Director of Academic Affairs |
| DF | Deferred grade (grade reporting symbol) |
| DN | Dickinson School of Law (campus code) |
| DS | DuBois (campus code) |
| DU | Division of Undergraduate Studies (college code) |
| DUS | Division of Undergraduate Studies (premajor code) |
| DUSC | DUS-Conditional students |
| E | Top |
| E | Course suffix that indicates different versions of the same course, e.g., MATH 140E |
| E | Special topics courses (x97) reviewed for inter-domain status = GN/GH |
| ECoS | Eberly College of Science |
| ED | Education (college/premajor code) |
| EM | Earth and Mineral Sciences (college code) |
| EMSC | Earth and Mineral Sciences (premajor code) |
| EN | Engineering (college code) |
| ENGR | Engineering (premajor code) |
| EPS | Educational Planning Survey |
| ER | Behrend (campus code) |
| ESL | English as a Second Language |
| EVEX | Course has evening exams (course characteristic) |
| F | Top |
| F | Special topics courses (x97) reviewed for inter-domain status = GN/GS |
| FE | Fayette (campus code) |
| FINL | Course has a final exam (course characteristic) |
| FL | Failure under pass/fail option (grade reporting symbol) |
| FYS | First-Year Seminar |
| G | Top |
| G | Course suffix that indicates different versions of the same course, e.g., MATH 140G |
| G | Special topics courses (x97) reviewed for inter-domain status = GN/GHW |
| GA | Arts (General Education attribute) |
| GA | Greater Allegheny (campus code) |
| GH | Humanities (General Education attribute) |
| GHW | Health and Wellness (General Education attribute) |
| GN | Natural Sciences (General Education attribute) |
| GPA | Grade-point average |
| GQ | Quantification (General Education attribute) |
| GR | Graduate (level code) |
| GS | Social and Behavioral Sciences (General Education attribute) |
| GV | Great Valley (campus code) |
| GWS | Writing/Speaking (General Education attribute) |
| H | Top |
| H | Honors course or section (course suffix and attribute code) |
| HB | Harrisburg (campus code) |
| HH | Health and Human Development (college code) |
| HHD | Health and Human Development (premajor code) |
| HN | Hazleton (campus code) |
| HY | Hershey Medical Center (campus code) |
| I | Top |
| I | Incomplete (grade reporting symbol) |
| I | Special topics courses (x97) reviewed for inter-domain status = GS/GH |
| IB | International Baccalaureate Program |
| IC | Intercollege programs (college code) |
| IL | International Cultures (Cultural Diversity attribute code) |
| INFST | Information Sciences and Technology (premajor code) |
| INTG | Course is integrated with other courses (course characteristic) |
| IS | Information Sciences and Technology (college code) |
| IUG | Integrated undergraduate/graduate degree programs |
| IVID | Course uses interactive video (course characteristic) |
| J | Top |
| J | Individualized instruction (course suffix) |
| J | Special topics courses (x97) reviewed for inter-domain status = GS/GHW |
| K | Top |
| K | Special topics courses (x97) reviewed for inter-domain status = GH/GHW |
| L | Top |
| L | Lab section (course suffix) |
| LA | Liberal Arts (college/premajor code) |
| LAB | Laboratory Section |
| LD | Late drop |
| LEAP | Learning Edge Academic Program |
| LEC | Lecture section |
| LIAB | Course has liability attendance policy (course characteristic) |
| LV | Lehigh Valley (campus code) |
| LW | Law (level code) |
| M | Top |
| M | Writing Across the Curriculum and Honors (course suffix) |
| MA | Mont Alto (campus code) |
| MAC | Morgan Academic Center |
| MD | Medical (level code) |
| MEP | Multicultural Engineering Program |
| MRC | Multicultural Resource Center |
| MS | Military Science (ROTC) (college code) |
| N | Top |
| N | Inter-Domain course suffix |
| NACADA | The Global Community for Academic Advising |
| NC | Non-credit (level code) |
| ND | Nondegree students |
| NG | No grade (grade reporting symbol) |
| NK | New Kensington (campus code) |
| NR | Nursing, School of (college code) |
| NSO | New Student Orientation |
| NURS | Nursing (premajor code) |
| O | Top |
| OCLC | Course meets at an off-campus location (course characteristic) |
| OSA | Office of Student Aid |
| OUR | Office of the University Registrar |
| P | Top |
| P | Pass (noncredit course) (grade reporting symbol) |
| PC | Penn College (Pennsylvania College of Technology) (college code) |
| PMAJ | Premajor status |
| PREQ | Course has prerequisites (course characteristic) |
| PS | Pass (pass/fail option) (grade reporting symbol) |
| PSU | Pennsylvania State University |
| Q | Top |
| Q | Inter-Domain and Honors course suffix |
| R | Top |
| R | Recitation section (section suffix) |
| R | Research (grade reporting symbol) |
| RI | Resident Instruction |
| ROTC | Reserve Officers' Training Corps |
| S | Top |
| S | First-Year Seminar (course suffix) |
| SA | Satisfactory achievement (grade reporting symbol) |
| SAP | Satisfactory Academic Progress (student aid) |
| SAP | Suggested Academic Plan (bulletin) |
| SATL | Course is offered at multiple locations via satellite uplink (course characteristic) |
| SC | Science, Eberly College of (college code) |
| SCIEN | Science, Eberly College of (premajor code) |
| SDR | Student Disability Resources |
| SEGM | Course is segmented (course characteristic) |
| SGPA | Semester grade-point average |
| SH | Shenango (campus code) |
| SI | Supplemental Instruction |
| SITE | Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence |
| SL | Schuylkill (campus code) |
| SRTE | Student Ratings of Teacher Effectiveness |
| T | Top |
| T | First-Year Seminar and Honors (course suffix) |
| U | Top |
| U | United States Cultures/International Cultures and Honors (course suffix) |
| UAO | Undergraduate Admissions Office |
| UC | University College (college code) |
| UE | Undergraduate Education |
| URFM | Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring Office |
| UG | Undergraduate (level code) |
| UN | Unsatisfactory achievement (grade reporting symbol) |
| UP | University Park (campus code) |
| UPUA | University Park Undergraduate Association |
| US | United States Cultures (Cultural Diversity attribute code) |
| V | Top |
| W | Top |
| W | Official withdrawal (grade reporting symbol) |
| W | Writing Across the Curriculum (course suffix) |
| WB | Wilkes-Barre (campus code) |
| WC | World Campus (campus code) |
| WEB | Web course; offered entirely through the Internet (course characteristic) |
| WEP | Women in Engineering Program |
| WS | Scranton (campus code) |
| X | Top |
| X | Writing Across the Curriculum and First-Year Seminar (course suffix) |
| XF | Failure, academic dishonesty (course grade) |
| XS | Study Abroad (location code) |
| Y | Top |
| Y | Writing Across the Curriculum course and United States Cultures/International Cultures (course suffix) |
| YK | York (campus code) |
| Z | Top |
| Z | Linked Course (course suffix) |