"P"

Confused by any education words and phrases you have come across? Use this glossary to find out what they mean!

Simply select the letter your word begins with to search for its meaning.

- A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z -

part-time
Course where students attend a limited number of days or evenings each week. Any course that requires less than 15 hours attendance a week is part-time for the purposes of visa regulations.

pass
Satisfactory mark in examination or course

pass-degree
Bachelor’s degree grading with insufficient marks to earn honours.

PET
Preliminary English Test. English test managed by UCLES. Not advanced enough to meet university entrance requirements.

PG Cert
Postgraduate Certificate.

PG Dip
Postgraduate Diploma.

PGCE
Postgraduate Certificate in Education. Qualification allowing holder to teach in primary or secondary in the UK. Taken as a one-year full-time programme after completing a Bachelor’s degree.

PhD
Doctor of Philosophy.

plagiarism
To take the work/words/ideas of someone else and pretend it is your own. Universities and colleges heavily penalise anyone caught plagiarising another person’s work.

polytechnic
Former type of degree-awarding higher education institution in the UK. All polytechnics were elevated to university status in 1992.

portfolio
Collection of original work. May be assessed to contribute to the mark a student receives on their course.

practical
Non-written work that is performed by a student either alone or as a member of a group.

pre-degree course
Any course, especially an Access, Foundation or Certificate course taken to meet university entry requirements for a degree programme.

pre-sessional
Short course that runs before another longer course. For example, a pre-sessional English language course may run in July and August, to prepare students for a degree programme beginning in September.

private college
College that is not subsidised by the government but is owned and run by private individuals.

professor
Title sometimes given to a senior academic following several years successful teaching and research, and election by the senior academics at an institution.

prospectus
Brochure published by a university or college to advertising their institution and courses and to encourage student recruitment.