GLOSSARY
AA	Abbreviation for "Associate of Arts" degree, a degree that is designed to transfer to a four-year college or university.
AAS	Abbreviation for "Associate of Applied Science" degree; a degree that is designed to prepare graduates for career entry or job advancement after two years of college study. AAS degrees may trans-fer in whole, or in part, to selected four-year colleges. AAS degrees may also be known by occupational specific titles such as Associate in Engineering Technology, Associate in Business, etc.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT	Occurs when a student is allowed to skip over a course, or enter on a higher level than is normally required upon entering a college program.
AP	An abbreviation for "Advanced Placement," usually used when referring to the College Board's AP program. AP credit is accepted by many two- and four-year colleges throughout the country. (Most colleges require specific scores on AP exams in order to receive credit.)
AS	Abbreviation for "Associate of Science" degree, a degree that is designed to transfer to a four-year college or university
ASSOCIATE DEGREE	A degree awarded by a two-year community, junior or technical college indicating that the graduate has completed a program of study with a broad base in general education and a concentration in a specific area. The degree may be in an occupational area (such as Electronics) or in liberal arts (such as an associate degree in science or arts). Occupational associate degrees, often called Associate of Applied Science degrees, are now preferred by many employers for mid-level technology positions. The liberal arts associate degree is widely accepted for transfer into bachelor's degree programs throughout the country.
EXEMPTION CREDIT	Credit awarded for a college course which exempts or "releases" the student from taking the course on the college campus. Exemption credit appears on the student's transcript, is calculated into the total earned credit hours, but does not affect the grade point average (GPA).
MID-LEVEL TECHNOLOGY CAREERS	Careers requiring a high school diploma with occupational training up to and including an applied associate degree, either to enter the job field or to qualify for advancement. These careers are in many different fields, offer good salaries and opportunities for advancement, and are growing rapidly throughout South Carolina and the nation.
OCCUPATIONAL DEGREE PROGRAM	A program at a two-year college designed to prepare students to enter the workforce immediately following graduation. While some occupational degree courses and/or programs transfer to four-year colleges, their primary function is career preparation. Occupational degree programs may also be referred to as "applied" degree programs.
SCHOOL-TO-WORK	Activities and programs, available to all students, that link classroom and work-based learning to career exploration and work experience. Options include shadowing, co-op, internship, service learning and youth apprenticeship.
TAP	The abbreviation for Technical Advanced Placement, one component of area Tech Prep programs. TAP is a term used by Tri-County Technical College; other area two-year/technical colleges may use other names to describe similar types of programs. (TAP functions like a local version of AP for students wishing to complete degree programs at Tri-County Technical College.)
TAP EXAM	An examination required as one of the procedures to earn credit for certain courses at Tri-County Technical College. (There is no charge to take a TAP exam at TCTC; specific passing scores are required to earn TAP credit.)
TAP PROCEDURES	The list of steps a student must complete successfully to earn Tri-County Technical College credit. Each program area at Tri-County offering TAP credit has a page in the TAP Student Handbook listing the procedures or steps to follow. (Student Handbooks may be obtained free of charge by contacting the Office of Collaboration at 646-8361, ext. 2247.)
TECHNICAL ADVANCED PLACEMENT (TAP)	Part of area Tech Prep programs which enables high school seniors who demonstrate competencies equi-valent to Tri-County Technical College entry-level courses to earn credit for those courses. Students must qualify to participate in the TAP process and demonstrate sufficient competency levels through specified procedures in order to earn Tri-County Technical College credit. Receipt of TAP credit enables students to enter College programs with ad-vanced standing. (Similar opportunities are available at other two-year/technical colleges.)
TRANSFER	Term used when a student has course credit accepted from one college to another. Can also be the name of a two-year college program ("University Transfer" or AA/AS) in which the student can earn up to the first two years of a bachelor's degree.
WORK-BASED LEARNING	A component of school-to-work programs in which students combine classroom instruction with struc-tured work experiences. Work-based learning is an important part of Youth Apprenticeship, cooperative education and other STW options.