Ranks and Titles
Acronyms
Academic Jargon
The Degrees and Requirements
Mixed Random
100

Graduate Students are...

These students have already completed a bachelor’s degree and are pursuing master’s or doctoral degrees.

100

What does CV stand for?

 curriculum vitae

100

What is a CV?

CVs focus primarily on your research-related accomplishments, with some attention to teaching, service, and nonacademic work as well.

100

Who do you work with to produce a dissertation

Your advisor, or dissertation committee.

100

What does PI stand for?

principal investigator

200

What is an Adjunct Professor?

Part-time instructors

200

What does TA stand for?

Teaching Assistant

200

What is the point of biosketch?

To make a case for why you’re the right person to do the research you’ve proposed.

200

What are oral exams?

The student explains their answers out loud in front of faculty who may ask follow-up questions

200

What does ABD (all but dissertation) mean?

This means you’ve completed all your program requirements except the doctoral dissertation.

300

What is the Tenure Track?

The tenure track is typically the highest paid track and generally involves the greatest expectations for research and departmental service. 

300

What does RA stand for? (in the context of this class)

Research Assistant.

300

What is the point of peer review?

To ensure the rigor of scholarly research

300

What is a dissertation?

It is the capstone of a doctoral degree, a substantial independent project that you use to produce a written report.

300

What does the R1 label mean now?

The R1 label is used to distinguish those “elite research” institutions from other universities, colleges, and schools where there is less of an emphasis on research and usually more emphasis on teaching instead.

400

What is an Assistant Professor?

This is the first step on the tenure track, typically hired as full-time, salaried faculty members with benefits. These contracts are generally renewable for up to six years.

400

What does IRB stand for?

Institutional Review Board

400

What is the difference between single blind and double blind peer review?

Single blind means the reviewer knows who you are, but you won’t be told their name. Double blind means the reviewer isn’t told who you are and you aren’t told who they are.

400

What is the goal of graduate level exams?

To make sure you are prepared to teach the courses and/or do research in that field

400
What is an RFP?

A request for proposals will outline a set of topics and/or methods and/or domains of research the agency is interested in funding.

500

What is the Dean of a college tasked with?

The dean is tasked with setting policies for their unit and making decisions about how that unit will run.

500

What does IACUC stand for?

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee

500

What does it mean to get an R&R (review and resubmit)

It means the journal won’t publish your manuscript as is but that the editor is inviting you to revise your manuscript (using the included feedback from the reviewers) and then submit it to that same journal again.

500

What is a defense?

A presentation about your project with your committee asking questions at the end. 

500

What is Tenure?

Job security