GLOSSARY

Useful words and expressions you will need when writing a letter of
application. (Extracted from: HORNBY A.S (2005) Oxford Advanced Learner´s
Dictionary 7th edition- OXFORD University Press).

Be careful! Do not translate literally the degree you are about to get. Find an equivalent
one. What would it be in your case?

BrE: British English

NAmE: North American English.
Acquaintance: a person that you know but who is not a good friend / slight friendship.

E.g: He´s just a business acquaintance.

Colleague: a person that you work with, especially on a profession or a business.

E.g: He´s a colleague of mine from the office.

Companion: a person who has similar tastes/ a person who shares in your work, pleasure,
sadness, etc.

E.g: We became companions in misfortune.

College-University:

 In both BrE and NAmE a college is a place where you can go and study after you
leave secondary school. In Britain you can go to college to study or to receive training
in a particularly skill. In USA you can study for your first degree at a college. A
university offers more advanced degrees in addition to first degrees.
 In NAmE college is often used to mean a university, especially when talking about
people who are studying for their first degree. The is not used when you are talking
about someone studying there. “My son is gone away to college” or “Where did you
go to college?” “Ohio State University”.
 In BrE you can say: “My daughter is at college” or “My daughter is at university”.
In NAmE you cannot use university or college in this way. You use it with a or the
to mean a particular university or college. “My daughter is at college” or “I didn’t
want to go to a large university”
Degree:

 a qualification obtained by students who successfully complete a university or college

course. “My brother has a master’s degree from Harvard” “She has a degree in
Commerce from London University”
 (BrE) a university or college course, normally lasting three years or more: “I´m
hoping to do a chemistry degree”

Bachelor: a person who has a Bachelor´s degree (= a first university degree): a Bachelor of
Arts/Engineering/Science.

BA: (BrE) (NAmE B.A) the abbreviation of Bachelor of Arts (a first university degree in an
ARTS subject); the appropriate verbs to use with this abbreviation are: to be/have/do a BA

MA: (BrE) (NAmE M.A) the abbreviation for “Master of Arts” (a second university degree
in ARTS subject; the appropriate verbs to use with this abbreviation are: to be/have/do a
MA.

PhD: (also Ph.D in NAmE). The abbreviation for “Doctor of Philosophy” (a university
degree of a very high level that is given to somebody who has done research in a particular
subject); the appropriate verbs to use with this abbreviation are: to be/have/do a PhD.

School:

 (NAmE, informal) a college or university; the time that you spend there; famous
schools like Yale and Harvard “Where did you go to school?”
 A department of a college or university that teaches a particular subject: the business/
medical/ law school.
 Graduate school: (NAmE) a part of a college or university where you can study for
a second or further degree.