Terminology
While all universities do basically the same thing, they do not always use the same names for the same things. This is confusing, and many might argue that it should be stopped. In the meantime, this list will hopefully clear up what various terms mean at the University of Leeds.
Students enrol on a Degree Programme. Examples of such programmes might be "MSc in Computing" or "BSc in Information Systems". Degree Programmes sometimes have specialisms, such as "BSc in Computer Science with Artificial Intelligence".
A degree programme consists of a number of modules. Other names for modules at other universities might be "unit" or "course". PRF, as described in this portfolio, is a module.
The person in overall charge of delivering a module is the module leader.
There is no such thing at the University of Leeds as a course. The term is used by the careless to refer to degree programmes and modules, but this is never correct usage.
Modules exist at a number of levels. A module intended for students in the first year of their programme is called "level 1", and so on. Modules at Masters level are called "Level 5". PRF was a level 5 module.
Students enrol for a number of years. It is usual (but there are exceptions) for a student in their first year to be at level 1, and taking level 1 modules. It is common for a student to be allowed to take a small number of modules from a level below their current year; a second year student is quite likely to take a level 1 module, for example. The careless sometimes refer to years when they mean levels, and vice versa.
Each module will be worth a certain number of credits. A programme therefore consists of a number of credits, and students will be required to pass a certain number of these in order to graduate from the programme. Modules are typically worth between 5 and 20 credits (in units of 5); PRF was worth 15 credits. The students taking PRF would take 180 credits as part of their programme.
The annual period of teaching is called a session. It normally starts around the third week in September and finishes at the end of June.
The session is made up of two semesters of about twelve weeks. The first semester starts at the end of September and finishes in early January. The second starts at the beginning of February and finishes at the end of May. Both have four week gaps for Christmas and Easter respectively. Other universities might call these periods "terms". PRF was taught in the first semester of the 2005/06 session.
There is an assessment period at the end of each semester. PRF was examined in the assessment period at the end of the first semester (that is, in January 2006). The students receive results at the end of each assessment period.
In summary, PRF was a module, taught as part of a degree programme during the first semester of the session 2005/06.