---
title: Use your institution's own words with Terminology
description: >-
  Replace built-in words such as Course, Module or Cohort with your
  institution's own terms in English, German and Spanish under Settings →
  Organization & Access Rights → Terminology, and fine-tune single texts with
  key overrides.
sidebar:
  order: 7
---

**Terminology** lets you replace Fuxam's built-in words, such as **Course**, **Module**, or **Cohort**, with the words your institution actually uses, in English, German, and Spanish. You find it under **Settings → Organization & Access Rights → Terminology**.

:::tip
Start with the singular and plural forms of a term and save. Only open the key overrides (the settings icon next to a term) if a single text still reads wrong afterwards.
:::

## Why it matters

Every institution has its own vocabulary. One says "Courses", another "Classes" or "Lectures"; a vocational school may say "Learning field" instead of "Module". When Fuxam uses the same words as your study regulations and timetables, students and staff find things faster and ask fewer questions.

## Before you start

| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Permission | Your role needs the Terminology settings permission (`read-write:settings-terminology`). Without it, **Terminology** does not appear under **Settings → Organization & Access Rights** |
| Active features | **Course** is always listed. The other terms only appear when the matching feature is active for your institution (see the table below) |
| Agreed wording | Agree on the singular and plural in every language first, so English, German, and Spanish stay consistent |

## Which terms you can rename

| Term | Default (EN · DE · ES) | Listed when |
|---|---|---|
| **Course** | Course · Kurs · Curso | Always |
| **Module** | Module · Modul · Módulo | Modules and curricula are active |
| **Module Group** | Module Group · Modulgruppe · Grupo de módulos | Modules are active and your institution does not use the module hierarchy |
| **Submodule** | Submodule · Untermodul · Submódulo | Modules are active and your institution uses the module hierarchy |
| **Cohort** | Cohort · Kohorte · Cohorte | Study programs and cohorts are active |
| **Curriculum** | Curriculum · Curriculum · Plan de estudios | Modules and curricula are active |
| **Study Program** | Study Program · Studiengang · Programa de estudios | Study programs and cohorts are active |
| **User** | User · Benutzer · Usuario | User management is active |
| **Exam** | Exam · Prüfung · Examen | Exam management is active |

Use the navigation on the left of the page to jump to a term.

## How to rename a term

1. Open **Settings → Organization & Access Rights → Terminology**.

2. Find the term, for example **Course**. Each term has six fields: **Singular (EN)**, **Plural (EN)**, **Singular (DE)**, **Plural (DE)**, **Singular (ES)**, and **Plural (ES)**. Under each field, **Default:** shows the built-in word.

3. Enter your words, for example "Class" and "Classes". Singular and plural are replaced separately, so fill in both forms in every language you want to change. An empty field leaves that form unchanged.

4. An **Unsaved changes** bar appears. Click **Save** to apply your changes, or **Discard** to drop them.

5. Reload a page in Fuxam and check that the new words appear.

:::warning
Save before you open another Settings page. If you leave **Terminology** without saving, your unsaved changes are dropped.
:::

## How to fine-tune single texts

Sometimes a replacement reads awkwardly in one sentence. The key overrides let you check and edit each text that contains a term.

1. Next to the term, click the settings icon (**Configure translation key overrides**). The page **Configure Terminology Overrides** opens for that term.

2. Under **Language**, choose **English**, **German**, or **Spanish**. The page lists the texts (translation keys) that contain the term, for example "12 translation keys containing "Course" · 3 selected".

3. Use **Search Term** to look for other wording, for example a compound word.

4. Each card shows the **Original** text and a **Preview**. Tick a card to override it: an **Override (EN)** field (or DE, ES) appears, already filled with your replacement. Edit the text as you like.

5. Keep anything written as `{{vocab:X}}` as it is. The page warns that these placeholders are filled in from your defined terminology and are not shown in that form.

6. Click **Save** in the **Unsaved changes** bar. You see **Changes saved successfully**. Use the back arrow to return to **Terminology**.

To keep the original wording in one text, untick its card and save.

## Reset a term

Click the reset icon (**Reset to default**) next to the term, then click **Save**. This clears all six fields and removes the key overrides that belong to that term. The icon is only active when the term has custom words. Clearing all six fields by hand has the same effect.

## Best practices

- Change one term at a time, save, and check a few pages before you move on.
- Always fill in singular and plural in every language you use, so menus and sentences match.
- Use the key overrides only for single texts that read wrong, not as a replacement for the six fields.
- Write down which terms you changed and why, so later admins understand your choices.

## Common pitfalls

| Pitfall | What happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Only the singular is filled in | Lists and headings still use the default plural | Fill in **Plural** for every language you change |
| Leaving the page without saving | Your changes are dropped | Click **Save** in the **Unsaved changes** bar first |
| A term is missing from the list | You cannot rename it | The matching feature is not active for your institution. Module Group and Submodule depend on whether you use the module hierarchy |
| **This term is not available** | You are sent back from the overrides page | The term is hidden for your current module settings and cannot be changed while it is hidden |
| **Terminology** is missing in Settings | You cannot open the page | Ask an administrator to add the Terminology settings permission to your role |

## FAQ

**Does this change data, such as course names?**

No. Terminology changes the words in Fuxam's interface texts. The names of your courses, modules, or cohorts stay as you entered them.

**Do I have to fill in all three languages?**

No. Fill in the languages your users work in. Languages you leave empty keep the default words.

**What happens to my overrides if I change the term again later?**

Texts you edited yourself on the overrides page keep your wording. Texts you untick keep the original. To start over, use **Reset to default**.

**Why do I see Module Group but not Submodule (or the other way round)?**

Fuxam shows the term that matches how your institution structures modules. With the module hierarchy you see **Submodule**; without it you see **Module Group**.

## Related pages

**[Settings overview](/docs/fuxam-web/settings)**

Map of institution Settings areas.

**[Roles and permissions](/docs/fuxam-web/base/user-management/roles-and-permissions)**

Give a role access to the Terminology settings.

**[Permissions, features and visibility](/docs/fuxam-web/settings/permissions-and-features)**

How packages, settings, and roles decide what appears.

**[Audit Logs](/docs/fuxam-web/settings/audit-logs)**

See who changed what in your institution.

