USC Institutional Assessment and Compliance

Examples of Program-Specific Learning Outcomes

The learning outcomes below are examples which may be helpful in providing a starting point for developing learning outcomes for your own syllabi and programs. More than likely they can be improved upon, especially in terms of having specific learning outcomes that are derived from competencies and sub-competencies. If your program has an accrediting agency consider using the learning outcomes they specify, and including additional learning outcomes unique to your program.

If you would like your program’s learning outcomes to be included in this list, please email them to Susanne Hicklin (hicklins@gwm.sc.edu).

Sample learning outcomes are provided for:

Arts & Sciences

Business

Business Administration

Engineering

Civil & Environmental Engineering

Electrical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Bioengineering

Honors Program

Hospitality, Retail, & Sport Management

Hospitality Administration

Retail Operations

Fashion Merchandising

Fashion Research

Industry and Product Knowledge

Recreation and Hospitality Services Marketing

Mass Communications & Information Studies

Library & Information Sciences

Journalism

Communication Studies (Oral, Written, Visual, Public, Organizational, Public Relations)

Interpersonal and Public Communication

Speech Communication

Music

Public Health

Public Health

Health Services and Policy Management

Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior

Health Administration

Exercise Science

Physical Therapy

Speech Pathology

Communication Disorders

Biostatistics

Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Social Work

Program-Specific Learning Outcomes

Arts & Sciences

Microbiology

Knowledge/ Cognitive:

Following Completion of the Microbiology Course students will be able to:

· Use examples of infections, treatment, and epidemiologic control to compare and contrast the characteristics of prions, viruses, bacteria, protozoans, and multicellular parasites.

· Explain the dynamics of commensal and pathological relationships that occur between microbes and humans.

· Evaluate methods of microbial control and apply the proper methods necessary when given a scenario.

· Briefly describe sample metabolic pathways found in microorganisms and their implications for food production and human disease.

· Summarize basic bacterial genetic principles and analyze implications for mutation, genetic recombination, and bacterial control.

· Articulate and diagram the role of the immune system in maintaining homeostasis, challenging infections, and fighting cancer.

Skills/ Psychomotor

Following Completion of the Microbiology Course students will be able to:

· Apply the scientific method by stating a question; researching the topic; determining appropriate tests; performing tests; collecting, analyzing, and presenting data; and finally

· Correctly perform microbiologic lab skills and display a habit of good lab practices which extends to relevant situations in the student’s homes.

Attitudes and behavior/ Affective

Following Completion of the Microbiology Course students will be able to:

· Retrieve, evaluate, and use microbiologic information regarding contemporary issues in the world and relevant to their everyday lives.

http://online.bakersfieldcollege.edu/courseassessment/Section_3_SLOs/Section3_8bSLOcoursesamples.htm#English%202:%20Advanced%20Composition%20and%20Critical%20Thinking%20Student%20Learning%20Outcomes

Art

Upon graduation, students earning any of these degrees should be able to:

· Construct drawings through stages of development from the gesture to the final contour.

· Record the human figure through objective adherence to proportional relationships, notice of negative spaces, value relationships, and line-sighting as methods essential to building the image.

· Create figure drawings that demonstrate awareness of human anatomy and structure as revealed through the form’s surface.

· Produce sustained, investigative drawings that make accurate visual statements of the figure’s form in space.

· Orchestrate the visual elements to produce expressive figure drawings rooted in consideration of strong design principles, and conveying subjective meaning beyond objective fact.

· Select appropriate graphic materials to influence the expressive content of the figurative form.

· Articulate a formal analysis of a drawing and its interpretation based on that analysis.

http://academicaffairs.cmich.edu/caa/assessment/program/outcomes/ccfa.htm

Theatre & Dance

Goal: Students should be able to act.

Outcomes:

· apply acting theory to characterization;

· recognize and perform a wide range of acting styles; and

· act with technical and artistic skill and understanding.

Goal: Students should be able to dance.

Outcomes:

· recognize and differentiate between various forms of dance including, but not limited to, jazz, tap, ballet, and modern; and

· dance with technical and artistic skill and understanding.

· design developmentally appropriate instructional experiences that promote the description and critical analysis of dance works, using a technical vocabulary based on the common elements of the discipline, i.e., space, time, force/energy.

· design and modify developmentally appropriate dance instruction for students of different ages and abilities in a variety of classroom and ensemble settings.

· create developmentally appropriate standards-based curricula that include objectives, instructional strategies, and assessments for dance instruction.

· describe dance and analyze works in their historical and cultural context.

· to analyze how dance and dance education function within the context of schools and communities

http://academicaffairs.cmich.edu/caa/assessment/program/outcomes/ccfa.htm

Business

Accounting

· Students will think systemically about organizations and management processes, by showing that they can take a global perspective regarding accounting procedures and practices, for both descriptive and prescriptive purposes. This perspective requires that students analyze a system or process according to "the big picture," moving from the global to the particular or from the particular to the global.

· Students will work effectively in teams, by exhibiting the kinds of behaviors that mark an effective team member: working cooperatively with others, accepting divergent views, encouraging active participation of others, dealing productively with conflict, and taking leadership roles as the need arises. This will show that they have the interpersonal skills necessary to be a successful accountant.

· Students will demonstrate that they can present the results of their observations and research in a way that is objective, technically accurate, and legally acceptable.

· Students will demonstrate that they can document clearly and precisely their own procedures of observation and research to satisfy both the client’s needs and the requirements of the legal system. Students may demonstrate these abilities in reports to management, memoranda, working papers, and other similar documents.

· Students will make appropriate recommendations based on acute critical analysis.

· Students will identify existing problems, both long-term and short-term problems, by bringing appropriate standards and procedures to bear on information.

· Students will make valid and viable recommendations for solving problems in a way that is useful and convincing for the intended audience or audiences. Students should demonstrate these abilities in one or more appropriate forms: report to management, memorandum, feasibility report, and proposal.

· Students will explain accounting information to lay audiences.

· Students will translate technical accounting material and terminology into terms that can be understood by a variety of audiences not trained in accounting in such a way that it meets the needs of those audiences. Students should demonstrate that they can provide this information in various appropriate forms, such as letters, memos, informal and formal presentations, and executive summaries.

· Students will provide explanations that are suitably brief and organized in a way that clearly reflects the purpose of the explanation and satisfies the needs of the audience.

· Students will give effective oral presentations to a variety of audiences to show that in professional occasions that call for speaking students can conduct themselves with the confidence and naturalness that mark a successful professional and a careful attention to the value of the presentation for the audience.

· Students will use effective technology appropriately, such as PowerPoint, slides, posters, handouts, and transparencies in oral presentations.

· Students will present information in a form that is useful, clear, and well organized and in a manner that inspires confidence in the audience. This ability is especially important when explaining accounting information to lay audiences.

· Students will speak persuasively in situations that require the speaker to argue for a recommendation or to sell a product or service. Students may demonstrate this ability in reports to management, feasibility reports, proposals, etc.

Adapted from: http://www2.chass.ncsu.edu/cwsp/docs/accounting_out.pdf

Economics

· Students will analyze and evaluate positions on economic issues, showing that they can break an economic issue down into the various economic principles and concepts that form the basis of the position and identify the competing sides on the issue.

· Students will critique an economic position in terms of the accuracy of its representations of economic principles and concepts and the soundness of its use of those concepts and principles to make a claim about economics.

· Students will solve real-world economic problems effectively in the context of an industry or field of study, showing that they can identify and collect the appropriate economic data, analyze data in terms of costs and benefits, present economic data and solutions to problems in a way that is clear and accurate, and come to a reasoned judgment concerning benefits within the constraints of costs and can express that judgment convincingly for an audience who must act on it.

· Students will explain economics to lay audiences, showing that they can translate economic concepts and principles into terms that can be understood by both general and specific audiences.

Adapted from: http://www2.chass.ncsu.edu/cwsp/docs/ARE_out.pdf

· identify, and describe to the lay person, the important institutions and determinants of economic activity at the local, regional, national, and international levels, including the basics of fiscal and monetary policy and how each affects the economy.

· explain to the non-economist the fundamental economic problem of scarcity (and tradeoffs); the meaning of a market economy and how markets allocate society's scarce resources; what it means for markets to fail and the role of government in finding solutions for market failure.

· analyze the ethical and social justice dimensions of market and policy outcomes.

· identify key relationships between important variables understand the difference between correlation and cause-and-effect apply algebraic, graphical, and statistical tools to analyses of problems and issues in business and public policy identify the relationship between assumption and interpretation.

· think critically, for example, be able to: summarize low-level articles from professional journals. articulate the connections between the different sub-disciplines of economics. automatically compare and contrast different economic theories.

· employ their discipline knowledge and skills in service to the community, for example, present themselves and interact with others in a professional manner. communicate economic concepts orally .convey economic ideas in a variety of written forms.

http://www.seattleu.edu/assessment/Albers%20Plans/Economics.htm

Business Administration

· Students will be able to apply small business accounting and finance concepts and practices in new venture and small business environments.

· Students will understand and be able to apply basic human resource management concepts and practices in new venture and small business environments.

· Students will be able to use microcomputers for decision support and information retrieval in new venture and small business environments.

Source: University of Southern Mississippi

· Collaborate effectively with others in situations requiring teamwork, leadership, and negotiation

· Demonstrate the ability to organize and present business-related information in written reports

· Demonstrate the ability to organize and professionally present business-related ideas in oral presentations

· Identify a business-related problem, consider alternatives, and reach a conclusion based on logical analysis.

Source: Arapahoe Community College

Engineering

Civil & Environmental Engineering

Upon satisfactory completion of a MS degree in ESE, graduates will be able to:

· Identify sources of environmental contaminants and processes that affect the movement, fate, and health effects of such contaminants in environmental/human systems;

· Describe the rationale for and the approaches used to measure relevant properties of environmental/human systems;

· Develop and/or apply theoretical/computational models to represent important aspects of environmental/human systems and assess their uncertainty;

· Explain the relationships among scientific knowledge, exposure and risk assessment, and environmental management and policy; and

· Demonstrate written and oral communication skills related to environmental sciences and engineering issues.

http://www.sph.unc.edu/envr/degree_details_1235_1886.html#PhD

Civil Engineering

Students will be able to:

· Identify the broad context of civil engineering problems, including describing the problem conditions, identifying possible contributing factors, and generating alternative solution strategies.

· Design the fundamental elements of civil engineering systems, system components and processes, with a good understanding of associated safety, quality, schedule and cost considerations.

· Undertake laboratory, field and other data collection efforts using commonly used measurement techniques to support the study and solution of civil engineering problems.

· Employ mathematics, science, and computing techniques in a systematic, comprehensive, and rigorous manner to support the study and solution of civil engineering problems.

· Synthesize analysis results to provide constructive and creative engineering solutions that reflect social and environmental sensitivities.

· Exhibit good teamwork skills and serve as effective members of multidisciplinary project teams.

· Articulate and justify technical solutions to diverse audiences through oral, written, and graphical communication.

Modified from “BS Civil Engineering Educational Outcomes,” Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering , University Texas at Austin , http://www.ce.utexas.edu/ABET-CE.cfm

Electrical Engineering

Students will be able:

· to critically evaluate alternate assumptions, approaches, procedures, tradeoffs, and results related to engineering problems.

· to design a variety of electronic and/or computer-based components and systems for applications including signal processing, communications, computer networks, and control systems.

· to lead a small team of student engineers performing a laboratory exercise or design project; to participate in the various roles in a team and understand how they contribute to accomplishing the task at hand.

· to use written and oral communications to document work and present project results.

Modified from Electrical Engineering Objectives and Outcomes,” Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Rhode Island http://www.ele.uri.edu/ugprog/electrical/objectives.html

Mechanical Engineering

What students are expected to know at the time of graduation:

· Apply energy, momentum, continuity, state and constitutive equations to thermal, fluids and mechanical systems in a logical and discerning manner.

· Design and perform laboratory experiments for thermal, fluid and mechanical systems to gather data and test theories.

· Design thermal, fluid, mechanical and control systems to meet specifications.

· Participate effectively in the same-discipline and cross-disciplinary groups.

· Identify, formulate, and solve thermal, fluid and mechanical engineering problems by applying first principles, including open-ended problems.

· Develop practical solutions for mechanical engineering problems under professional and ethical constraints.

· Communicate effectively with written, oral, and visual means in a technical setting.

· Recognize the fact that solutions may sometimes require non-engineering considerations such as art and impact on society.

· Recognize environmental constraints and safety issues in engineering

· Use modern modeling and simulation techniques, and computing tools.

Modified from “Program Outcomes and Objectives,” Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering , University of Akron , http://mechanical.uakron.edu/poao.php

Mechanical Engineering

By the end of the educational experience our students should have learned to:

· solve open ended problems,

· complete a design project,

· design a mechanical or thermal system,

· use calculus and differential equations in solving engineering problems,

· solve engineering problems involving basic chemistry and physics

· solve engineering problems using basic industrial engineering principles and methods,

· communicate effectively in writing,

· effectively communicate orally in small and large groups,

· work effectively in teams,

· apply current knowledge and adapt to emerging applications of mathematics, science and technology;

· Conduct, analyze and interpret experiments concerning mechanical engineering technology;

· Use creativity in the design and use of mechanical systems and processes;

· Identify, analyze and solve technical problems associated with mechanical engineering technology;

Modified from “Bioengineering: Student Outcomes,” College of Engineering Assessment Plans , College of Engineering , University of Toledo http://utassessment.utoledo.edu/assessment/engine.pdf

Bioengineering

Desired outcomes of the Bioengineering program are:

· Apply knowledge of life sciences, advanced mathematics (including differential equations and statistics), physical sciences, and engineering to biological and medical systems

· Design, conduct and document laboratory experiments involving biological or medical systems

· Design systems, devices and processes for use in medicine, health care or biological applications

· Identify, formulate, and solve problems at the interface of engineering and biology

· Communicate effectively their work and ideas in oral and written forms

· A recognition of the need for and the ability to engage in life-long learning

· Use modern techniques, skills and tools necessary for bioengineering practice and for disseminating the results of their work

· The ability to obtain, analyze and interpret data from living systems, addressing the problems associated with the interaction between living and non-living materials and systems

Modified from “Bioengineering: Student Outcomes,” College of Engineering Assessment Plans , College of Engineering , University of Toledo http://utassessment.utoledo.edu/assessment/engine.pdf

Honors Program

Upon graduation, Honors students will be able to:

· Assess the existing knowledge, concepts, techniques, and methodology appropriate to the graduate's chosen discipline.

· Conceive and plan a high-quality research and/or creative capstone project in the appropriate disciplinary or multi-disciplinary context.

· Apply discipline-based and/or cross-discipline-based knowledge to design a problem-solving strategy.

· Identify major issues, debates, or approaches appropriate to the discipline.

· Synthesize complex information appropriate to the discipline.

· Select and organize credible evidence to support converging arguments.

· Develop an argument in accordance with the methods of the discipline.

· Solve discipline-based and/or cross-discipline-based problems using strategies appropriate to the subject.

· Employ writing conventions appropriate to the discipline.

· Exhibit disciplined work habits as an individual.

http://academicaffairs.cmich.edu/caa/assessment/program/outcomes/CWP.htm

Hospitality, Retail, & Sports Management

Hospitality Administration

· Examine the functions of human resource management, with special attention to strategic human resource alliances and developing trends.

· Apply accounting and financial information to executive decision making in the hospitality industry.

· Develop marketing & advertising systems for hospitality industries based on the need to create new markets and the need to respond to significant shifts in social and economic patterns.

· Examine service marketing and management concepts relevant to the hospitality industry and explore how these concepts can be applied to service delivery systems.

· Examine research methods including: scientific method, literature review, sampling, statistics, research design and analytical technique.

· Examine mechanisms and techniques employed in the management of hotel management, convention and meetings management, casino management, or food service management.

· Develop strategies to address the challenges of a specific problem in hospitality management on basis of interest and preparation and apply this to their current work environment.

· Conduct independent research in their major area of work on the analysis of a problem for a hospitality organization.

University of Nevada at Las Vegas

Retail Operations

At the end of this program, the students should be able to:

· Describe the “typical” retail stores organizational structure, position responsibilities, and chain-of-command protocol.

· Explain the role of store management in today’s multi-retail environments and identify the skills needed to be successful in store operations management.

· Read, interpret, and use “typical” retail financial data in store operations management

· Describe the basic principles of effective store planning and visual display standards commonly used in the retail industry.

Fashion Merchandising

At the end of this program, the students should be able to:

· Identify and describe the roles the merchant “team” (management, merchant, planner, allocator, support staff) play in the procurement and distribution of merchandise to the multiple channels of retail outlets.

· Read, interpret, and use “typical” retail financial data in the execution of retail merchandising principles.

· Identify the competitive retail markets in which a merchant must function.

· Use basic retail math skills and common inventory planning methods in the daily operation of a merchandising function.

· Describe the inventory sourcing process and methods used to procure merchandise both domestically and internationally.

· Identify the factors that lead to the selection of a retail assortment.

Fashion Research

At the end of this program, the students should be able to:

· Conduct merchandising research.

· Locate pertinent secondary information related to fashion merchandising.