Learning Goals
Program
Learning Goals' number
Description of Learning Goals
Weissman School of Arts & Sciences
Undergraduate
Programs
1
2
3
4
5
Biological Sciences
6
7
8
9
Communication Studies
Design and carry out a laboratory
and/or field experiment or theoretical
project.
Analyze data and explain
appropriateness of the analytical
method to the particular study.
Read and critically evaluate primary
literature.
Give an oral presentation.
Write a report based on an experiment
or theoretical project following the
standard composition guidelines for
scientific articles.
State fundamental scientific theories
and explain the observations and
experimental evidence on which they
are based.
Explain the inter-relationships within
and among organisms in the context of
basic chemical and physical laws.
Describe the ethical implications of
biological research for test organisms,
the environment, and society in
general.
Develop the skills and experience
required to pursue a career that
includes graduate programs in health
care or biological research.
Pilot Goals
1
Students graduating from our program
will be able to construct and
communicate logically sound,
effectively evidenced, well-organized,
stylistically felicitous arguments that
are appropriately tailored to a given
audience.
2
Students graduating from our program
will be able to identify, analyze and
apply major theoretical approaches in
the communication disciplines for use
in business and professional ventures
English
Students completing a major in English
should be able to write cogent essays
developing a persuasive interpretation
for a literary work and arguing for that
interpretation through commentary on
the text; formal, thematic or stylistic
analysis; and contextualization in terms
of literary, cultural, political, or
intellectual theory.
Fine and Performing Arts
Identify and apply the fundamental
concepts and methods of art, music
and theater, exploring creative
expression. Demonstrate knowledge of
the skills involved in the creative
process in art, music, and theater.
1
Explain Causality in history or how and
why change occurs.
2
Identify and explain differing schools of
historical interpretations.
3
Identify and explain the thesis, major
arguments, strengths, and weaknesses
of scholarly books and journal articles.
4
Use primary and secondary evidence in
support of observations and claims.
History
5
6
Present research outcomes orally and
in formal written papers.
Identify and explain significant
historical issues and trends in three
areas of the globe.
7
8
1
2
3
Journalism
4
5
6
Describe the factors that caused the
major transformations in any epoch, be
they social, economic, political, or
cultural.
Think historically; place people and
events within their historical contexts
and explain relationships in terms of
causality and chronological
development.
Write clear and well-organized prose
that includes grammatically correct
sentences in a variety of styles and,
where appropriate, employs narrative
that show the reader what happened in
contrast to telling the reader.
Employ journalistic concepts such as
the lead (the opening paragraph) the
"nut graph" (an explanatory paragraph
that follows the lead), and background
information, including quotes, that
provides context.
Employs the tolls of journalistic
reporting and research such as:
identifying quality sources, effective
interviewing, evaluating data, assessing
information on the internet, and
verifying all source material.
(Business journalism major) Analyze
and incorporate into articles data from
economic reports; track financial
markets; evaluate corporate earnings.
(Creative writing major) Develop a
voice; become familiar with a range of
writing forms; identify and employ
symbolism, subtext, and selective
omission.
Understand the value of independent
journalism and the role of the press in a
free society; recognize journalismrelated legal risks in newsgathering;
understand rights of access to
government institutions; critically
evaluate news accounts for credibility,
quality and accuracy.
7
8
9
Report on issues, institutions, ideas,
and trends in society, and do so in a
manner understandable to a lay
readership.
Practice multimedia journalism
including audio and video reporting;
retain the essential values of accuracy
and balance with the tools and
priorities of new media.
Embrace the core ethical values of
journalism, avoiding plagiarism and
fabrication and understand why they
are unacceptable.
Musical/Creative
Music
1.1
Recognize written and auditory musical
elements such as keys, scales, intervals,
and chords.
1.2
Organize these elements into sensibly
functioning units and to identify these
elements so-arranged in composition of
others,
1.3
Apply this ability to create elementary
musical works, typically realized on the
keyboard and by string quartet.
2.1
2.2
2.3
Historical/Cultural
Comprehend musical terminology and
apply those terms to identify and
describe a broad range of compositions
both within and outside of the Western
Art tradition.
Classify musical sound according to
style, historical period, and genre and
to analyze formal and stylistic
structures in music.
Differentiate between musical works
from various cultures and time periods
and to show relationships among them.
2.4
Analyze diverse source documents and,
in light of these analyses, to critique
and appraise musical compositions and
performances.
2.5
Describe how music functions as a
cultural force in Western and non-
Western societies.
2.6
Demonstrate the ability to assemble,
organize and evaluate evidence and to
synthesize that information in original,
MLA-style research papers.
Commercial/Entrepreneurial (MME
and Music Minor only)
3.1
Draw generalizations about the
business of music from specific
historical and contemporary examples.
3.2
Transfer academic knowledge about
the arts and entertainment industry to
a music-related internship.
3.3
Communicate that knowledge to those
in the business and to evaluate
occupational objectives.
Political Science Concepts
Gain a broad Exposure to central issues
of political science, which include:
a. The ethical problems attendant to
the exercise of power.
1.1
Political Science
b. The history of important political
ideas, such as "liberty", "justice",
"community", and "equality".
c. The impact of historical, economic,
and social forces on the operation of
politics.
d. The functioning and distinctive
features of the US political system.
e. The diversity of political systems
found among nations and the
significance of these differences.
f. The interaction among international
actors and the cause of war and peace.
1.2
2.1
Apply a key concept, theory, or method
of political science to analyze a political
question.
Critical Thinking Skills
Articulate a thesis regarding a political
question.
2.2
2.3
3
4
5
Consider alternative perspectives
regarding a political question.
Evaluate evidence regarding a political
question.
Research Skills
Gather appropriate evidence pertinent
to a political question.
Written and Oral Expression
Craft a well-structured written or oral
argument regarding a political
question.
Civic Engagement
Develop a greater sense of civic duty to
participate in public affairs
Logical Reasoning
Upon completion of a major or minor in
philosophy, students will exhibit an
improved ability to reason logically, and
demonstrate, in particular:
1.1
1.2
1.3
Philosophy
2.1
2.2
A sounder grasp of the notions of
“truth,” “soundness,” and “validity” in
logic
A clearer understanding of various
forms of logical fallacy
An enhanced competence in
recognizing and constructing logically
well-formed arguments.
Philosophical Argumentation
Upon completion of a major or a minor
in philosophy, students will exhibit an
augmented capacity to identify,
articulate and evaluate arguments in
main areas and regarding major issues
of philosophy, and demonstrate, in
particular:
a clearer understanding of what
constitutes a philosophical position or
argument
an improved ability to identify and
analyze reasons that contribute to the
justification or invalidation of
philosophical positions or arguments
2.3
a more lucid comprehension of the
relations (e.g., entailment) between
(pre‐)philosophical commitments and
philosophical positions or arguments.
Key Philosophers and Key Positions
Upon completion of a major or a minor
in philosophy, students will exhibit a
more comprehensive and nuanced
knowledge of the salient arguments
and positions of certain key
philosophers in the tradition, including
(but not limited to) Socrates, Plato,
Aristotle, Aquinas, Hume, Kant, and
Marx.
1
2
3
Psychology
4
5
6
1
Sociology
2
Compare and contrast the basic
content areas and methodologies of
psychology.
Evaluate different theoretical
approaches in psychology and explain
why different approaches use different
methodologies.
Think critically about psychological
issues and be able to express those
thoughts both in written and oral form.
Design and interpret the results of a
psychological study.
Explain statistical methods of
organizing and analyzing quantitative
data, be able to conduct statistical
analyses of data, and interpret the
results of those analyses.
Articulate historical perspective of
different theories of psychology and
how the field has evolved.
Demonstrate familiarity with and ability
to apply major paradigms of classical
and/or contemporary sociological
theory
Deploy the sociological imagination to
examine and analyze the effects of
social structure on individual life
chances
3
Describe and apply sociological
research methodologies
4
Apply sociological approaches to
analyze patterns of inequality, including
stratification of gender, race, class,
nationality, disability, age, religion and
sexual orientation
5
Analyze contemporary US society
within the global context
Knowledge of the field
1.1
1.2
1.3
Spanish
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7
Read, discuss, present, and write in the
language at the level appropriate for
advanced students.
Identify and/or negotiate among
phonetic, semantic, grammatical,
syntactical, socio-political and/or
cultural differences between Spanish
and English and varieties of Spanish.
Understand the nature of cultural,
literary and/or filmic texts within
particular historical and socio-political
contexts.
Analyze individual literary and/or filmic
texts within the cultural, historical, and
aesthetic traditions from which they
arise.
Identify and situate major aesthetic
movements, currents and tendencies in
Hispanic literature and/or film over
time.
Differentiate the formal conventions of
major literary genres (essay, poetry,
novel, short story, theater).
Understand and articulate the
strategies and structures that
constitute literary and/or filmic texts.
Critical Thinking and Research Skills
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
Master the fundamental aspects of
critical analysis, including evidence
substantiation through research and
bibliographical references, and
application of the appropriate
terminology.
Communicate effectively, both orally
and in writing, the results of his/her
own research and the research of
others.
Write thesis-driven and descriptive
essays on sophisticated themes that
are pertinent to the study of literature
and/or film in the context of the
cultures in which the texts are
produced.
Demonstrate critical and close reading
skills and the ability to make crosscultural and interdisciplinary
connections.
Civic Engagement
3.1
Establish connections between the
formal study of cultural literacy, and
critical texts and social and cultural
issues pertinent to Hispanic
communities both locally and abroad.
3.2
Participate in activities in the local
community that complement or require
implementation of the knowledge and
skills gained through the course work.