Program Goals & Student Learning Outcomes – Academic Departmental (DSLOs)

Goals are broad statements that describe what the program wants to accomplish

• Students gain knowledge of the histories and cultures of the United States.
• Students gain an understanding of a wide range of methods across the disciplines.
• Students learn how to analyze a wide range of evidence (e.g., written texts, films, paintings, musical compositions, etc.)
• Students learn how to carry on research in American Studies effectively.
• Students learn how to communicate effectively about the histories and cultures of the United States in both written and oral forms.
• Students attain the skills and knowledge necessary for graduate study or a career in American Studies or a related field.

Outcomes describe specific knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes students should demonstrate

• SLO1: Students will demonstrate knowledge of the United States history and cultures.
• SLO2: Students show comprehension of various methodologies across disciplines.
• SLO3: Students are able to analyze evidence.
• SLO4: Students will conduct a research project in American Studies effectively.
• SLO5: Students will be able to communicate effectively in written form.
• SLO6: Students will be able to communicate effectively in oral form.

Goals are broad statements that describe what the program wants to accomplish (not all goals apply to each track in the major or minor)

1. Critical appreciation of the cultures of the ancient world (i.e., Greece, Tome, Ancient Near East).
2. Proficiency at languages and skill at philological interpretation.
3. Fluency with formal analysis as students acquire skills in reading and/or interpreting texts and artifacts (e.g., archaeological evidence, inscriptions) from the ancient world.
4. Knowledge of historical and cultural contexts: students will be able to demonstrate an awareness of basic social, political, literary, philosophical, and artistic developments of Greek, Roman, and Near Eastern history.
5. Proficiency in research methods: students will be able to produce scholarly work that demonstrates a knowledge and understanding of the material evidence from the ancient world and the critical history of approaches to this material.

Outcomes describe specific knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes students should demonstrate (not all outcomes apply to each track in the major or minor).

• SLO1: Students develop an openness to and a keen understanding of the cultures of the ancient world.
• SLO2: Students form a critical awareness of the role of the ancient world in modern culture.
• SLO3: Students will be able to translate a variety of works in a variety of genres from the original Greek or Latin into English and comment meaningfully on aspects of style, word choice, structure of argument, and basic textual problems.
• SLO4: Students produce research papers demonstrating their understanding of historical and cultural changes in the ancient world and their skill in interpreting texts and artifacts.
• SLO5: Students majoring in Ancient Studies/Classics or Classical Languages produce a senior thesis demonstrating their command of research methods, knowledge of the relevant historical and cultural changes, and skill in interpreting texts and artifacts.

Goals are broad statements that describe what the program wants to accomplish

1. Students will acquire knowledge of cultural anthropological concepts and will be able to analyze the interconnections among politics, economics, kinship and family, religion, and expressive and artistic forms within social contexts.
2. Students will gain proficiency in the use of ethnographic methods, and learn to apply cultural anthropological frameworks to research projects.
3. Students will learn how to recognize and critically discuss the relationship of anthropological arguments, debates, and scholarship to major paradigmatic traditions in disciplinary anthropology.
4. Students will be able to relativize taken-for-granted concepts and institutions in their own social world, question the universality of meanings and practices, and critically engage non-academic versions of anthropological theories.

Outcomes describe specific knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes students should demonstrate

• SLO1: Students will demonstrate knowledge of basic cultural anthropological concepts and demonstrate that they can relativize taken-for-granted concepts and institutions in their own social worlds.
• SLO2: Students will demonstrate knowledge of and the ability to utilize cultural anthropological or ethnographic methods.
• SLO3: Students will demonstrate knowledge of major theoretical paradigms and/or longstanding and continuing debates in cultural anthropology.
• SLO4: Students will independently choose a research topic and develop, carry out, and write an anthropological or ethnographic project.

Goals are broad statements that describe what the program wants to accomplish

1. Students will learn basic production skills in contemporary studio art practices.
2. Students will learn to critically situate their work in a historical, disciplinary, interdisciplinary and cultural context.
3. Students will evaluate their own work and that of their peers in both verbal and written forms.

Outcomes describe specific knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes students should demonstrate

• SLO1: Students demonstrate technical, conceptual, aesthetic competencies in their chosen medium.
• SLO2: Students demonstrate critical engagement with contemporary art (artists, themes, movements, theories, and materials) in their work, and an awareness of the nature, function, and value of artworks.
• SLO3: Students recognize well-crafted and critically sound works and articulate this recognition via class critiques, presentations, and written evaluations.

Goals are broad statements that describe what the program wants to accomplish

• Students will learn the importance of preserving cultural resources in archaeology, art, and architecture.
• Students will learn how to analyze conservation problems from different perspectives, including anthropology, archaeology, art history, chemistry and studio art.
• Students will learn how to communicate effectively about art conservation and objects of material culture both orally and in written forms.
• Students will develop artistic skills in working with two-dimensional and three-dimensional materials.
• Students will learn how to conduct research in the discipline and produce senior thesis demonstrating their ability to define a problem; use the available resources (archives, libraries, museums, etc.) to analyze the problem; and present results of the research with clear documentation in clear prose following correct academic form.
• Students will learn to apply a knowledge of general and organic chemistry to problems in art conservation.
• Students working on scientifically focused art-conservation projects will develop hypotheses, test them using quantitative techniques, and explain scientific concepts both verbally and in writing.

Outcomes describe specific knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes students should demonstrate

• SLO1: Students will demonstrate knowledge of works of cultural resources in archaeology, art, and architecture in a range of historical, sociopolitical, and cultural contexts.
• SLO2: Students will demonstrate knowledge of analysis of conservation problems from different perspectives, including anthropology, archaeology, art history, chemistry, and studio art.
• SLO3: Students will communicate effectively about works of art and architecture both orally and in written forms.
• SLO4: Students will demonstrate artistic skills in working with two-dimensional and three-dimensional materials.
• SLO5: Students will produce senior theses demonstrating their ability to define a problem; use the resources readily available in the area (libraries, archives, museums, galleries, etc.) to carry out research; and present the results of their research with full documentation in clear prose following correct academic form.
• SLO6: Students will learn to apply a knowledge of general and organic chemistry to problems in art conservation.
• SLO7: Students working on scientifically focused art-conservation projects will demonstrate development of hypotheses, test them using quantitative techniques, and explain scientific concepts both verbally and in writing.

Goals are broad statements that describe what the program wants to accomplish

1.  Students will learn the importance of preserving cultural resources in art collections, archaeology, archives, and architecture.
2. Students will learn how to analyze preservation problems from different perspectives, including anthropology, archaeology, art history, chemistry and studio art.
3. Students will learn how to communicate effectively about art conservation, heritage science, and objects of material culture both orally and in written forms.
4. Students will develop artistic skills in working with two-dimensional and three-dimensional materials.
5. Students will learn how to conduct research in the discipline and produce senior thesis demonstrating their ability to define a problem; use the available resources (archives, libraries, museums, sites, etc.) to analyze the problem; and present results of the research with clear documentation in clear prose following correct academic form.
6. Students will learn to apply a knowledge of general and organic chemistry to problems in art conservation and heritage science.
7. Students working on scientifically focused art-conservation projects will develop hypotheses, test them using quantitative techniques, and explain scientific concepts both verbally and in writing.

Outcomes describe specific knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes students should demonstrate

• SLO1: Students will demonstrate knowledge of works of cultural resources in art collections, archaeology, archives, and architecture in a range of historical, sociopolitical, and cultural contexts.
• SLO2: Students will demonstrate knowledge of analysis of conservation problems from different perspectives, including anthropology, archaeology, art history, chemistry, and studio art.
• SLO3: Students will communicate effectively about works of art and architecture both orally and in written forms.
• SLO4: Students will demonstrate artistic skills in working with two-dimensional and three-dimensional materials.
• SLO5: Students will produce senior theses demonstrating their ability to define a problem; use the resources readily available in the area (libraries, archives, museums, galleries, etc.) to carry out research; and present the results of their research with full documentation in clear prose following correct academic form.
• SLO6: Students will learn to apply a knowledge of general and organic chemistry to problems in art conservation.
• SLO7: Students working on scientifically focused art-conservation projects will demonstrate development of hypotheses, test them using quantitative techniques, and explain scientific concepts both verbally and in writing.
• SLO8: Students will learn to apply science and technology to cultural heritage to improve understanding, management, and engagement.

Students majoring in biochemistry will:

1. Be able to apply knowledge of chemistry and biology to solve biochemical problems.
2. Possess a breadth of knowledge in organic, physical, and bio-chemistry, as well as genetics, molecular biology, and cellular biology.
3. Be able to identify, formulate, and solve complex biochemical problems.
4. Read and understand original research.
5. Be able to design and conduct experiments.
6. Have a mastery of techniques and skills.
7. Be able to communicate results and findings.

The biology major aims to provide students with skills and knowledge to effectively engage and evaluate biological issues and innovations in the wider world, and to prepare them as leaders in research, biotechnology, and health-related career fields.

A biology major should be able to:

1. Understand foundational scientific principles and findings in the student’s major field of biology.
2. Develop critical thinking and analytical skills by developing specific hypotheses and designing controlled experiments to test those hypotheses.
3. Read, understand, and critique original research articles.

Students who have completed a major in biophysics, when confronted with a natural phenomenon, should be able to examine, model, and analyze the system and effectively communicate the findings.

Specifically, students should be able to:

• Develop a conceptual framework for understanding the system by identifying the key physical principles, relationships, and constraints underlying the system.
• If required, develop a physical experiment to analyze the system within the framework. This includes:
  • Designing the experiment.
  • Making basic order-of-magnitude estimates.
  • Working with standard data-measuring devices such as oscilloscopes, digital multi-meters, signal generators, etc.
  • Identifying and appropriately addressing the sources of systematic error and statistical error in their experiment.
• Translate that conceptual framework into an appropriate mathematical format/model;
  • (a) If the mathematical model/equations are analytically tractable, carry out the analysis of the problem to completion (by demonstrating knowledge of and proficiency with the standard mathematical tools of physics and engineering).
  • (b) If the model/equations are not tractable, develop a computer code and/or use standard software/programming languages (e.g., MATLAB, Maple, Python) to numerically simulate the model system.
• Use with proficiency standard methods of data analysis (e.g., graphing, curve-fitting, statistical analysis, Fourier analysis, etc.).
• Intelligently analyze, interpret, and assess the reasonableness of the answers obtained and/or the model’s predictions.
• Effectively communicate their findings (either verbally and/or via written expression) to diverse audiences.

Students majoring in chemistry will:

1. Be able to apply knowledge of chemistry, physics, and math to solve chemical problems.
2. Possess a breadth of knowledge in analytical, physical, organic, inorganic, and biochemistry.
3. Be able to identify, formulate, and solve complex problems.
4. Have a mastery of techniques and skills used by chemists.

Goals are broad statements that describe what the program wants to accomplish:

Core I

1. First-semester students have a shared intellectual experience.
2. Students are introduced to interdisciplinary approaches to studying problems of historical and contemporary interest.
3. Students develop analytical skills in reading and oral expression through small-group discussions.
4. Students develop writing skills that emphasize argumentation and textual analysis.

Core II

1. Understand how and why different disciplines approach seemingly similar objects of contemporary interest and/or historical importance from different perspectives, leading to different conclusions and material consequences.
2. Use various disciplinary methods.
3. Develop their own written and oral arguments in interdisciplinary contexts.

Core III

1. Students independently and creatively will develop their understanding of different disciplines and interdisciplinary inquiry acquired in Core 1 and 2.
2. Students explore and interrogate the historical construction of a particular field of inquiry.
3. Students formulate, research, and execute a substantial project of their own design.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Core I

• SLO1: Students demonstrate comprehension of key terms from texts and lectures.
• SLO2: Students are able to examine a variety of issues from different disciplinary perspectives.
• SLO3: Students display a comprehension of course materials (i.e., the claims, arguments, interpretations of texts and lectures).
• SLO4: Students display a capacity to present and to respond to claims and arguments orally.
• SLO5: Student essays emphasize argumentation and textual analysis.

Core II

• SLO1: Demonstrate knowledge of various disciplinary methods.
• SLO2: Effectively communicate arguments orally.
• SLO3: Effectively present arguments in written form.

Core III

• SLO1: Student synthesizes and critically explains issues.
• SLO2: Student articulates a clear and informed argument.

Goals are broad statements that describe what the program wants to accomplish

1. Develop awareness of dance/movement as a reflection of culture and personal identity.
2. Develop each individual’s creative/expressive powers through movement.
3. Develop understanding and appreciation of how bodies move physically, and in response to emotional and environmental factors.
4. Develop observational skills and the ability to articulate and form ideas verbally and through movement.
5. Foster a positive group dynamic through shared movement/research/production experiences and dialogue.

Outcomes describe specific knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes students should demonstrate

• SLO1: Students will demonstrate competent level of awareness of dance/movement as a reflection of culture and personal identity.
• SLO2: Students display creative/expressive powers through movement.
• SLO3: Students show ability in functional movement technique.
• SLO4: Students demonstrate appropriate use of discipline-specific vocabulary and concepts, and the ability to link ideas and form arguments.
• SLO5: Students demonstrate historical perspective and broaden understanding of aesthetic criteria.
• SLO6: Students demonstrate the ability to link ideas and form arguments.
• SLO7: Students show they can foster a positive group dynamic.
• SLO8: Students report impact of dance/movement experience on their personal and professional lifelong path.

Goals are broad statements that describe what the program wants to accomplish

• Speak and understand Spanish, as detailed in the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines.
• Read and write the target language.
• Learn the important issues in one or more national traditions represented by the target language.
• Use the target language to discuss, orally and in writing, literary and visual texts of the target culture(s) critically and analytically, with appropriate vocabulary.
• Learn how to identify and incorporate appropriate sources in the target language in their research papers and presentations.

Outcomes describe specific knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes students should demonstrate

• SLO1: Students will be able to speak and understand Spanish at the advanced level.
• SLO2: Students demonstrate proficiency, clarity and fluency in written expression. Students will exhibit knowledge of and the ability to think critically about the historical, cultural, and literary content of the course.
• SLO3: Students demonstrate an understanding of the important issues in one or more national traditions represented by the target language.
• SLO4: Students are able to use target language to discuss, orally and in writing, literary and visual texts of the target culture(s) critically and analytically, with appropriate vocabulary.
• SLO5: Students are able to identify and incorporate appropriate sources in the target language in their research papers and presentations.
• SLO6: Write a senior thesis that articulates a sophisticated argument about a text, series of texts or cultural or sociopolitical topics from the target culture.

Goals are broad statements that describe what the program wants to accomplish

1. Students will gain knowledge in Economics.
2. Students combine and apply acquired disciplinary knowledge.
3. Students are able to recognize valid claims or arguments.
4. Students understand the assumptions, approaches, and debates in their discipline.
5. Students can assess the merit or contribution of their work within the expectations of their discipline.
6. Students communicate effectively to their target audience.

Outcomes describe specific knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes students should demonstrate

• SLO1: Students demonstrate basic skills and abilities with their subject matter.
• SLO2: Students synthesize acquired disciplinary knowledge with that of other disciplines when appropriate.
• SLO3: Student work will demonstrate an ability to accurately summarize the most important findings of previous literature and offer a legitimate and sound critique of existing research.
• SLO4: In theoretical settings, student work should show how proofs and axioms can be used to develop economic models; in applied settings, student work should utilize the appropriate data and empirical methodology.
• SLO5: Student work demonstrates how their topic and approach fits within economics and related disciplines.
• SLO6: Student writing and oral presentations (when applicable) are organized, engage the audience, can be understood by an advanced student in economics, and demonstrate command of the material.

When confronted with an unfamiliar physical system, our students should be able to:

• Develop a framework for understanding the system by identifying the key physical principles underlying the system.
• Translate the conceptual framework into an appropriate mathematical format.
  • (a) If the equations are analytically tractable, carry out the analysis of the problem to completion.
  • (b) If equations are not tractable, develop a computer code and/or use standard software to numerically simulate the model system
• Analyze and assess the reasonableness of the answers obtained.
• Communicate their findings either verbally and/or via written expression.

In a laboratory setting, students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate a working familiarity with standard laboratory equipment.
2. Identify and appropriately address the sources of error in their experiment.
3. Have proficiency with standard methods of data analysis.

Goals are broad statements that describe what the program wants to accomplish

1. Students will learn basic skills in literary studies.
2. Students will learn to see their arguments in historical context.
3. Students will learn to recognize and construct well-formed arguments.
4. Students will learn to articulate their ideas cogently and persuasively in a variety of media / formats including writing and oral presentation.

Outcomes describe specific knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes students should demonstrate

• SLO1:
  • a) Student exhibits the ability to read primary texts closely.
  • b) Student is able to pose effective questions about form, content, and literary devices.
  • c) Student engages with relevant critical approaches and with secondary material in literary studies.
• SLO2:
  • a) Student demonstrates an awareness that her arguments participate in a long-term conversation about the nature, function, and value of literary works.
  • b) Student is able to situate particular textual instances within literary history.
• SLO3:
  • a) Student recognizes well-formed arguments, including recognition of argumentative structure, use of evidence, and a disciplinary framework.
  • b) Student constructs such arguments.
• SLO4:
  • a) Student engages the appropriate audience.
  • b) Student’s work is well-organized.
  • c) Student’s work is of an appropriate length.
  • d) Student’s work is situated within a critical conversation.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Environment and Society Track

1. Understand and describe different cultural, ethnic, racial, and gender perspectives on the environment.
2. Understand, describe, and conduct research on where social justice and environmental issues intersect.

Environmental Policy Track

1. Acquire a working knowledge of the concepts, principles, and theories of environmental policy, law, and politics.
2. Engage in critical thinking about issues and concepts in environmental policy and politics.
3. Locate and analyze research and reports in the field of environmental policy and politics.

Sustainability and the Built Environment Track

1. Understand and analyze sustainable design in a holistic manner.
2. Develop conceptual frameworks for critical inquiry and environmental problems solving.
3. Apply design concepts and skills for sustainability and resilience.
4. Integrate scholarship and analyses to test spatial ideas.

Environmental Science Track

1. Use foundational principles to analyze problems in nature.
2. Develop hypotheses and test them using quantitative techniques.
3. Articulate applications of science in the modern world.
4. Effectively communicate scientific concepts both verbally and in writing.

Goals are broad statements that describe what the program wants to accomplish

1. Student work demonstrates the ability to engage in interdisciplinary and intersectional analysis. Students competently engage with relevant critical approaches in feminist, gender, and queer studies.
2. Student demonstrates an ability to make original evidence-based arguments and engage in analysis of evidence.

Outcomes describe specific knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes students should demonstrate

• SLO1: Student work exhibits the ability to engage in interdisciplinary and intersectional analysis. Students competently engage with relevant critical approaches in feminist, gender, and/or queer studies.
• SLO2: Student demonstrates an ability to make original evidence-based arguments and engage in analysis of evidence.

Goals are broad statements that describe what the program wants to accomplish

1. Speak and understand French at the advanced level, as detailed in the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines.
2. Read and write in French at the Advanced level (ACTFL).
3. Demonstrate an understanding of important issues, past and present, associated with French and Francophone cultures and societies.
4. Discuss in French, both orally and in writing, literary and visual texts or cultural artifacts of the French speaking world.
5. Identify, evaluate and incorporate appropriate sources in research papers, presentations and senior theses.
6. Write an advanced research senior thesis in French (or in English for dual majors) that articulates a clear and convincing argument about texts or cultural artifacts of the target culture.

Outcomes describe specific knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes students should demonstrate

• SLO1: Speak and understand French at the advanced level, as detailed in the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines.
• SLO2: Read and write in French at the Advanced level (ACTFL).
• SLO3: Students can synthesize knowledge in Francophone cultural influences.
• SLO4: Discuss in French, both orally and in writing, literary and visual texts or cultural artifacts of the French speaking world.
• SLO5: Identify, evaluate and incorporate appropriate sources in their research papers, presentations and senior theses.
• SLO6: Write an advanced research senior thesis in French that articulates a clear and convincing argument about texts or cultural artifacts of the target culture.

Goals are broad statements that describe what the program wants to accomplish

1. Students will gain a basic understanding of German grammar and knowledge of vocabulary.
2. Students will gain facility in speaking and understanding German and proficiency and clarity in expressing themselves in oral and written form.
3. Students will gain knowledge, past and present, of: major authors, issues, and trends associated with German society, culture, and literature.
4. Students will gain the ability to analyze, think critically, and express themselves articulately, about primary texts and visual materials, and to use secondary sources to deepen their understanding, in discussions, presentations and written essays and exams.

Outcomes describe specific knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes students should demonstrate

• SLO1: Students competently demonstrate a basic understanding of German grammar and knowledge of vocabulary.
• SLO2: Students demonstrate proficiency, clarity and fluency in written expression. Students will exhibit knowledge of and the ability to think critically about the historical, cultural, and literary content of the course.
• SLO3: Students demonstrate knowledge, past and present, of major authors, issues and trends associated with German society, culture, and literature.
• SLO4: Students are able to analyze, think critically, and express themselves articulately, about primary texts and visual materials, and to use secondary sources to deepen their understanding, in discussions, presentations, and written essays and exams.

Goals are broad statements that describe what the program wants to accomplish

1. Student will study interpretive debates in historical scholarship.
2. Student will learn methodological approaches in historical scholarship.
3. Student will develop competence in specific theme or field.
4. Student will learn to provide evidences that are clear and use well-organized writing.

Outcomes describe specific knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes students should demonstrate

• SLO1: Students will demonstrate understanding of interpretive debates in historical scholarship.
• SLO2: Students will demonstrate understanding in methodological approaches in historical scholarship.
• SLO3: Students will demonstrate competence in specific theme or field.
• SLO4: Student will show evidence that is clear and demonstrate well-organized writing.
• SLO5: Student will formulate an individual argument based on close reading and analysis of primary and secondary sources.

Goals are broad statements that describe what the program wants to accomplish

1. Student acquires an appreciation of the importance of theory for critical thinking.
2. Student undertakes interdisciplinary analysis informed by critical thinking.

Outcomes describe specific knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes students should demonstrate

• SLO1: Student is able to understand the texts, methodologies and goals characterizing schools of theoretical (critical) inquiry.
• SLO2: Student is able to articulate new approaches to questions, topics and themes associated with traditional disciplines.

Goals are broad statements that describe what the program wants to accomplish

1. Students will gain a basic understanding of Italian grammar and knowledge of vocabulary.
2. Students will gain facility in speaking and understanding Italian, and proficiency and clarity in expressing themselves in oral and written form.
3. Students will gain knowledge, past and present, of: major authors, issues, and trends, associated with Italian society, culture, and literature.
4. Students will gain the ability to analyze, think critically, and express themselves articulately, about primary texts and visual materials, and to use secondary sources to deepen their understanding, in discussions, presentations and written essays and exams.

Outcomes describe specific knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes students should demonstrate

• SLO1: Students competently demonstrate a basic understanding of Italian grammar and knowledge of vocabulary.
• SLO2: Students demonstrate proficiency, clarity and fluency in written expression. Students will exhibit knowledge of and the ability to think critically about the historical, cultural, and literary content of the course.
• SLO3: Students demonstrate knowledge, past and present, of major authors, issues and trends associated with Italian society, culture, and literature.
• SLO4: Students are able to analyze, think critically, and express themselves articulately, about primary texts and visual materials, and to use secondary sources to deepen their understanding, in discussions, presentations, and written essays and exams.

Goals are broad statements that describe what the program wants to accomplish

• Students will gain a basic understanding of Italian grammar and knowledge of vocabulary.
• Students will gain facility in speaking and understanding Italian, and proficiency and clarity in expressing themselves in oral and written form.
• Students will gain knowledge, past and present, of: major authors, issues, and trends, associated with Italian society, culture, and literature.
• Students will gain the ability to analyze, think critically, and express themselves articulately, about primary texts and visual materials, and to use secondary sources to deepen their understanding, in discussions, presentations and written essays and exams.

Outcomes describe specific knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes students should demonstrate

• SLO1: Students competently demonstrate a basic understanding of Italian grammar and knowledge of vocabulary.
• SLO2: Students demonstrate proficiency, clarity and fluency in written expression. Students will exhibit knowledge of and the ability to think critically about the historical, cultural, and literary content of the course.
• SLO3: Students demonstrate knowledge, past and present, of major authors, issues and trends associated with Italian society, culture, and literature.
• SLO4: Students are able to analyze, think critically, and express themselves articulately, about primary texts and visual materials, and to use secondary sources to deepen their understanding, in discussions, presentations, and written essays and exams.

Goals are broad statements that describe what the program wants to accomplish

1. Students gain computational skills and abilities.
2. Students obtain a breadth and depth of mathematical knowledge sufficient for them to pursue graduate study in mathematics.
3. Students learn to assess the validity of a mathematical argument.
4. Students develop an awareness of the interconnections between different areas of mathematics.
5. Students gain the confidence and competence to independently acquire, discuss, and apply mathematical knowledge.

Outcomes describe specific knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes students should demonstrate

• SLO1: Students demonstrate computational skills and abilities.
• SLO2: Students exhibit in their work precise understanding of definitions and mathematical concepts.
• SLO3: Students are able to combine and apply acquired mathematical knowledge.
• SLO4: Students are able to create and write proofs in accordance with the standards of mathematical rigor.
• SLO5: Students are able to effectively read, write, listen to, question and convey orally rigorous mathematical ideas and arguments.

Students majoring in molecular biology should be able to:

1. Understand foundational scientific principles and findings in current molecular biology.
2. Discuss and analyze original scientific research articles in molecular biology.
3. Interpret data, including identification of control versus experimental samples.
4. Design controlled experiments to test specific hypotheses.

Goals are broad statements that describe what the program wants to accomplish

• Demonstrate notational literacy in and understand the constructs of tonal music.
• Demonstrate accomplishment in one area of either music scholarship, performance, or composition:
  • Write critically about music, showing skills in evaluating performance and/or writings about music, and integrating disciplinary knowledge with that of other disciplines such as other arts, literature, anthropology, history, science.
  • Perform music, communicating effectively to an audience.
  • Develop skill in composing music, with an understanding of the structures of other composed musics.

Outcomes describe specific knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes students should demonstrate

• SLO1: Demonstrate literacy in tonal musical language.
• SLO2A: Write critically about music, exhibiting knowledge of musicological, ethno-musicological, and/or theoretical issues and terminology.
• SLO2B: Present music performance.
• SLO2C: Create and present performance of musical compositions.

The neuroscience major aims to provide students with skills and knowledge to prepare them to effectively engage and evaluate issues and innovations in neuroscience. In particular, the program prepares students for graduate programs in neuroscience and contributes towards the preparation for professional programs such as biotechnology and medicine.

A neuroscience major should be able to:

1. Understand the structure and function of the nervous system at various levels of organization;
2. Understand a number of research techniques in neuroscience and gain training in evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of various methods;
3. Design experiments, analyze data, and think critically;
4. Critically evaluate published scientific literature.

The organismal biology major of the W.M. Keck Science Department provides students with the skills and knowledge to effectively engage and evaluate biological science issues and innovations in the wider world, and to take leadership roles in fields including research, health and veterinary professions, and environmental management.

Students majoring in Organismal Biology should be able to:

1. Articulate the foundational scientific principles and findings in physiology, ecology, and evolutionary biology.
2. Apply foundational principles, especially evolution, in different biological subdisciplines.
3. Refine critical, analytical, and scientific thinking skills by developing scientific questions and using a variety of research tools and methods towards answering them.
4. Read, understand, and critique original research articles.
5. Use appropriate quantitative approaches for data analysis, data presentation, and modeling.
6. Articulate how science relates to current problems in the modern world, especially contemporary concerns such as conservation biology, climate change, and ecosystem degradation.

Goals are broad statements that describe what the program wants to accomplish

1. Students develop critical reasoning.
2. Students develop analytical writing skills.
3. Students gain understanding of fundamental analytical philosophical issues.
4. Students attain knowledge of the history of philosophy.
5. Students develop philosophical reading comprehension skills.

Outcomes describe specific knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes students should demonstrate

• SLO1: Students demonstrate critical reasoning, provide justifying reasons for their views and critically evaluate arguments.
• SLO2: Students demonstrate ability to develop coherent lines of argument with clear theses and justifying reasons.
• SLO3: Students demonstrate understanding of basic analytical philosophical issues and their significance.
• SLO4: Students demonstrate familiarity with the historical development of philosophy.
• SLO5: Students demonstrate ability to comprehend written arguments in a wide range of texts in different areas of philosophy and make appropriate use of textual evidence.

When confronted with an unfamiliar system or situation, physics students should be able to:

1. Develop a conceptual framework for understanding the system by identifying the key physical principles and relationships underlying the system.
2. Translate that conceptual framework into a quantitative/mathematical model suitable for analysis.
3. Investigate the model via a variety of analytical and/or numerical methods.
4. Intelligently analyze, interpret, and assess the reasonableness of the model’s predictions.
5. Effectively communicate their findings (either verbally and/or via written expression) to diverse audiences.

In a laboratory setting, physics students should be able to:

1. Design an appropriate experiment to test out a hypothesis of interest.
2. Make basic order-of-magnitude estimates; identify and address the sources of error and uncertainty in an experiment.
3. Demonstrate a working familiarity with standard laboratory equipment (e.g., oscilloscopes, DMMs, signal generators, etc.).
4. Demonstrate proficiency with standard methods of data analysis (e.g., graphing, curve-fitting, statistical analysis, Fourier analysis, etc.).
5. Intelligently analyze, interpret, and assess the reasonableness of their experimental results.
6. Effectively communicate their findings (either verbally and/or via written expression) to diverse audiences.

Goals are broad statements that describe what the program wants to accomplish

1. Students develop a broad understanding of political processes, institutions, actors, behavior, and ideas.
2. Students will learn to identify assumptions and critically evaluate arguments made in both academic and popular political contexts.
3. Students combine and apply acquired disciplinary knowledge with that of other disciplines.
4. Students acquire essential skills for research, writing, analysis, and effective oral communication.
5. Students may develop outside of the classroom alternative perspectives on political affairs by engaging in internships, study abroad, and community engagement experiences.

Outcomes describe specific knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes students should demonstrate

• SLO1: Students competently demonstrate working knowledge of a range of analytical approaches, concepts, theories and methodologies relevant to Political Science and its five major sub-fields.
• SLO2: Students are able to identify assumptions and critically evaluate arguments made in both academic and popular political contexts.
• SLO3: Students can demonstrate ability to link politics, history, economics, and culture.
• SLO4: Students can effectively communicate in oral and written form.
• SLO5: Students will participate in civic engagement activities.

Goals are broad statements that describe what the program wants to accomplish

Upon completion of a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Psychology, students will broadly:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the theoretical frameworks and empirical evidence that form the core of the field, and methodological approaches for independent research, for at least 4 of the following areas taught in the Department. Note that all students take at least 1 course in basic processes and 1 course in social processes:
  • Abnormal Psychology
  • Clinical Neuropsychology
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Cultural Psychology
  • Decision Making
  • Developmental Psychology (Child, Adolescent, Adult)
  • Emotion – Psychology and Law
  • Psychology of Aging
  • Psychology of Stereotyping/ Prejudice
  • Psychology of Women
  • Psychology of Work and Family
  • Research Methods & Statistics (Required for all majors)
  • Social Neuroscience
  • Social Psychology

Outcomes describe specific knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes students should demonstrate

• SLO1: Students will describe critical importance of scientific approaches to human mental processes and behavior.
• SLO2: Students will describe core psychological theories and the evidence supporting them.
• SLO3: Students will demonstrate ability to design, perform, and evaluate research projects.
• SLO4: Students will identify and apply research ethics, both in terms of human participants’ protection and in terms of scientific communication.
• SLO5: Students will form a written scientific argument in support of a scientific thesis by marshaling the available evidence, both for and against.
• SLO6: Students will relate psychology to contemporary issues, including those with relevance to women as individuals and as members of society.
• SLO7: Students will design, carry out, and report an independent research project.
• SLO8: Students will use computer software to conduct statistical analyses.
• SLO9: Students will write thesis-driven and evidence-based manuscripts in the style of the American Psychological Association.
• SLO10: Students will make public presentations, drawing on theory and evidence, in support of a scientifically informed theory/thesis in psychology.

Goals are broad statements that describe what the program wants to accomplish

1. Majors will acquire specialized knowledge in at least one religious tradition, including its histories, rituals, beliefs, and ongoing issues through close examination of diverse bodies of evidence (religious texts, traditions, material cultures, and secondary scholarship).
2. Gain proficiency in the interdisciplinary methodologies of Religious Studies (social scientific, literary, historical, theoretical, philosophical and cultural), while learning to evaluate the utility of these disciplinary approaches, and cultivate attitudes of empathetic study as well as critical distance toward objects of study.
3. Be able to place religious traditions, issues, and debates in broader global and political contexts, with special sensitivities to the roles that religions can and do play in the articulation of national, racial, and gender identities.
4. Learn how to conduct extended research that critically analyzes the theoretical implications of a religious phenomenon across broader social and cultural perspectives.

Outcomes describe specific knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes students should demonstrate

• SLO1: Students will demonstrate knowledge of the contexts and contents of one specific religious tradition.
• SLO2: Students will be able to select and apply an interdisciplinary framework to the study of a particular religious phenomenon and demonstrate its intellectual effectiveness.
• SLO3: Students will be able to connect religious traditions, issues, and debates across global and political contexts in designated assignments.
• SLO4: Students will independently develop, investigate, and synthesize a research topic on a religious phenomenon.

Students completing a major in Science Management should demonstrate the ability to:

1. Master the principles in their specific sequence/track (molecular biology, environmental biology, chemistry, physics, or other fields) and acquire the ability to apply them to solving problems including research questions.
2. Master the fundamental principles of economics and accounting.
3. Gain experience in the world outside the classroom.

Goals are broad statements that describe what the program wants to accomplish

1. Students will develop their critical reading, writing, and thinking skills.
2. Students will develop their rhetorical/argumentative knowledge and ability.
3. Students will practice college-level writing and research processes.
4. Students will learn to transfer writing skills across genres and audiences.

Outcomes describe specific knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes students should demonstrate

• SLO1: Students’ work critically engages with language and ideas from a variety of texts.
• SLO2: Students can define a position in a critical conversation and develop original arguments in ways appropriate to the genre.
• SLO3: Students will approach writing as a recursive process, using multiple drafts and relevant resources in developing their own work.
• SLO4: Students control mechanics, usage, grammar, and style, implementing voice, tone, and level of formality appropriate for the audience.
• SLO5: Students can select, summarize, and analyze appropriate primary and secondary sources and use them to contribute to a critical conversation.