Outcomes & Assessment

Assessment of the UB Curriculum follows the standards set forth by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). Faculty committees oversee, develop, and implement assessment for each component.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the UB Curriculum you will:

Attain and apply knowledge in written, oral and visual communication; mathematics and quantitative reasoning; and natural sciences.
Acquire, apply, analyze, evaluate and integrate knowledge from a wide range of disciplines.
Attain and apply critical thinking skills to define and solve problems.
Demonstrate an understanding of human and cultural diversity within local and global contexts.
Acquire the knowledge, skills, technologies, ethical judgment and personal responsibility for effective citizenship, professional leadership, and lifelong learning.

Think critically using multiple modes of inquiry.
Analyze disciplinary content to identify contexts, learn fresh perspectives, and debate and discuss problems in the field.
Understand and apply methods of close reading, note taking, analysis, and synthesis.
Recognize and debate ethical issues and academic integrity in a variety of settings.
Demonstrate proficiency in oral discourse and written communication.
Develop essential research and study skills, such as time management.
Understand the academic expectations pertaining to being a student at the University at Buffalo and to higher learning at a research university.

Describe the unique character of higher learning in a university, such as deep domain knowledge, the role of research, and the value of experiential learning.
Articulate the components of the UB general education program and the integration of multiple disciplines.
Understand the requirements for your chosen major or field of study and explore the professions most commonly associated with that major or field.
Understand the necessity for writing/communication in university and professional settings.
Develop essential study skills, such as time management.
Recognize and debate ethical issues and academic integrity in a variety of settings.

Having completed Communication Literacy 1 course, you will be able to:

Compose persuasive arguments in varied media (oral, visual, digital, written) for diverse audiences that reflect common standards of academic, professional, and civic genres
Find, comprehend, evaluate and document sources in a constantly evolving information environment
Support arguments ethically with credible and relevant sources
Improve their writing through a productive writing process that includes drafting, giving and receiving peer feedback and significant revision
Vary written genre conventions appropriately for structure, paragraphing, tone and mechanics
Develop proficiency in evaluating and analyzing written, visual, digital and oral arguments representative of diverse perspectives and voices.

Having completed Communication Literacy 2, you will be able to:

Compose in academic, professional, and/or workplace genres related to a field of study.
Apply writing processes common to that field.
Compose and deliver a professional presentation.
Describe the conventions of genres within a field.
Make effective disciplinary and professional arguments.

Having completed the Math and Quantitative Reasoning course, you will be able to:

Choose appropriate methods or models for a given problem, using information from observation or knowledge of the system being studied.
Employ quantitative methods, mathematical models, statistics, and/or logic to analyze data and solve real-world problems beyond the level of basic algebra.
Identify common mistakes and/or limitations in a.) empirical and/or deductive reasoning, and b.) mathematical, quantitative, and/or logical problem solving.
Interpret mathematical models, formulas, graphs, and/or tables, to draw inferences from them, and explain these inferences.

Having completed the Scientific Literacy and Inquiry sequence, you will be able to:

Demonstrate that scientific knowledge applies across multiple scales of size and/or time.
Demonstrate understanding of and employ the scientific method.
Demonstrate an understanding that science is a continuous process and that our understanding of scientific phenomena has changed across time.
Demonstrate an understanding of how scientific principles are used to solve tangible problems.
Recognize key ethical issues in scientific practice.
Distinguish scientific information from pseudo-scientific information and demonstrate an understanding of the nature of legitimate scientific debate.

Having completed the Diversity in the United States Requirement you will be able to:

Think critically, and with an open mind, about controversial topics stemming from issues such as gender, race, class, ethnicity, religion, and disabilities in American society and the larger world.
Develop an understanding of antiracism and social justice and learn to apply these concepts to specific situations.
Explain how historical and global contexts (such as Western colonial expansion, enslavement, capitalism, gender inequality, immigration, and/or social movements) cause categories of diversity to change over time, and how these contexts have contributed to systems of power, privilege, oppression, and opportunity.
Describe how categories of diversity intersect or connect with each other, creating complex identities and perspectives. Recognize the distinct role of race as a category of diversity in the US and the intersecting effects of race on other categories of diversity.

Having completed the Pathways, you will be able to:

Examine multiple, sometimes competing or conflicting perspectives, and draw connections between your Pathway courses and selected Pathway topics, in order to develop your own view.
Critically reflect on selected Pathway topics through different disciplinary lenses.
Demonstrate an understanding of global issues and events informed by multiple cultures and diverse points of view.

Having completed the Capstone, you will be able to:

Articulate connections across different academic disciplines and perspectives.
Adapt and apply skills, abilities, theories or methodologies acquired in one situation to new situations.
Connect relevant lived experiences and academic knowledge.
Identify a valid learning philosophy and anticipate future challenges where that philosophy can be applied.
Support arguments with relevant and properly cited artifacts and sources.
Integrate different forms of communication to enhance meaning (prose, sound, visual media).
Apply your understanding of digital citizenship to create an academic capstone ePortfolio.