Student Learning Outcomes Assessment

Graduate Program in Marine Sciences and Limnology

Ph.D. in Marine Biology

Mission Statement: The Graduate Program in Marine Sciences and Limnology (GPMSL) is committed to providing quality graduate education through student-faculty collaboration in research and scholarly endeavor.

Goal Statement: Graduates will have a strong fundamental understanding of the biology of marine organisms; a rigorous, in-depth knowledge of their specialty; understanding of the principles that guide the design and execution of high-quality research; and experience in the design and execution of original research. Graduates will be able to teach and to communicate scientific issues to the public.

I. Intended Outcomes/Objectives

  1. Graduates will be competent independent researchers in the Marine Biology.
  2. Graduates will be prepared to teach Marine Biology at the College or University level.
  3. Graduates will have broad knowledge of research needs and standards in the field of Marine Biology, such that they could be competent science managers at the senior executive level.
  4. Graduates will have excellent oral and written communication skills.

II. Assessment Criteria and Procedures

  1. All students must pass a written Qualifying Exam, which assesses broad disciplinary knowledge, the ability to apply that knowledge to interdisciplinary problems in the marine sciences, and in-depth knowledge of the field of specialization. [For all outcomes]
  2. Students are required to write a dissertation interpreting the results of original research. [For outcomes 1,2, and 4]
  3. Students are required to pass an oral defense of the dissertation, which includes a public presentation. [For outcomes 2 and 4]
  4. 80% of graduates seeking employment in marine sciences, or other fields relevant to their education, will succeed within one year of graduation. [For all outcomes]
  5. 80% of graduates will be satisfied, overall, with the education they received through GPMSL. [For all outcomes]

III. Implementation

  1. The Qualifying Exams administered during each year will be evaluated, collectively, by the GPMSL Outcomes Assessment Committee (OAC). Every three years, the OAC will look for temporal trends in performance on exams from the past five years
  2. The OAC will assess research competence and written communication skills by reviewing all Ph.D. dissertations submitted each year.
  3. A representative of the OAC will prepare a written evaluation of each student's communication skills and the scientific content of the oral dissertation defense. These evaluations will be reviewed by the OAC annually.
  4. GPMSL will compile information on graduates' first employment. Every three years, the OAC will examine the data for trends in employment success or type.
  5. One and three years after graduation, GPMSL will ask graduates to complete a questionnaire, addressing their job search, employment, and satisfaction with the education received through GPMSL. Completed questionnaires will be reviewed by the OAC annually.

Student Learning Outcomes Assessments