Learning Outcomes

Program Goals and Student Learning Outcomes

Goal #1 Students will demonstrate subject matter competency to a degree and in the manner appropriate to the course level.

  • Demonstrates learning of facts and terms
  • Demonstrates learning of concepts and theories
  • Demonstrates an understanding of different perspectives
  • Demonstrates a capacity to synthesize and integrate information and ideas
  • Demonstrate a capacity to rad and comprehend course relevant discipline based literature

Goal #2 Students will demonstrate an ability in critical thinking to a degree and in a manner appropriate to the course level (and all the outcomes associated with Goal 1).

  • Identify the arguments and conclusions in the work(s) under study.
  • Student is able to contextualize the argument to debates in the discipline.
  • Provide a cogent critique of the conclusions in the work(s) under study.

Goal #3 Students will demonstrate an ability in analytical thinking to a degree and in the manner appropriate to the course level (and in all the outcomes associated with Goals 1 & 2).

  • Identify how the work (e.g., scholarly work or student project) presented fits into the larger literature
  • Identify how the work (e.g., scholarly work or student project) presented contributes to the development of the literature
  • Ability to collect and synthesize information
  • Ability to view a problem from a variety of perspectives and to propose several alternative answers to this problem
  • Ability to gauge alternative answers by analyzing their internal logic or by analyzing relevant empirical evidence

Goal #4 Students will demonstrate an ability to employ and understand social science research methods to a degree in the manner appropriate to the course level (in addition to the outcomes associated with Goals 1, 2 & 3).

  • Explain the methodologies, i.e., how the scholarship progressed from argument to conclusion
  • Demonstrate the ability to identify and use appropriate types of data in the methodology
  • Explain the advantages and disadvantages of various methods

Goal #5 Student will demonstrate professional skills to a degree and in the manner appropriate to the course level (in addition to the outcomes associated with Goals 1, 2, 3 & 4).

  • Written work follows the rules of conventional English and the norms of the discipline
  • Student is capable of making an effective oral presentation
  • Student is capable of making an effective argument
  • Student demonstrates the ability to advance an original argument that is supported by evidence

Goal #6 Students will demonstrate “workplace readiness” in experiential learning opportunities, e.g. internship simulations at a level appropriate for juniors and seniors.

  • Dependability
  • Respect for others
  • Work productively with others
  • Follow directions, instructions and plans
  • Speaking skills
  • Writing skills

Political Science


For More Information

Wes Renfro
Department Chair
wrenfro@sjfc.edu
(585) 385-5253

Admissions
(585) 385-8064
admissions@sjfc.edu