Student Learning Outcomes & Evaluations

ENVS Undergraduate Learning Outcomes

Approved by Environmental Studies faculty, 2022A smiling student in a backwards baseball cap presents a white shellfish

Upon graduation, Environmental Studies students will be able to:

  • Integrate concepts of environmental justice and well-being in understanding socio-environmental issues.
  • Apply an integrative approach towards understanding human-environment interactions.
  • Work collaboratively to identify and analyze complex environmental problems, recognize diverse stakeholder perspectives, and synthesize creative solutions.
  • Analyze data over time and space; communicate ideas effectively in oral, written and visual forms.
  • Recognize patterns on the earth's surface and describe the contribution of bio-physical processes and systems in creating them.

ESCI Undergraduate Learning Outcomes

Approved by Environmental Sciences faculty, 2012

When students graduate with a B.S. in Environmental Sciences (ESCI), they will be able to:

  • apply quantitative skills to environmental issues
  • apply critical thinking (analytical) skills to environmental issues
  • write and speak effectively to professional and lay audiences about issues in the field
  • use theoretical knowledge of environmental sciences in real world applications
  • incorporate multiple disciplines into environmental sciences

UEPP Undergraduate Learning Outcomes

Approved by Urban and Environmental Planning & Policy faculty, 2023

Upon graduation, Urban and Environmental Planning and Policy (UEPP) students will be able to: 

  • Critically assess assumptions, implications, and applications of planning and policy frameworks. 
  • Integrate concepts of equity, justice, and well-being to advance socio-environmental solutions. 
  • Work collaboratively to identify environmental problems, engage diverse stakeholders, and generate solutions for just and sustainable futures. 
  • Apply action research and community engagement methods to analyze data and assess proposals in real-world contexts. 
  • Develop effective oral, written, and visual communication skills. 

Student Learning Goals used to Assess Undergraduate Learning Goals

  • Number of students completing: 1) senior thesis or project; 2) REU, SULI or similar external research programs designed for undergraduates; 3) Independent Studies courses with a research component; or 4) senior internships.
  • Number of undergraduate presentations at public meetings or conferences.
  • Campus initiatives led by ESCI students and faculty.
  • Number of 400 level courses with the ESCI rubric compared to 400 level courses with other rubrics.
  • Alumni survey on the importance of the Learning Goals in the workplace and whether they were achieved at the College of the Environment. Conducted every 5 years.
  • Biennial focus group discussion with current senior students.
  • Analysis of Capstone student projects.
  • Number of Writing Proficiency credits completed.
  • Number of lab reports where students analyze and interpret numbers and data through writing to bring meaning to the data.

Graduate Program Learning Goals

The goals of the ES and ES-MESP MS degree are to support student learning and improvement in: A) foundational knowledge and skills; B) quantitative skills; and C) critical thinking.  It is our expectation that our graduates will apply these as professionals who can integrate chemical, physical, biological, and other specialized knowledge in order to understand, predict, and/or manage environmental responses brought about by natural and man-made events.

Graduate Program Student Learning Objectives (SLOs)

To meet the ES and ES-MESP Mission and Goals, when students graduate from the MS program, they will be able to:

  1. Explain and evaluate the theories and concepts of environmental science and related disciplines;
  2. Design and conduct scientifically-rigorous and relevant scientific research in their chosen environmental discipline;
  3. Analyze and interpret scientific data;
  4. Communicate scientific concepts and results effectively through both written and oral means, and to a range of audiences.