Learning outcomes

Aesthetic Perspective

Aesthetic Perspective (AP) courses focus on the relationship between form and content through the study of aesthetic form, with the goal of enhancing students’ critical appreciation and understanding of the arts.

Learning outcomes:

Students will be able to identify and explain the relationship between form and content in an artwork.
For creative production courses: students will be able to apply conceptual and technical skills to produce images, compositions, objects, or other artistic works.

Scientific Perspective

Scientific Perspective (SP) courses focus on exploring the world around us, emphasizing the experimental, analytical, theoretical, and computational techniques used to develop understanding in and across scientific disciplines. Courses introduce you to the experimental and problem-solving nature of scientific study.

Learning outcome:

Students will perform a hands-on activity to apply a scientific process.

Global Comparative Perspective

Global Comparative Perspective (GP) courses focus on the examination of diverse cultures, societies, political systems, and/or economic structures of different parts of the world. In examining their similarities and differences, these courses will help students develop a global context for understanding elements of human experience.  

Learning outcome:

Students will compare similarities and differences among cultures, political systems, societies, and economic structures.

History Perspective

History Perspective (HP) courses focus on exploring aspects of culture, society, and environment, as well as intellectual, economic, and political arrangements in the past. Through this exploration, students will better understand how the past informs, shapes, and diverges from the present.

Learning outcome:

Students will be able to describe how the past is constructed , e.g., describing how scholars have studied historical events or using primary sources to support explanations about the past.

Language and Culture Perspective

Language and Culture Perspective (LP) courses foster the study of a language or literature other than English to help students develop their understanding of the relationship of language to culture, to help them appreciate different cultures, and to prepare them to be global citizens.

Learning outcome:

Students will be able to demonstrate basic speaking, listening, reading, writing and intercultural skills in a language/culture other than English/American.

Values Perspective

Values Perspective (VP) courses focus on the moral, ethical and prescriptive frameworks that individuals and organizations use to view the world and make decisions. They explore the application of moral and prescriptive frameworks for thinking about values in a variety of contexts, including personal, professional, and social contexts.

Learning outcome:

Students will identify and explain different systems of moral theorizing.

Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity and Inclusion (D and I) courses focus on marginalization, privilege, disadvantage, and oppression in multiple domains (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, social class). Students will learn about concepts such as power, intersectionality, marginality and identity.

Learning outcome:

Students will reflect on the causes and processes by which some people or groups are marginalized, disadvantaged, privileged, or oppressed, considering various social identity markers (e.g., race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, social class, etc.) in relationship to their own positionality.

Written Expression

Written Expression (WE) courses focus on writing clearly, cogently presenting ideas, and using textual evidence where necessary to support those ideas with the goal of enhancing students’ written communication skills.

Learning outcome:

Students will construct a clear argument, using credible, relevant evidence to support key claims.

Formal Analysis

Formal Analysis (FA) courses focus on formal symbolic systems for precisely representing quantitative aspects of the world and the applications of these systems in problem-solving contexts.