Graduate Program Learning Outcomes

Note: MA students are expected to achieve proficiency, and PhD students are expected to reach the expert level.

  1. Describe and reflect on ideas, practices, literatures, and issues in the study of communication as well as those relevant to their particular area of interest

University of Maine Graduate School learning outcome: Understand, interpret, shape, and augment the knowledge base.

    1. Beginner: Students are aware of some of the ideas, practices, literatures, and issues central to communication.
    2. Competent: Students are able to describe the main ideas, practices, literatures, and issues central to communication.
    3. Proficient: Students are able to describe the main ideas, practices, literatures, and issues central to communication, as well as at least some of those relevant to their particular area of interest.
    4. Expert: Students are able to describe and reflect on the main ideas, practices, literatures, and issues central to communication, as well as all of those relevant to their particular area of interest.
  1. Critically evaluate perspectives, theories, and concepts relevant to communication research and practice as well as their own scholarly position in the field

Graduate School learning outcome: Understand, interpret, shape, and augment the knowledge base.

    1. Beginner: Students are able to describe perspectives, theories, and concepts relevant to communication research and practice. (They cannot articulate their own awareness of their own position in relation to these theories, perspectives, and concepts.)
    2. Competent: Students are able to describe some of the criticisms of the perspectives, theories, and concepts relevant to communication research and practice. They identify their own scholarly position in the field.
    3. Proficient: Students are able to describe the criticisms of and begin to critically evaluate the perspectives, theories, and concepts relevant to communication research and practice. They are also able to clarify their own scholarly position in the field.
    4. Expert: Students are able to critically evaluate extant theories, concepts, and perspectives related to communication and as well as their own scholarly position in the field.
  1. Prepare and lead presentations based on their own materials which are grounded in effective learning principles.

Graduate School learning outcome: Share disciplinary expertise openly, effectively, and accurately.

    1. Beginner: Students are able to speak to a group of people on a topic with which they are familiar.
    2. Competent: Students are able to lead a wide variety of presentations, including classes and research talks, using materials designed by others.
    3. Proficient: Students are able to lead a wide variety of presentations, including classes and research talks, using a combination of their own material and materials designed by others.
    4. Expert: Students are able to prepare and lead presentations, including classes and research talks, based on their own materials which are grounded in principles of effective learning.
  1. Create research questions and designs, research projects, and publishable writing

Graduate School learning outcome: Share disciplinary expertise openly, effectively, and accurately.

    1. Beginner: Students can recognize and describe a research question, understand the principles of a literature review, and can produce a well-written class paper.
    2. Competent: Students can formulate an original research question and utilize this question to write class papers that are informed by a complete survey of literature, are well-reasoned, and high quality.
    3. Proficient: Students can design and carry out a robust research project with assistance from peers and/or faculty, and can produce well-reasoned, high-quality, conference-level writing.
    4. Expert: The student can independently design and carry out high quality research projects and is able to produce publishable writing.
  1. Design, prepare, and carry out research using the highest ethical standards. Research will reflect a commitment to the advancement of the human condition, justice, and/or environmental sustainability.

Graduate School learning outcome: Demonstrate responsible and ethical practice.

    1. Beginner: Students identify that research involving human subjects is guided by ethical principles. (The student cannot yet identify how research can be used to advance the human condition, social justice, and/or environmental sustainability.)
    2. Competent: Students articulate research ethics as identified in the University of Maine’s Responsible Conduct of Research Requirements and can apply some ethical standards to their own research. Students can explain the role research plays in advancing the human condition, social justice, and/or environmental sustainability.
    3. Proficient: Students discuss the role ethical principles play in their research and, with assistance from faculty and other mentors, can design an ethical research project. Student can describe how research should incorporate principles of advancement of the human condition, social justice, and/or environmental sustainability.
    4. Expert: Student design, prepare, and carry out research using the highest ethical standards. Their research reflects a commitment to the advancement of the human condition, social justice, and/or environmental sustainability.