Assessment is an essential part of ensuring academic quality and continuous improvement, helping faculty evaluate student learning, strengthen curricula, and support student success. The data we collect helps us meet our commitment to evidence-based decision-making, accountability, and the ongoing enhancement of teaching and learning experiences in support of our four distinct academic program areas: Anthropology, Criminal Justice, Political Science (including Law and Constitutional Studies), and Sociology.
Anthropology
Anthropology Undergraduate Program Learning Objectives
- Identify core terms and concepts in anthropology and the sub-disciplines of archaeology, biological anthropology, and cultural anthropology.
- Evaluate and critique anthropological issues or theories.
- Apply methods appropriate to each of these sub-disciplines in order to a) add knowledge, test hypotheses and/or solve problems as well as to b) prepare for postbaccalaureate careers in anthropology and/or graduate school.
Anthropology MS Program Learning Objectives
- Identify core methods and theories as practiced in contemporary archaeology and applied to cultural resource management in the western U.S.
- Evaluate, apply and critique research designs in a variety of archaeological contexts.
- Apply methods and theories with the goal of creating new knowledge through hypothesis testing and problem solving and presentation of research and scholarship in professional venues, including professional conferences and publications.
Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice Undergraduate Competencies
- Intellectual and practical skills – to include critical thinking, challenging current practices, and seeking methods to enhance these practices.
- Human rights – to include understanding the human and constitutional rights of all citizens. Also, to have an understanding of the changing societies as it deals with diversity.
- Natural world – to include an understanding of how the world is changing as cultures and laws change.
- Ethics – to include an understanding of the responsibility Criminal Justice professionals have when using discretional decisions that makes changes in the lives of people in the criminal justice system.
Political Science
Law & Constitutional Studies
Law & Constitutional Studies Undergraduate Program Learning Objectives
- To demonstrate knowledge about the structure of the American legal system, and how it affects law, politics, and public policy.
- To demonstrate understanding of fundamental principles and theories of American constitutional law and politics.
- To demonstrate an ability to critically evaluate ideas and arguments relevant to the founding of American constitutionalism.
- To demonstrate an ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing in the context of addressing significant issues in American law and politics.
Political Science
Political Science Undergraduate Program Learning Objectives
- To demonstrate factual knowledge about the American political system, its institutional structure, and its basic principles.
- To demonstrate understanding of theories critical to the discipline of political science and the history of ideas important to the discipline.
- To demonstrate basic competency in qualitative and quantitative political science research methods adn analysis.
- To differentiate political ideas and arguments relevant to the most important issues that have defined American and international politics.
Political Science MS Program Learning Objectives
- Understand research design and methods important to the field and use them to conduct research about significant political questions.
- Demonstrate familiarity with scholarly literature in the student's specific field of inquiry.
- Effectively apply critical thinking and analytical skills to address significant issues in the political world.
- Write clearly and cogently about political questions, using appropriate language in the discipline, and be able to construct organized and coherent verbal presentations on political topics.
Sociology
Sociology Undergraduate Program Learning Objectives
- Think critically and analytically, and reason logically about social issues and/or social problems.
- Use sociological principles, concepts and theories to examine social behavior and issues.
- Apply sociological methods to understand social behavior and issues.
Sociology MS Program Learning Objectives
- Ability to demonstrate proficiency in applying key sociological theories, principles, and concepts in critiquing sociological scholarship and in developing and reporting individual and collaborative research.
- Ability to demonstrate proficiency in applying and interpreting appropriate quantitative and/or qualitative research methods in developing and reporting individual and collaborative research.
- Produce, present and defend a Master’s thesis representing an original contribution to disciplinary knowledge that is conducted in a methodologically sound and ethically appropriate manner.
- Ability to secure and succeed in pursuit of further graduate training at the PhD level, or in degree-related academic, public-sector, or private-sector employment, following completion of the MS program.
Sociology PhD Program Learning Objectives
- Ability to demonstrate proficiency in applying key sociological theories, principles, and concepts in critiquing sociological scholarship and in developing and reporting individual and collaborative research.
- Ability to demonstrate proficiency in applying and interpreting appropriate quantitative and/or qualitative research methods in developing and reporting individual and collaborative research.
- Ability to produce, present and defend a doctoral dissertation representing an original contribution to disciplinary knowledge that is conducted in a methodologically sound and ethically appropriate manner.
- Ability to secure and succeed in degree-related academic, public-sector, or private-sector employment following completion of the PhD program.