Program Objectives and Student Outcomes

Learning Goals and Objectives

There are six learning goals for the Business Administration program.  Each learning goal has associated learning objectives, which allow for the assessment of learning goals. What will students learn?

Learning Goal 1: Students will demonstrate a general understanding of the fundamental areas of business.

How will we know students demonstrate general understanding of the fundamental areas of business?  Students will demonstrate a general understanding based on their performance in the Major Field Test in Business developed by the Educational Testing Service (ETS).  Assessment information with regard to this program learning goal is obtained through administration of this test to undergraduate students in the Policy Formulation & Implementation course every Fall semester.  The results of these tests are compared to the performance of other students across the country in the following areas:

• Accounting
• Economics
• Finance
• Information systems
• Management
• Marketing
• Legal/Social
• Quantitative
• International

Learning Goal 2: Effective critical thinking skills.

How will we know students demonstrate effective critical thinking skills? Students will demonstrate competency in the following critical thinking learning objectives:

• Use relevant information/evidence
• Consider relevant viewpoints
• Identify relevant assumptions
• Consider implications of alternative courses of action
• Develop clear logical conclusions from prior analysis 

Learning Goal 3: Effective ethical decision making skills.

How will we know students demonstrate effective ethical decision-making skills? Students will demonstrate competency in the following ethical decision making learning objectives:

• Identify ethical issue(s)/problem(s)
• Incorporate evaluation of relevant stakeholders
• Evaluate implications of alternative courses of action
• Develop logical conclusions from prior analysis

Learning Goal 4: Effective analytical problem solving skills.

How will we know students demonstrate effective analytical problem solving skills? Students will demonstrate competency in the following analytical problem solving learning objectives:

• Incorporate all relevant concepts and accurately use them
• Incorporate all relevant information
• Correctly utilize analytical operations
• Interpret logically from the prior analysis

Learning Goal 5: Effective oral communication skills.

How will we know students demonstrate effective oral communication skills? Students will demonstrate competency in the following oral communication learning objectives:

• Use an effective opening statement
• Follow a very clear organizational plan and reinforce it periodically
• Include content clearly relevant to topic/purpose
• Consistently use appropriate voice, pace, eye contact
• Show enthusiasm/vitality
• Use standard English and appropriate vocabulary
• Use clear and effective summary, conclusion, and/or recommendation and closing statement

Learning Goal 6: Effective written communication skills.

How will we know students demonstrate effective written communication skills? Students will demonstrate competency in the following written communication learning objectives:

• Use clear statement of purpose
• Use clear organization and logic
• Use clear, accurate, and relevant information and concepts
• Use standard English and appropriate vocabulary
• Use clear and effective summary, conclusion, and/or recommendation and closing statement