Graduate Programs

Graduate assessment at UCSC is as diverse and unique as its program offerings. Assessment specialists partner with faculty across the campus to develop and conduct assessment of student learning in Master's, DMA, and PhD programs.

Master's Program Assessment

Faculty in Master's programs (MA, MS, MFA) typically select 1 or 2 program learning outcomes to assess, and collect data on these outcomes based on the final work of 1-2 student cohorts. Once data collection is complete, graduate programs have one full year (Year 3) to develop implications and next steps based on their findings.

At the end of the third year, graduate programs are expected to submit a report of their results and next steps. Starting in Fall 2020, reporting requirements are now simpler and more streamlined (Download fillable form).

Master's programs may begin their 3-year cycle in any year; there is no set schedule for graduate assessment. We strongly encourage Master's program faculty to reach out to the IRAPS Assessment Team for support at the start of the process, particularly while developing rubrics to measure program learning outcomes.

Here's how assessment specialists help graduate program faculty with each step of the process:

Doctorate Program Assessment

There are two different approaches to assessment in PhD/DMA programs:

(A) Assess graduate students at milestones (e.g., QE, proposal, defense)

(B) Assess graduate students in courses or at first-year exam

Faculty in DMA and PhD programs typically select 2 or 3 program learning outcomes to assess, and collect data on these outcomes over 2-3 years. Once data collection is complete, graduate programs have one full year (Year 4) to develop implications and next steps based on their findings.

At the end of the fourth year, graduate programs are expected to submit a report of their results and next steps. Starting in Fall 2020, reporting requirements are now simpler and more streamlined (Download fillable form).

Doctorate programs may begin their 4-year cycle in any year; there is no set schedule for graduate assessment. We strongly encourage faculty to reach out to the IRAPS Assessment Team for support at the start of the process, particularly while developing rubrics to measure program learning outcomes.

Here's how assessment specialists help graduate program faculty with each step of the process: