Institute of Teaching and Learning
Professional Development for Teaching and Learning
Developing graduate attributes
Identifying graduate attributes
Traditionally, particularly for professional undergraduate programs, the relevant program accrediting body has been a strong influence in specifying program graduate attributes. For example, for undergraduate engineering programs in Australia, the program accrediting body (Engineers Australia) requires that...
Graduates from an accredited [engineering] program should have the following attributes:
- ability to apply knowledge of basic science and engineering fundamentals;
- ability to communicate effectively, not only with engineers but also with the community at large;
- in-depth technical competence in at least one engineering discipline;
- ability to undertake problem identification, formulation and solution;
- ability to utilise a systems approach to design and operational performance;
- ability to function effectively as an individual and in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams, with the capacity to be a leader or manager as well as an effective team member;
- understanding of the social, cultural, global and environmental responsibilities of the professional engineer, and the need for sustainable development;
- understanding of the principles of sustainable design and development;
- understanding of professional and ethical responsibilities and commitment to them; and
- expectation of the need to undertake lifelong learning, and capacity to do so. (Engineers Australia, 2005)
Where the University also articulates a list of graduate attributes, a program would normally be expected to incorporate those graduate attributes as well. Apart from addressing these internal and external program accreditation requirements, there is a growing awareness that there are other important stakeholders that have a valid claim in contributing to the definition of a relevant, comprehensive and contemporary set of graduate attributes for a particular program, including:
- academic staff;
- current students;
- alumni;
- employers of graduates from the program;
- adjunct professors and other external academic advisors; and
- program academic advisory boards.
Activity
What methods/processes/reference points does your School use for identifying an appropriate list of graduate attributes for the program(s) that you contribute to? If you are unsure, what methods/processes/reference points could your School use?
