For Capstone Majors (all students completing the major have a capstone requirement) or Capstone Programs (at least 60% of majors complete a capstone experience), learning outcomes for the capstone will already have been developed as part of the Undergraduate Council Certification Process (see UCLA’s Capstone Initiative ). Learning outcomes that are tailored to the capstone experience necessarily draw upon skills learned in the major’s core curriculum and reflect valued program goals.

Sample learning outcomes for Capstone Majors within UCLA’s College of Letters and Science that have been recently approved by the Undergraduate Council are provided in Table 1. Notice that the learning outcomes are specific to the capstone experience. There are typically 4 to 6 outcomes that are clearly stated and measurable. Not all aspects of the curriculum are captured by these outcomes. This is ok.

What is critical is that the capstone experience captures key expectations for student learning as reflected within the core courses of the major. As such, evaluating these components of students’ capstone performances provides direct evidence of the degree to which key learning outcomes for the program are being achieved.

Table 1. Sample Capstone Learning Outcomes from UCLA Departments/Programs

Major Learning Outcomes for the Capstone
Department:
Classics
Capstone Major:
Classical Civilization B.A.
Greek B.A.
Greek and Latin B.A.
Latin B.A.		 Capstone description: Advanced Departmental Seminar with Paper or Project. Within thematically designed seminars that reflect current trends in the discipline, students work closely with a faculty member on a focused topic of research, engage in presentations and weekly discussions, and complete a written paper or project.

Students are expected to:

  • demonstrate, within the context of a specialized topic in classical studies, specific skills and expertise acquired in earlier coursework, including research, analysis, and writing.
  • identify and analyze appropriate ancient sources, material evidence, and/or other forms of primary documents appropriate to the study of classical antiquity and its reception.
  • acquire a working knowledge of scholarly discourse relative to a specialized topic.
  • conceive and execute a project that identifies and engages with a specialized topic.
  • engage with a community of scholars, presenting one’s own work to peers and helping to further the work of others through discussion and critique.
Department:
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Capstone Major:
Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution B.S.Marine Biology B.S.		 Capstone description: Field Research with Paper. Students apply theory and technique learned through four years of classroom and laboratory experience in their own independent projects. The main purpose of the capstone is to provide a unique field experience that involves designing and executing a research project. Students are aided in the scientific process of learning about a new ecosystem, developing relevant questions, designing conceptually-based projects, troubleshooting and completing work, and writing a publication-caliber manuscript.

Students are expected to:

  • demonstrate broad-based knowledge of the fundamentals acquired through coursework, including general knowledge as well as developing skills in library research, interpreting data, synthesis, and scientific writing.
  • utilize the current primary scientific literature, including searching data bases, identifying appropriate sources, and reading and understanding papers.
  • use knowledge gained in classroom and during discussions to conceive and execute their own project.
  • communicate original scientific work to colleagues and mentors in oral and written form.
  • exhibit strong teamwork and problem solving skills.
Department:
Statistics
Capstone Major:
Statistics B.S.		 Capstone description: Real-world Team Project/Statistical Consulting Clinic. Students work in small groups to solve problems posed by real community-based or campus-based clients. The capstone gives students an opportunity to put into practice some concepts and ideas that might otherwise remain theoretical and/or abstract and to synthesize many topics and ideas they have studied with the goal of solving a real-life problem.

Students are expected to:

  • be able to restate an investigative question in terms of a statistical model or algorithm.
  • verbally communicate statistical results clearly to a non-technical audience.
  • successfully relate theoretical concepts to a real-world problem in a written report.
  • demonstrate the ability to find appropriate research literature appropriate to the investigative task.
Center for Interdisciplinary Instruction:
Institute of the Environment and Sustainability
Capstone Major:
Environmental Science B.S.		 Capstone description: Real-world Team Project with Paper. In collaboration with a local agency or nonprofit institution, students work individually and in groups to complete projects that require them to integrate many of the skills and principles they have learned throughout the curriculum and apply them to real systems. Students attend lectures and presentations on common tools and methodologies; then they work on an environmental case study.

Students graduating with a B.S. in Environmental Science should:

  • be able to apply the theories or concepts from courses within their major to the analysis of environmental science issues.
  • be able to contribute meaningfully to the analysis and solution of particular environmental science issues involving multiple disciplines and multiple stakeholders with different perspectives.
  • possess critical thinking skills, problem solving abilities, and familiarity with the computational and data collection and analysis procedures essential to the field.
  • be able to identify ethical issues raised by a particular environmental science issue and analyze the consequences of various professional dilemmas.
  • possess effective oral and written communication skills.
  • be capable of working productively with others as part of a team.

Once learning outcomes have been established, program faculty can turn to developing a plan for gathering evidence regarding the extent to which students completing the major have achieved these learning outcomes.

 Assessing Student Learning Outcomes