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The U.S. graduate education community has a strong interest in defining the learning outcomes of doctoral programs. Having clear and explicit learning outcomes help students navigate important milestones, prepare students for a wide variety of career paths, and enable doctoral programs to measure their own success. Conversely, failure to clearly define the goals and outcomes of doctoral education puts the autonomy of programs at risk, as accrediting bodies and governing boards may define these outcomes for them.
To better understand the state of doctoral outcomes assessment in the U.S., the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), with support from Lumina Foundation, conducted a year-long research project to explore national and global contexts for doctoral learning outcomes and evaluate the use of competency frameworks at the doctoral level. The results of this project inform the work of learning outcomes assessment for doctoral programs as well as next steps for graduate schools, faculty, and other stakeholders.