Program Learning Outcomes

Department Learning Goals

The Department of Physics and Astronomy has the goal that our graduates will:

Be able to model physical systems in ways that allow deeper understanding and useful predictions, while recognizing the limitations of these models.
Recognize and contribute to the productive contributions that Physics makes to technology, culture and society.
Be lifelong learners capable of developing new skills and learning new knowledge that will support their personal and professional development.

PLO #1
- Students will be able to formulate specific research questions and design and/or interpret experiments that address these questions.
PLO #2
- Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of a breadth of physics concepts by solving physics problems related to these concepts.
PLO #3
- Students will be able to demonstrate laboratory, modeling, computational, and/or data analysis skills relevant to physics research.
PLO #4
- Students will be able to communicate scientific content and thinking as evidenced by productive collaboration with peers, well-reasoned professionally formatted written papers, and visual and oral presentations.
PLO #5
- Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of how work in physics influences technology, society, and culture.

PLO #1
- Students will be able to engage in experiential projects involving the formulation of research questions and the design and execution of empirical studies, computational simulations, and/or theoretical models aimed at addressing these questions.
PLO #2
- Students will demonstrate a deep understanding of physics concepts by applying those concepts to research in physics.
PLO #3
- Students will be able to construct meaningful conclusions from data sets relevant to research activities by applying laboratory, modeling, computational, and/or data analysis skills.
PLO #4
- Students will be able to communicate scientific content and thinking
  by generating a professionally formatted graduate thesis or project report and by orally presenting their work to an audience of professional physicists. Students will also demonstrate productive collaboration with peers in classroom and/or research contexts.
PLO #5
- Students will be able to communicate to others a sophisticated understanding of how work in physics influences technology, society, and culture.