What is Program Assessment?
Program assessment can mean different things to different people and in different contexts. In the Manning School of Business, assessment is an ongoing process aimed at understanding and enhancing student learning with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of the undergraduate and graduate programs. Our continuous improvement model facilitates the development of our graduates through the engagement of students, faculty and external stakeholders.
Our model clearly articulates our expectations by setting high standards for learning quality then systematically gathering, analyzing, interpreting data, reporting the results, and making improvements.
The Assurance of Learning Model
The Manning School of Business has developed a comprehensive model for Assurance of Learning (AOL). The model includes the collaboration of multiple committees involved in this critical process. Representatives from each of the program areas, along with the Associate Dean, form this committee. Through the setting of schedules for the assessments and completing the initial evaluation of the results, the committee oversees the learning outcome assessment process and maintenance of the curriculum mapping documents. At the undergraduate level, they coordinate with the UMass Lowell Essential Learning Outcomes Committee to harmonize the assessment schedule and report institutional trends to the college.
Once this committee has analyzed the learning outcome assessment data, they share the results with the faculty, and in particular the departments, for consideration of appropriate interventions and implementation options. The assessment committee will also share recommendations with the curriculum innovation committee which is tasked with monitoring and benchmarking Manning core business curriculum against our competitor, peer, and aspirant peer schools. The curriculum innovation committee focuses on the integration of concepts across curricula and interdisciplinary opportunities that will support our learning outcomes.
The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Learning Goals
| Goals | Our graduates will demonstrate the ability to: |
|---|---|
| 1. Communication Skills | Clearly, efficiently, and effectively communicate business related information in applying both oral and written methods. |
| 2. Analytical Skills | Apply and integrate quantitative and qualitative knowledge and techniques from across all functional areas of business |
| 3. Team Management | Apply team management skills as both an effective team member and leader. |
| 4. Information Technology Skills | Integrate the use of information and communication technologies to solve business problems. |
| 5. Global Awareness | Identify the global changes affecting business and apply this knowledge in business decision-making. |
| 6. Ethical Reasoning Skills | Apply ethical reasoning and knowledge of social responsibility for personal and professional decision making. |
The Master of Science in Accounting Learning Goals:
| Goals | Our graduates will demonstrate: | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Disciplinary Knowledge & Analytics Skills: | Quantitative and analytical skills integrating accounting analysis and diagnostic problem-solving skills in order to support management decision-making. | |
| 2. Global Awareness Skills: | The ability to assess global accounting principles and issues including their impact on business practice. | |
| 3. Ethical Reasoning Skills: | The ability to apply ethical reasoning for personal and professional decision making. | |
| 4. Communication & Research Skills: | The ability to clearly, efficiently, and effectively communicate accounting-related information and research in both oral and written methods. |
The Master of Science Business Analytics Learning Goals:
| Goals | Our graduates will demonstrate: |
|---|---|
| 1. Analytical Skills: | Strong quantitative and analytical skills through the integration of business analysis, data management, and diagnostic problem-solving skills in order to support management decision-making. |
| 2. Communication Skills: | The ability to clearly, efficiently, and effectively communicate business-related information by applying both oral and written methods. |
| 3. Ethical Reasoning Skills: | The ability to apply ethical reasoning for personal and professional decision making. |
| 4. Team Management & Leadership Skills: | The ability to apply team management skills as both an effective team member and leader. |
The Master of Science in Entrepreneurship Learning Goals:
| Goals | Our graduates will demonstrate: |
|---|---|
| 1. Disciplinary Knowledge Skills: | The ability to implement the technology innovation and entrepreneurship processes from both an academic and applied perspective. |
| 2. Team Management Skills: | The ability to integrate organizational and interdisciplinary team management techniques required to identify, launch and execute innovation products, services, and new ventures. |
| 3. Analytical Skills: | The ability to conduct market research and formulate a sales strategy to successfully position technology innovations for competitive advantage. |
| 4. Global Awareness: | The ability to assess how global competitive and regulatory environments are changing innovation and entrepreneurship processes. |
| 5. Venture Financing Skills: | The ability to appropriately value and finance technological innovations and new ventures. |
The Master of Science in Finance Learning Goals:
| Goals | Our graduates will demonstrate: |
|---|---|
| 1. Disciplinary Knowledge Skills: | The ability to integrate financial concepts and techniques in both an academic and applied perspective. |
| 2. Communication & Research Skills: | The ability to clearly, efficiently, and effectively communicate finance-related information and research in both oral and written methods. |
| 3. Analytical Skills: | The ability to access, analyze, and interpret financial data. |
| 4. Risk Management Skills: | The ability to assess and manage risk in financial decision-making processes. |
The Ph.D. Learning Goals:
| Goals | Our graduates will demonstrate: |
|---|---|
| 1. Proficiency in research: | The ability to conduct high-quality research relevant to private or public organizations. |
| 2. Effective collaborative research skills: | The ability to lead and partner effectively in research initiatives with other interested stakeholders, such as economic think tanks and policy institutes. |
| 3. Proficiency in communicating and disseminating research findings: | The ability to effectively disseminate research findings through effective teaching, publication, and conference participation. |
| 4. Sound ethical perspectives: | The ability to combine sound ethical perspectives with research issues and approaches. |
The Master of Business Administration Learning Goals:
| Goals | Our graduates will demonstrate: |
|---|---|
| 1. Analytical Skills | Analytical skills integrating business analysis, data management, and diagnostic problem-solving skills in order to support management decision-making. |
| 2. Team Management Skills | Leadership and team management skills to implement and coordinate organizational activities and manage change. |
| 3. Global Awareness | The ability to assess how global competitive environments are changing business practice. |
| 4. Strategic Management Skills | The ability to integrate business knowledge and management techniques to support strategic planning in a changing environment. |
| 5. Ethical Reasoning Skills | The ability to apply ethical reasoning and knowledge of social responsibility for personal and professional decision making. |
| 6. Communication Skills | The ability to clearly, efficiently, and effectively communicate business-related information in applying both oral and written methods. |