Unit: Physics & Astronomy
Program: Astronomy (MS, PhD)
Degree: Master's & Doctorate
Date: Fri Dec 07, 2012 - 1:51:16 pm

1) Below are your program's student learning outcomes (SLOs). Please update as needed.

The objective of our PhD program is to prepare students for careers in astronomical research and university-level education. To accomplish this, we emphasize:

  • Acquisition of a broad knowledge of astronomy and familiarity with both observational and theoretical techniques;
  • Exposure to a variety of advanced and specialized topics in modern astronomy;
  • Extensive "hands-on" research, including supervised research projects undertaken in the first years of graduate school;
  • Experience presenting talks reviewing the literature and describing new research.
  • Formulation of an original dissertation research project;
  • Experience writing research papers and observing proposals;
  • Publication of results in peer-reviewed journals; and
  • Public defense of the research before IfA astronomers and other scientists.

2) Your program's SLOs are published as follows. Please update as needed.

Department Website URL: http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/gradprog/introduction.htm
Student Handbook. URL, if available online:
Information Sheet, Flyer, or Brochure URL, if available online:
UHM Catalog. Page Number: 100
Course Syllabi. URL, if available online: http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/gradprog/graduate_courses.shtml
Other:
Other:

3) Select one option:

Curriculum Map File(s) from 2012:

4) For your program, the percentage of courses that have course SLOs explicitly stated on the syllabus, a website, or other publicly available document is as follows. Please update as needed.

0%
1-50%
51-80%
81-99%
100%

5) Did your program engage in any program assessment activities between June 1, 2011 and September 30, 2012? (e.g., establishing/revising outcomes, aligning the curriculum to outcomes, collecting evidence, interpreting evidence, using results, revising the assessment plan, creating surveys or tests, etc.)

Yes
No (skip to question 14)

6) For the period June 1, 2011 to September 30, 2012: State the assessment question(s) and/or assessment goals. Include the SLOs that were targeted, if applicable.

SKIP

7) State the type(s) of evidence gathered to answer the assessment question and/or meet the assessment goals that were given in Question #6.

8) State how many persons submitted evidence that was evaluated. If applicable, please include the sampling technique used.

9) Who interpreted or analyzed the evidence that was collected? (Check all that apply.)

Course instructor(s)
Faculty committee
Ad hoc faculty group
Department chairperson
Persons or organization outside the university
Faculty advisor
Advisors (in student support services)
Students (graduate or undergraduate)
Dean/Director
Other:

10) How did they evaluate, analyze, or interpret the evidence? (Check all that apply.)

Used a rubric or scoring guide
Scored exams/tests/quizzes
Used professional judgment (no rubric or scoring guide used)
Compiled survey results
Used qualitative methods on interview, focus group, open-ended response data
External organization/person analyzed data (e.g., external organization administered and scored the nursing licensing exam)
Other:

11) For the assessment question(s) and/or assessment goal(s) stated in Question #6:
Summarize the actual results.

12) State how the program used the results or plans to use the results. Please be specific.

13) Beyond the results, were there additional conclusions or discoveries?
This can include insights about assessment procedures, teaching and learning, program aspects and so on.

14) If the program did not engage in assessment activities, please explain.
Or, if the program did engage in assessment activities, please add any other important information here.

The Astronomy MS and PhD Degree programs will be undergoing a thorough review during the coming year (2013) as part of our plan to form a School of Astrophysics, as recommended by our external Visiting Committee, which reported on the health and effectiveness of the UH-Manoa undergraduate and graduate teaching programs.   We will provide a complete assessment of the MS and PhD programs next year (2013), along with an assessment of our new undergraduate BA Astronomy and BS Astrophysics degree programs, which we hope will be approved for a Fall'2013 start.