Program Assessment

One of the primary goals of the Graduate School is to improve graduate education at NC State. Program assessment achieves that goal by providing reliable metrics to measure the effectiveness of individual programs and guidelines to continuously evaluate, modify and enhance them. Our two main types of program assessment are annual outcomes assessment and eight-year strategic program reviews.

Outcomes assessment

NC State Academic Assessment is intended to provide systematic data for the continual enhancement of programs. As such, the process is designed so that faculty determine what is important (curricular outcomes), how it is taught, how it is measured (using direct evidence), how the data are interpreted (identifying strengths and areas for improvement), and what actions, if needed based on findings, should be taken to enhance the curriculum.

Strategic program reviews

These program reviews (formerly known as external reviews) are the process by which we at NC State engage in the thoughtful, creative study and evaluation of our programs’ academic performance.

It is a uniquely vertically integrated process which engages not only program faculty, outside experts, and deans from the relevant colleges, but also involves students and staff, DASA, the Graduate School, and the Provost’s Office.