Procedures for Outcome Assessment

The Department of Veterinary Pathology requires all students to continually and actively make progress toward completion of their degree as defined in the graduate student handbook.

The core activities in the graduate plan provide constant measures of learning outcomes, as students successfully complete required coursework, develop a research (or project for non-thesis MS) plan, arrange a POS committee in conjunction with their major professor, successfully complete their preliminary examination, complete the research/project requirements and write the results in a form acceptable to the POS committee. Furthermore, because they work closely with faculty in every-day research and clinical settings, our graduate students are constantly provided with opportunities to receive day-to-day, or even minute-by-minute feedback on their performance.

In addition, in most cases, students will generate peer-reviewed publications, present work at meetings, and contribute significantly to teaching through lectures, presentations, contributing to laboratory discussions, as well as to professional practice through diagnostic reports, communication with clients. The thesis or dissertation of students is reviewed by their POS committee.

During their education/training, students are required to attend seminars, complete an appropriate course in ethics, and participate in other scholarly activities appropriate for the educational experience. The department tracks the job placement of graduates in order to gauge the marketability, competitiveness and overall success.