Graduate Attributes

Graduate attributes

The graduate attributes reflect the particular quality and feature or characteristics of an individual, including the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that are expected to be acquired by a graduate through studies at the higher education institution (HEI) such as a college or university.

• The graduate attributes include capabilities that help strengthen ones abilities for widening current knowledge base and skills, gaining new knowledge and skills, undertaking future studies, performing well in a chosen career and playing a constructive role as a responsible citizen in the society.
• The graduate attributes define the characteristics of a student’s university degree programme(s), and describe a set of characteristics/competencies that are transferable beyond study of a particular Course area and programme contexts in which they have been developed.
• Graduate attributes are fostered through meaningful learning experiences made available through the curriculum, the total college/university experiences and a process of critical and reflective thinking.
• The learning outcomes-based curriculum framework is based on the premise that every student and graduate is unique. Each student or graduate has his/her own characteristics in terms of previous learning levels and experiences, life experiences, learning styles and approaches to future career-related actions.
• The quality, depth and breadth of the learning experiences made available to the students while at the higher education institutions help develop their characteristic attributes.
• The graduate attributes reflect both disciplinary knowledge and understanding, generic skills, including global competencies, that all students in different academic fields of study should acquire/attain and demonstrate.

         Some of the characteristic attributes that a graduate should demonstrate areas follows :

• Disciplinary knowledge: Capable of demonstrating comprehensive knowledge and understanding of one or more disciplines that form a part of an undergraduate programme of study.
• Communication Skills: Ability to express thoughts and ideas effectively in writing and orally; Communicate with others using appropriate media; confidently share one’s views and express herself/himself; demonstrate the ability to listen carefully, read and write analytically, and present complex information in a clear and concise manner to different groups.
• Critical thinking: Capability to apply analytic thought to a body of knowledge; analyse and evaluate evidence, arguments, claims, beliefs on the basis of empirical evidence; identify relevant assumptions or implications; formulate coherent arguments; critically evaluate practices, policies and theories by following scientific approach to knowledge development.
• Problem solving: Capacity to extrapolate from what one has learned and apply their competencies to solve different kinds of non-familiar problems, rather than replicate curriculum content knowledge; and apply one’s learning to real life situations.
• Analytical reasoning: Ability to evaluate the reliability and relevance of evidence; identify logical flaws and holes in the arguments of others; analyse and synthesise data from a variety of sources; draw valid conclusions and support them with evidence and examples, and addressing opposing viewpoints.
• Research-related skills: A sense of inquiry and capability for asking relevant/appropriate questions, problematising, synthesising and articulating; Ability to recognise cause-and-effect relationships, define problems, formulate hypotheses, test hypotheses, analyse, interpret and draw conclusions from data, establish hypotheses, predict cause-and-effect relationships; ability to plan, execute and report the results of an experiment or investigation.
• Cooperation/Team work: Ability to work effectively and respectfully with diverse teams; facilitate cooperative or coordinated effort on the part of a group, and act together as a group or a team in the interests of a common cause and work efficiently as a member of a team.
• Scientific reasoning: Ability to analyse, interpret and draw conclusions from quantitative/qualitative data; and critically evaluate ideas, evidence and experiences from an open-minded and reasoned perspective.
• Reflective thinking: Critical sensibility to lived experiences, with self awareness and reflexivity of both self and society.
• Information/digital literacy:Capability touse ICT in a variety of learning  situations, demonstrate abilityto access, evaluate, and use a variety of relevant information sources; and use appropriate software for analysis of data.
• Self-directed learning:Ability to work independently, identify appropriate resources required for a project, and manage a project through to completion.
• Multicultural competence:Possess knowledge of the values and beliefs of multiple cultures and a global perspective; and capability to effectively engage in a multicultural society and interact respectfully with diverse groups.
• Moral and ethical awareness/reasoning: Ability toembrace moral/ethical values in conducting one‟s life, formulate a position/argument about an ethical issue from multiple perspectives, and use ethical practices in all work. Capable of demonstratingthe ability to identify ethical issues related to one’s work, avoid unethical behaviour such as fabrication, falsification or misrepresentation of data or committing plagiarism, not adhering to intellectual property rights; appreciating environmental and sustainability issues; and adopting objective, unbiased and truthful actions in all aspects of work.
• Leadership readiness/qualities: Capability for mapping out the tasks of a team or an organization, and setting direction, formulating an inspiring vision, building a team who can help achieve the vision, motivating and inspiring team members to engage with that vision, and using management skills to guide people to the right destination, in a smooth and efficient way.
• Lifelong learning: Ability to acquire knowledge and skills, including learning how to learn‟, that are necessary for participating in learning activities throughout life, through self-paced and self-directed learning aimed atpersonal development, meeting economic, social and cultural objectives, and adapting to changing trades and demands of work place through knowledge/skill development/ reskilling.