Page Description

The following page is a two column layout. Page sections are identified with headers. The footer contains update and contact information.

Learn More

  • Students

    Find out more about the characteristics of students who attend UMSL.

  • Admissions

    See how many students applied, accepted, and enrolled at UMSL. Learn more about students’ high school preparation and test scores.

  • College Costs & Financial Aid

    Learn about costs to attend UMSL and how much financial aid is typically awarded.

  • College Cost Estimator

    Estimate your cost to attend UMSL in a few simple steps.

  • Classes and Campus Life

    Learn more about professors, where students live, and campus safety at UMSL.

  • Student Experiences

    Discover ways to be actively involved in your education at UMSL – inside and outside the classroom.

  • Majors, Graduation and Next Steps

    See which majors are most popular at UMSL and what recent graduates plan to do after earning their bachelor's degree.

  • Student Success & Progress

    Discover how many students who start at UMSL finish their bachelor's degree and how long it takes.

  • Student Learning Outcomes

    Figure out what learning gains to expect in critical thinking, writing, and other important subjects at UMSL.

Student Learning at University of Missouri - St. Louis

All colleges and universities use multiple approaches to measure student learning. Many of these are specific to particular disciplines, many are coordinated with accrediting agencies, and many are based on outcomes after students have graduated.

The University of Missouri-St. Louis values student learning and effective teaching. Every department has designed learning outcomes for each major, so students know what they are expected to know and be able to do to have a successful career. Outcomes for the general education curriculum during the first two years include skills in communicating, managing information, and valuing and knowledge ofsocial and behavioral sciences, humanities and fine arts, and mathematics and life or natural sciences. Every major also builds on the skills developed in general education. That means that students hone their communication, critical thinking, and research skills in classes in their major.

UMSL uses several assessment methods to determine our effectiveness in general education and the majors. Mastery of general education learning goals is measured in classes and through the Collegiate Learning Assessment when freshmen enter UMSL and again during their last semester as seniors. UMSL students have traditionally done very well on the CLA. Assessment in the majors is accomplished through tests as well as capstone courses, projects, internships, and other culminating experiences. The programs themselves undergo reviews every five years, in addition to assessments by professional accreditation teams that look for licensure exam pass rates and retention and graduation rates.

Learning Assessment Examples

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Pilot Project to Measure Core Learning Outcomes

Colleges and universities participating in the College Portrait measure the typical improvement in students' abilities to think, reason, and write using one of three tests. This is part of a pilot project to better understand and compare what students learn between their freshman and senior years at different colleges and universities.

2010 - 11 Results from the Collegiate Learning Assessment

The Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) measures critical thinking, analytic reasoning, problem solving, and written communication using a performance task and an analytic writing task. The scores from the tasks are reported separately below.

Test Administration Process

Test Information

Performance Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students

The increase in learning on the performance task is at or near what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.

Freshman Score: 1130
Senior Score: 1209
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.

Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 24
Senior Score: 23

Analytic Writing Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students

The increase in learning on the analytic writing task is at or near what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.

Freshman Score: 1114
Senior Score: 1210
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.

Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 23
Senior Score: 24

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