B.A. POLITICAL SCIENCE – PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES:

1. Students will demonstrate the ability to ask relevant research questions pertaining to Political Science in their research papers and internship experiences. We expect that 80% of the papers and intern evaluation rubrics will evidence this outcome; of those, 50% will demonstrate the ability at the good or exemplary levels.
    
2. Students will demonstrate the ability to recognize and evaluate assumptions and implications in their research papers and internship experiences. We expect that 80% of the papers and intern evaluation rubrics will evidence this outcome; of those, 50% will demonstrate the ability at the good or exemplary levels.
    
3. Students will demonstrate the ability to examine and evaluate different sides of an issue in their research papers and internship experiences. We expect that 80% of the papers and intern evaluation rubrics will evidence this outcome; of those, 50% will demonstrate the ability at the good or exemplary levels.
    
4. Students will demonstrate the ability to state and defend a thesis that is clear, direct, logical, and substantive in the area of Political Science. We expect that 80% of the papers will evidence this outcome; of those, 50% will demonstrate the ability at the good or exemplary levels.
    
5. Students will demonstrate the ability to find and use a variety of appropriately cited sources. We expect that 80% of the papers will evidence this outcome; of those, 50% will demonstrate the ability at the good or exemplary levels.
    
6. Students will demonstrate substantive knowledge of concepts and facts relevant to Political Science. We expect that 80% of the papers and intern evaluation rubrics will evidence this outcome; of those, 50% will demonstrate the knowledge at the good or exemplary levels.
    
7. Students working toward teacher certification will demonstrate the ability to apply political science knowledge and methodologies within the classroom setting. (Student teachers are preparing to instruct secondary school student to understand American democratic principles and government, citizenship and political processes, and similarities and differences among major historical and contemporary forms of government). We expect at least 80 percent of our students in PoSi 4398 to meet or exceed expectations.

BPA PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES: 

1. Students will demonstrate critical thinking and problem solving skills. We expect that 80% of the papers and intern evaluation rubrics will evidence this outcome; of those, 50% will demonstrate the skills at the good or exemplary levels.
    
2. Students will demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively in writing. We expect that 80% of the papers and intern evaluation rubrics will evidence this outcome; of those, 50% will demonstrate the ability at the good or exemplary levels.
    
3. Students will demonstrate effective oral communication skills. We expect that 80% of the oral paper presentation evaluation rubrics and will evidence this outcome; of those, 50% will demonstrate the skills at the good or exemplary levels.
    
4. Students will demonstrate a fundamental understanding of key public administration and management concepts related to their internship experience or applied research project. We expect that 80% of the papers and intern evaluation rubrics will evidence this outcome; of those, 50% will demonstrate the understanding at the good or exemplary levels.
    
5. Students will demonstrate an understanding of ethical issues in public administration. We expect that 80% of the papers and intern evaluation rubrics will evidence this outcome; of those, 50% will demonstrate the understanding at the good or exemplary levels.

 
M.A. POLITICAL SCIENCE – PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES: 

1. Students will demonstrate advanced knowledge of important concepts within the discipline of Political Science. We expect that 90% of students’ work on their oral comprehensive examinations and students’ theses will evidence this outcome; of those, 70% will demonstrate the knowledge at the good or exemplary level.
    
2. Students will demonstrate advanced knowledge of specific scholars and their work within the discipline of Political Science. We expect that 90% of students’ work on their oral comprehensive examinations and students’ theses will evidence this outcome; of those, 70% will demonstrate the knowledge at the good or exemplary level.
    
3. Students will demonstrate advanced knowledge of the approaches to the study of Political Science, eg., normative v. empirical theoretical approaches, qualitative v. quantitative strategies of inquiry, and classical and contemporary political theories. We expect that 90% of students’ work on their oral comprehensive examinations and students’ theses will evidence this outcome; of those, 70% will demonstrate the knowledge at the good or exemplary level.
    
4. Students will demonstrate advanced knowledge of specific sub-disciplines of Political Science. We expect that 90% of students’ work on their oral comprehensive examinations and students’ theses will evidence this outcome; of those, 70% will demonstrate the knowledge at the good or exemplary level.
    
5. Students will demonstrate advanced competency in review and synthesis of relevant Political Science literature. We expect that 90% of students’ work on their oral comprehensive examinations and students’ theses will evidence this outcome; of those, 70% will demonstrate the competencies at the good or exemplary level.
    
6. Students will demonstrate the ability to speak cogently and write fluently to explain research results. We expect that 90% of the work of students at their non-thesis oral comprehensive examination will evidence this outcome relative to the ability to speak cogently; of those, 70% will demonstrate the competencies at the good or exemplary level. We expect that 90% of the work of students on their theses will evidence this outcome relative to the ability to write fluently; of those, 70% will demonstrate the competencies at the good or exemplary level.

M.A. LEGAL STUDIES – PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES: 

1. Students will demonstrate advanced knowledge and comprehension of legal research methodology and be able to conduct effective legal research. We expect that 100% of the evaluation grids completed by the 2nd readers and 80% of the evaluation rubrics completed by external intern supervisors will evidence this outcome; of those, 95% will demonstrate the knowledge, comprehension, and ability at the good or exemplary levels.
    
2. Students will demonstrate the advanced ability to communicate effectively in writing. We expect that 100% of the evaluation grids completed by the 2nd readers and 80% of the evaluation rubrics completed by external intern supervisors will evidence this outcome; of those, 95% will demonstrate the ability at the good or exemplary levels.
    
3. Students will demonstrate the ability to present well researched and well reasoned legal arguments. We expect that 100% of the evaluation grids completed by the 2nd readers and 80% of the evaluation rubrics completed by external intern supervisors will evidence this outcome; of those, 95% will demonstrate these abilities at the good or exemplary levels.
    
4. Students will demonstrate advanced knowledge and comprehension of the American justice system. We expect that 100% of the evaluation grids completed by the 2nd readers and 100% of the evaluation rubrics completed by external intern supervisors will evidence this outcome; of those, 95% will demonstrate knowledge and comprehension at the good or exemplary levels.
    
5. Students will demonstrate advanced knowledge and comprehension of ethical guidelines and disciplinary rules of legal practice. We expect that 100% of the evaluation grids completed by the 2nd readers and 80% of the evaluation rubrics completed by external intern supervisors will evidence this outcome; of those, 95% will demonstrate knowledge and comprehension at the good or exemplary levels.

MPA PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES: 

1. Students will demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively in writing.
    
2. Students will demonstrate knowledge and comprehension of the eleven curriculum components standards of the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration’s accreditation. The curriculum standards represent the body of knowledge an MPA graduate is expected to master. The curriculum standards include 1) Human Resource Management; 2) Budgeting or Financial Management; 3) Information Management/Technology applications; 4) Policy and Program Formation; 5) Program Implementation/Evaluation; 6) Decision-Making; 7) Problem-Solving; 8) Political/Legal Institutions and Processes; 9) Economic/Social Institutions and Processes; 10) Organization/Management Concepts; 11) Ethics. The reviewers will strongly agree or agree that 80 percent of the student papers demonstrated knowledge and comprehension of at least 8 of the curriculum standards of the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration.
    
3. Students will demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively orally. The reviewers will rate the oral presentation as meets or exceeds expectations on all criteria for 80% of the presentations.
    
4. Students will demonstrate the ability to see patterns and classify information, concepts, and theories in public policy and administration.
    
5. Students will demonstrate the ability to use reasoned arguments to judge evidence in public policy and public management.
    

POSI 2310 AND POSI 2320 PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES:

1.  After completion of POSI 2310 and POSI 2320, 75% of the students will be able to demonstrate substantive knowledge of the structure and functions of the American system of government.
    
2. After completion of POSI 2310 and POSI 2320, 75% of the students will be able to demonstrate substantive knowledge of the structure and functions of the Texas system of government.

Texas State University-San Marcos Honor Code

As members of a community dedicated to learning, inquiry, and creation, the students, faculty, and administration of our University live by the principles in this Honor Code. These principles require all members of this community to be conscientious, respectful, and honest.

We Are Conscientious:
We complete our work on time and make every effort to do it right. We come to class and meetings prepared and are willing to demonstrate it. We hold ourselves to doing what is required, embrace rigor, and shun mediocrity special requests, and excuses.

We Are Respectful:
We act civilly toward one another, and we cooperate with each other. We will strive to create an environment in which people respect and listen to one another, speaking when appropriate, and permitting other people to participate and express their views.

We Are Honest:
We do our own work and are honest with one another in all matters. We understand how various acts of dishonesty, like plagiarizing, falsifying data, and giving or receiving assistance to which one is not entitled, conflict as much with academic achievement as with the values of honesty and integrity.

The Pledge for Students
Students at our University recognize that, to insure honest conduct, more is needed than an expectation of academic honesty, and we therefore adopt the practice of affixing the following pledge of honesty to the work we submit for evaluation:

I pledge to uphold the principles of honesty and responsibility at our University.

The Pledge for Faculty and Administration
Faculty at our University recognize that the students have rights when accused of academic dishonesty and will inform the accused of their rights of appeal laid out in the student handbook and inform them of the process that will take place.

I recognize students' rights and pledge to uphold the principles of honesty and responsibility at our University.

• Date/time for final examination
• A statement for students with special needs that might read: “Students with special needs (as documented by the Office of Disability Services) should identify themselves at the beginning of the semester.”