Liberal Studies Program > About > Learning Outcomes and Writing Expectations

Learning Outcomes and Writing Expectations

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Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:

  • Integrate, in writing, the academic content with student experiences engaging with Chicago
  • Articulate the connection between course content and DePaul University's mission
  • Use Chicago resources in their coursework

Writing Expectations
Chicago Quarter classes should develop students' rhetorical (written and oral) skills through classroom exercises and projects. Writing requirements for Chicago Quarter classes include:

  • Students are required to write at least twelve (12) pages.
  • Formal writing assignemnts should comprise a minimum of seven (7) pages and require students to integrate the academic content with their experiences engaging with Chicago. These assignments, for example, may ask students to apply critical concepts to analyze texts or arguments related to the academic content or DePaul's mission.
  • Writing assignments should be divided between at least two different types, e.g. jornal or reflective writing, group projects, site visit reorts, reading-based written responses, etc.
  • At least one (1) writing assignment (formal or informal) should require students to identify and use Chicago resources.

Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:

  • Distinguish between at least three different disciplinary approaches to the course topic through discussion, readings, and writing assignments.
  • Demonstrate seminar discussion skills by actively engaging in critical discussion (including collective understanding and respectful disagreement) that reflects formal discussion preparation and engagement exercises. This could include in-class written responses, formal presentations or debate, small group interaction, and large group conversation.
  • Identify and engage with different kinds of accepted evidence (both primary and secondary sources).
  • Construct a project with an argument supported by sources deemed appropriate by the instructor.

(approved by Faculty Council, April 2026)

Writing Expectations
The Focal Point Seminar is designated a writing-intensive course in the Liberal Studies Program; assignments are designed to develop writing skills. A range of 12-20 pages of writing is required with at least one piece of formal writing that goes through a revision process based on written feedback from the instructor.

(approved by Faculty Council, April 2026)

Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:

  • Use proportional reasoning and percent change to analyze data in context.
  • Make appropriate and effective graphs to communicate and visualize quantitative information.
  • Critique graphs and charts in the media.
  • Recognize disaggregation as a factor in interpreting data.
  • Use and interpret linear and exponential models.
  • Make algebraic calculations within a spreadsheet using cell addresses and formulas and use statistical, logical, and financial functions.
  • Critically assess the sources, importance and factual accuracy of quantitative information.
  • Make effective quantitative analyses in written form with supporting graphs and/or tables.

Writing Expectations
The Quantitative Reasoning courses are strongly committed to developing students' writing skills. The effective use of quantitative information requires excellent written communication skills, and writing and quantitative analysis are inextricably linked. Furthermore, as part of the Liberal Studies Program, the QR courses provide students the unique opportunity to develop skills in writing analytic papers that include numbers, tables, and graphs. The minimal expectations for writing in a section of an QR course are:

  • Five written activities each of which has a final product in the form of a Word document with five to ten short paragraph responses (each 2 pages on average).
  • Five out of class assignments approximately 10 short paragraph responses (4 pages on average).
  • An 8-page written report analyzing data replated to a public policy issue.

Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:

  • Identify and use key rhetorical concepts, including purpose, audience, and context, through analyzing and composing a variety of texts.
  • Integrate critical thinking, reading, and writing.
  • Reflect on and develop their own writing processes.
  • Appropriately apply knowledge of linguistic structures, genre, and citation.

Writing Expectations
Each section of WRD 103 is expected to meet the following minimum requirements for student work:

  • Amount of Writing: students will write at least four finished papers, each of which will be approximately 750 to 1000 words long.
  • Drafting and Revising: students will submit preliminary drafts of at least two of their papers for the instructor's review and comment, so that some weight in the final grade is given to the student's skill in developing and revising his or her writing.
  • Basic Standards: students will not receive a grade of C- or better if their finished work repeatedly fails to conform to certain basic standards (see Part V: Grading)

Each section of WRD 104 is expected to meet the following minimum expectations for student work:

  • Amount of Writing: students will write at least twelve to fifteen pages of finished material for the course, including at least one formal documented research paper at least six pages (1500 words) long.
  • Summarizing and Paraphrasing: students will learn and practice strategies of summarizing and paraphrasing other texts as part of or in the context of preparing the research paper.
  • Library Resources: students will complete an exercise in using the resources and technology of the library.
  • Drafting and Revising: students will submit preliminary drafts of at least part of their work for the instructor's review and comment, so that some weight in the final grade is given to the student's skill in developing and revising his or her writing.
  • Basic Standards: students will not receive a grade of C- or better if their finished work repeatedly fails to conform to certain basic standards (see Part V: Grading).

Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:

  • Demonstrate knowledge of the historically contingent nature of constructions of race, racism, and anti-racism. The course will compare at least two different dimensions of people's lived experiences by examining how class, ethnicity, gender, age, language, sexual orientation, religion, and/or ability have shaped racialized experiences and anti-racist resistance. 
  • Develop, through self-reflection and critical analysis, alternative perspectives on the historical roots of inequality and be able to explain the lasting effects of oppression on marginalized groups.
  • Critically analyze multiple sources of information and interpret evidence from a variety of points of view in order to demonstrate knowledge about racism and tools that have been used to combat it. Sources may include relevant databases and other reference works, primary and secondary sources, community knowledge, etc.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of racism and anti-racist movements or actions through seminar discussion and course assignments.
  • Apply seminar content theoretically or practically to address problems and issues related to racism and its intersection with other features of human experience.

(approved by Faculty Council, March 2022)

Writing Expectations
Students should develop as critical writers and thinkers, building on skills acquired during their first year. Each course should be writing intensive, with students producing at least 20 pages of writing in total. Assignments should have clear objectives and may include both shorter and more sustained assignments (for example, journals, response papers, field reports, analytical essays, research papers, summaries of articles, creative writing assignments, etc.). Of these, one should be a substantial, thesis-driven piece of writing. In addition, writing intensive courses should include some discussion and attention to the process of writing, whether through revision, peer editing, modeling or other focused attention on the development of writing skills. 

(approved by Faculty Council, March 2022)

Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:

  • Students will use reflective writing to apply academic concepts from class readings, lectures, and discussions to their internship, fieldwork or service learning in the settings provided by the course.
  • Students will reflect on and apply knowledge gained from their internship, fieldwork, or service learning to their understanding of the academic course content.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the ethics appropriate to the student's experiential placement.
  • Synthesize and articulate how the ideas and experiences provided by the course might inform their personal, academic, and/or professional pursuits.

(approved by Faculty Council, April 2024)

Writing Expectations
Experiential learning courses should include written reflections, which could be in the form of a journal, short reflective essays, and/or longer papers. These reflections should not merely recount a student's experience but should be rooted in and draw from material in readings and lectures, relating the experience to the course's academic content. Furthermore, writing assignments should address the EL learning outcomes by:

  • applying particular concepts from readings, lectures, or other course material to an analysis of a lived experience in the settings provided by the course
  • using the experience provided by the course to construct and articulate the impact of their experience on their understanding of course content
  • using their new understanding to make decisions and solve problems related to thecourse. For example, in a course where students develop software for a communitybased organization (CBO), their written reflections should connect what they've seen and learned from the CBO for whom they're developing software with larger societal issues like the digital divide or Chicago's segregated neighborhoods. Similarly, students in an internship or study abroad would be expected to reflect on how their respective experiences in the workplace or abroad connect with relevant course readings and discussions.

Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:

  • Apply one or more theories or concepts from courses within their major to an analysis of a particular issue relevant to the major.
  • Identify an idea, method, or concept from a discipline outside their major field of study and be able to apply it within the context of their major field of study.
  • Examine how their previous coursework, including Liberal Studies courses, has contributed to their intellectual development and/or their post-graduation plans.

Writing Expectations
Instructors of all Capstone courses must assign at least 10 pages of written material to be completed outside of class. These ten pages do not have to be contained in a single assignment but may be the cumulative work of multiple assignments. These ten pages must provide students the opportunity to demonstrate their progress in mastering one or more learning outcomes for the course. Additional writing beyond the ten page minimum is discretionary and need not reflect learning outcomes. Students should receive feedback on their written work.


Learning Domains

Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:

  • Clearly explain, in their own words, what a work of art is about and how it was produced (i.e. they should be able to articulate and explain the "content" of that work and its methodology of production).
  • Comment on the relationship between form and content using specific examples from works of art. How does the 14-line sonnet both enable and inhibit its practitioner, for example? What are the generic expectations of a particular form? How does an artist complicate, enrich, or subvert such expectations?
  • Assess the formal aspects of their subject and put those qualities into their own words. When appropriate, they will use specialized vocabulary employed in class and readings.
  • Articulate an understanding of the context of a work of art. They will be able to do so with respect to other works of art in terms of defining its place within a broader style or genre. They will also be able to contextualize a work of art in terms of contemporaneous aesthetic, social, or political concerns, discussing how these might shape the work's reception and how that reception might differ amongst various peoples and historical periods.

(approved by Faculty Council, April 2026)

Writing Expectations
Writing in the domain is expected to develop skills necessary to meet the above Learning Outcomes. A minimum of 5-7 pages (1500-2100 words) of writing for courses in the Arts and Literature domain (including all workshop, laboratory, practicum, performance, studio, training, criticism, and creative practice studio courses) is required. Written assignments should:

  • Develop the fundamental skills of the discipline offering the course.
  • Incorporate students’ own words and perspectives.
  • Produce sustained analysis of works of art and original interpretive thinking. Short responses - of a paragraph or two or less than 300 words - typically don't fulfill this level of engagement.
  • Cover material across the term and potentially include opportunities for revision. Ideally a course will require more than one written assignment.

(approved by Faculty Council, April 2026)

Learning Outcomes - Computational Reasoning
Students will be able to:

  • Apply computational thinking skills such as abstraction (modeling), problem decomposition, pattern recognition, and algorithm design to analyze and develop solutions to problems.
  • Develop, express, read, and trace (be able to follow step-by-step) algorithms.
  • Apply fundamental concepts of programming in implementing algorithms.
  • Create original artifacts using computational tools and techniques.
  • Apply computational tools to transform and manipulate data.
  • Explain the potential harms and benefits of computing in a number of contexts.

Learning Outcomes - Statistical Reasoning
Students will be able to:

  • Recognize and explain statistically based results from real data (either primary or secondary) and evaluate whether reported conclusions reasonably follow from the study and analysis conducted.
  • Use statistical software to produce and interpret graphical displays and statistical summaries.
  • Recognize and explain the roles of variability and randomness in interpreting data and drawing conclusions.
  • Explain common ethical issues associated with sound statistical practice, including those associated with research design, and their impact on statistical decision-making.
  • Measure the strength of association between variables and identify possible effects of confounding or interacting variables on the interpretation of the association.
  • Apply basic ideas of statistical inference, including confidence intervals or hypothesis testing, in a variety of settings.

(approved by Faculty Council, May 2026)

Writing Expectations
Courses in the Math and Computing Domain will require both formal writing (e.g. exams, essays, take-home essay exams, critical analyses, reaction papers to readings, essays answering questions posed by the instructor, or technical reports) and supplemental written elements that are appropriate for the subject of the course, such as problem-sets, computer code, statistical formulas, graphs, charts, and diagrams.

  • Students will demonstrate skills in writing at an appropriate level of detail (including the ability to summarize effectively), choosing an effective format, paraphrasing and citation of sources as required, technical accuracy, and quality of expression, including grammar, spelling and word usage.
  • Students will be required to write the equivalent of a minimum of five to ten pages, distributed across a series of assignments. Specific types of writing required will be a part of the description of assignments appropriate to the topics covered.

Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:

  • Explain beliefs and practices of one or more religious traditions in their specific social and cultural contexts.
    • In courses in which the focus is on one religious tradition, describe the diversity of strands within the tradition and explain with significant depth the modes of interpretation of the world the tradition offers both to adherents and to others.
  • Identify religious modes of thinking, acting, and feeling such as: myth and narrative, symbol, ritual, law, doctrine, ethics, religious experience.
  • Analyze the impact of religion on personal as well as communal dimensions of human life, including for example the relationship between religion and power, social integration, social transformation, and social justice.

Writing Expectations
By the end of the quarter, a student will have written a minimum total of 10 pages of writing. This writing may include assignments such as essays, response papers, reading journals, take-home essay exams, critical analyses, reaction papers to their readings, essays answering questions posed by the instructor, or reports on fieldwork. The syllabus will indicate this through its assignments. Students will demonstrate skills in the following areas:

  • An adequate use of language pertinent to the study of religions
  • An adequate use of sources
  • An adequately skillful use of methodological approaches

Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:

  • Demonstrate a depth and breadth of historical knowledge of specified content by:
    • Explaining historical developments in terms of continuity and change.
    • Describing the relevant political, economic, social, and/or cultural contexts of historical events and developments.
    • Explaining how people have lived, acted, and thought in one or more particular historical periods.
  • Demonstrate historical skills by:
    • Analyzing and evaluating primary and secondary sources.
    • Differentiating between historical facts and historical interpretations.
    • Articulating a historical argument.
    • Supporting an interpretation with evidence from primary and secondary sources.
  • Demonstrate historical thinking by:
    • Articulating how geography and regional differences affect the past.
    • Interpreting the complexity and diversity among issues, events, and ideas of the past.
    • Distinguishing among multiple perspectives that shape interpretations of the past.
    • Using the categories of race, gender, class, ethnicity, region, and religion to analyze historical events and developments.

(approved by Faculty Council, March 2017)

Writing Expectations
Instructors of HI courses are expected to assign the equivalent of at least six typed pages of written work. Such writing assignments should be designed to evaluate both content-based knowledge and skills in critical thinking, reading, and writing; they should not be limited to "opinion" or "response" pieces. In lower-division courses, instructors are encouraged to favor shorter, more frequent writing assignments over long end-of-term papers, to create more opportunities for students to practice writing and to receive comments and writing instruction from faculty. Revisions of papers are especially encouraged and will be counted toward fulfilling the page requirement above. 

(approved by Liberal Studies Director, May 2026)

Learning Outcomes - Science as a Way of Knowing
Students will be able to:

  • Demonstrate understanding of the natural science content that is the focus of the course.
  • Interpret and create multiple representations of data (e.g. graphical, mathematical, pictorial/diagrammatic, and/or descriptive).
  • Use scientific evidence to support or refute predictions made by scientific hypotheses, state the limitations of the scientific method, and identify unsubstantiated claims, such as those based on pseudoscience.
  • Describe the process of scientific research, including aspects such as skepticism, ethics, collaboration, diversity of community, disparate impacts, funding, peer review, or the dissemination of results.
  • Substantiate the claim that scientific knowledge inherently evolves over time as previous understandings are revised with new evidence and perspectives.

(approved by Faculty Council, March 2022)

Learning Outcomes - Lab
Students will be able to:

  • Pose meaningful scientific questions and generate testable scientific hypotheses.
  • Plan, design and conduct scientific investigations in a collaborative environment using appropriate tools and techniques to gather relevant data in order to test and revise scientific hypotheses.
  • Develop and use scientific models (conceptual, physical, and mathematical) to make predictions and develop explanations of natural phenomena.
  • Address variability in the data and recognize and analyze alternative explanations and predictions.
  • Communicate scientific procedures, results, and explanations and engage in arguments based on scientific evidence.

(approved by Faculty Council, March 2022)

Writing Expectations
Formal writing is essential for communicating ideas and progress in science, mathematics, and computation to experts within the field and to the broader society. Courses within the Scientific Inquiry Domain should include both formal writing (for example lab reports, essays, and written responses to questions) and supplemental elements that are appropriate for the subject of the course such as mathematical equations, computer code, figures and graphs, lab notebooks, or field journals.

(approved by Faculty Council, March 2022)

Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:

  • Address, critically think about, and analyze philosophical questions and problems.
  • Evaluate philosophical questions, issues and/or problems using informed judgment.
  • Analyze and interpret the methods used by philosophers in addressing philosophical questions, issues, and/or problems.
  • Engage with philosophical topics and figures in their historical context.
  • Confront and interpret primary texts from the philosophical tradition.
  • Write an analytic essay treating a philosophical question, issue and/or problem that forwards an identifiable thesis, argument, and conclusion.

(approved by Faculty Council, winter 2016)

Writing Expectations
The expectation of the Philosophical Inquiry Liberal Studies Learning Domain is that students taking courses in this domain will write at least 10 pages per quarter. This writing may take the form of essays, response papers, reading journals, take-home essay exams, critical analyses, etc. At least one assignment should involve revision, which may count (but only once, not twice) towards the 10 page minimum. 

(approved by Faculty Council, winter 2016)

Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:

  • Analyze and reflect upon arguments about the contemporary world using relevant theory, methods, and/or empirical evidence.
  • Analyze interdependent relationships between contemporary society and individuals.

Writing Expectations
Students in Social, Cultural, and Behavioral Inquiry courses will demonstrate that they have mastered one or more of the learning outcomes through writing. It is expected that the equivalent of ten pages (which may be distributed across a series of assignments including papers, exams, journals, problem-sets and in-class writing assignments) will be required. At least five of those pages must be written outside class.