3.2 Program Competencies

This section will help program reviewers develop and/or review program level competencies based on industry competencies and 21st century skills identified via the pathways mapping process.

After completing this section, the program review team may determine they need to create or revise program level competencies and include them in the recommendations section of the self-study report.

What are Program Competencies?

A competency refers to “a general statement that describes the desired knowledge, skills, and behaviors of a student graduating from a program (or completing a course). Competencies commonly define the applied skills and knowledge that enable people to successfully perform in professional, educational, and other life contexts” (Hartel and Foegeding, 2004).

A program competency is the description of knowledge, skills and abilities students should gain through successful completion of a program. Program competencies guide and provide structure to develop program outcomes which are measurable deliverables of a program.

In section 3.4 of the curriculum review process, program reviewers will evaluate whether the current program outcomes are designed to deliver program competencies that were identified in this section.

Developing/Reviewing Program Competencies?

While some KPU programs may have competencies identified in their program documents, others may not have previously developed program competencies, or the record of them may not be available. We have developed guidelines for how to proceed depending on which situation your program is in. Developing program competencies will assist program reviewers to fully evaluate the program now and in the future. Branch out to the respective sections below as appropriate.

If the program does NOT have program competencies, then go to section 3.2.1
If the program does HAVE program competencies, then go to section 3.2.2

3.2.1. Developing Program Competencies

Here are the steps to develop competencies for your program. Refer to the example, template below as you follow these steps.

Appendix 3: Program Competency Development Template

Step 1 – In column A vertically, list industry competencies and 21st century skills identified in section 1 [Pathways mapping exercise columns B & D]

Step 2 – There would be far too many and/or overlapping industry competencies and 21st century skills identified in the pathway mapping process. Typically, a program should include anywhere between 6-12 clusters of program competencies. In column B-H horizontally, identify buckets (groups) of program competencies to cluster industry competencies and 21st century skills that you listed in step 1. The individual industry competencies and 21st century skills you identified earlier will become handy when developing program learning outcomes later in section 3.4.

Step 3 – Assign each industry competency and 21st skill to a program competency bucket by marking an “X” in the corresponding row/column. These program competency buckets (B-H) could now be used to develop or evaluate program outcomes in section 3.4.

See below an example that demonstrates the program competency development process.

3.2.2. Review Current Program Competencies

Here are the steps to evaluate/review your current program competencies against the updated industry competencies and 21st century skills you identified in section 3.1 earlier.

Refer to the example, template below as you follow these steps.

Appendix 4: Current Program Competency Review Template

Step 1 – In column A vertically, list industry competencies and 21st century skills identified in section 1 [Pathways mapping exercise columns B & D].

Step 2 – List current program competencies of your program horizontally in columns B-I.

Step 3 – Now map industry competencies and 21st century skills with current program competencies by marking “X” in the corresponding row/column.

Identify any gaps between the updated industry competencies and 21st century skills and the current program competencies.  You may identify that some updated industry competencies/21st century skills are no longer represented in the current program competencies. Based on the above analysis, the team could identify current program competencies to be updated, deleted, or added in the recommendation stage of the self-study.

In this example, notice a new program competency “Technology & Media Skills” is added to represent new industry competencies and 21st century skills that are highlighted in blue above.

3.2.3. Next Steps

Refer to the Self-Study Guide (KPU Program Review Guide Series #4), Chapter 3, section 3.2 (Program competencies). Follow the instructions provided in that section.