Professional Competencies Expected of College Graduates

A. Traditional Professional Competencies

1. Conceptual Competence: Understanding the theoretical foundations.
2. Technical Competence: Performing required skills.
3. Integrative Competence: Melding theory and skills in practice
4. Career Marketability: Marketable through education and training

B. Liberal / Professional Competencies

1. Communication Competence
2. Contextual Competence
3. Adaptive Competence
4. Critical Thinking
5. Leadership Capacity

C. Attitudes

1. Professional Identity
2. Professional Ethics
3. Scholarly Concern for Improvement
4. Motivation for Continued Learning
5. Aesthetic Sensibility

From: Stark, Joan and Malcolm A. Lowther. 1989. "Exploring Common Ground in Liberal and Professional Education."  Pages 7 - 20 in Armount, R. A. and B. S. Fuhrmann (eds.) Integrating Liberal Learning and Professional Education.  New Directions for Teaching and Learning, No. 40, Winter.  San Francisco:  Jossey-Bass.

See also:

• Liberating Skills Transferable to Many Careers and Vocations
• "A College Graduate Should ..." and Other Insights about Higher Education

Includes:

• A College Graduate Should ...
• A Quality Education Includes ...
• Skills Students Need to Succeed in Jobs, School and Relationships
• The Purpose of General Education
• Carnegie Foundation Recommends Increase in General Education Requirements
• Liberal Arts Majors and Business Careers

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