Degree-Level Expectations

Undergraduate Degree-Level Expectations

The Ontario Council Academic Vice-presidents (OCAV) guidelines state:

The globalization of higher education has led to the need to be able to compare and contrast the variety of qualifications granted by academic institutions for credit transfer, graduate study preparation, and professional qualification. Similarly, jurisdictions with decentralized systems are looking for ways to measure academic equivalencies. In addition, in order to be able to evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of all aspects of instruction, institutions, accrediting authorities and funding bodies have begun to clarify the outcomes expected of graduates. The OCAV, aware of a national initiative to state degree expectations, has prepared this document to reflect expectations of performance by the graduates of the Baccalaureate/Bachelors programs of Ontario’s publicly funded universities.

The undergraduate degree-level expectations (UDLEs) elaborate the intellectual and creative development of students and the acquisition of relevant skills that have been widely, yet implicitly, understood. At their most basic, the six UDLEs articulated by OCAV are as follows:

  1. Depth and breadth of knowledge
  2. Knowledge of methodologies
  3. Application of knowledge
  4. Communication skills
  5. Awareness of limits of knowledge
  6. Autonomy and professional capacity

In addition, the University of Waterloo has added two more UDLEs:

  1. Experiential learning
  2. Diversity

A list of all 8 undergraduate degree-level expectations (DOC) which is suitable for printing can be downloaded. Additionally, each of these eight UDLEs is presented with additional detail below. 

Graduate Degree-Level Expectations

These degree level expectations, which have been adopted by the University of Waterloo, complement the existing appraisal process. They do not replace the appraisal process. These degree level expectations elaborate the intellectual development of students and the acquisition of relevant skills that have been widely understood, but heretofore implicitly rather than explicitly stated.  A list of the 6 graduate degree-level expectations (DOC) can be downloaded.