Fisheries and Aquatic
Sciences
Core Competencies for Graduate Education
Adopted by the Faculty, September 2005
Purpose
This document describes a set of core competencies considered
essential to the success of graduates from Fisheries
and Aquatic Sciences. The competencies apply to students in both MS
and PhD programs. These competencies will be explicitly addressed
in each student¹s program of study at UF through formalized coursework,
independent study, thesis & dissertation research, and by interaction
with mentors and peers.
Background
Competencies represent demonstrable behaviors that will
yield success or a sustainable competitive advantage. They translate
skills, knowledge and motivation into observable behaviors related
to achieving success in a specific situation. In terms of teaching
and mentoring graduate students in FAS, we consider key behaviors
that students must demonstrate to be successful in their careers.
The relationships among skills, knowledge, motivation/attitude
and competencies
Approach
The core competencies support a set of activities derived
from a set of core careers. As a faculty we consider three core careers:
1) academics (from elementary school teacher through senior faculty
member at a major university)
2) government agency (from technician through director)
3) private sector (from entry level through a leadership
position in consulting firms, a non-governmental organizations, businesses
or other organizations in the private sector)
We identify six core activities that include both skills
and knowledge:
1) project management in the broadest sense, including using disciplinary
knowledge to identify key "gaps" and the means to fill them, understanding
and incorporating stakeholder inputs and personal motivation, obtaining
and managing resources, establishing and tracking timelines, and
evaluating progress and making necessary adjustments
2) project implementation in a broad sense, including application
of disciplinary knowledge, safe and efficient use of field and laboratory
techniques, quality assurance and control, collection and use of
metadata, and collection and analysis of data
3) application of the scientific process; including recognizing
philosophical foundations; using premises, reasoning and hypotheses
to ask good questions; structuring sampling design, experimental
design and other work logically; describing entities accurately;
using statistics and other quantitative models appropriately; and
integrating and applying components holistically and appropriately
4) critical thinking, including understanding and evaluating spoken
and written communications, engaging in collegial discussion and
debate, and applying self-correction
5) communication in all its varied forms, including formal and
informal instruction, training, oral presentations, written reports,
evaluations, and journal articles
6) application of life skills to achieve personal and professional
success, including life-long learning, self-reliance, interdependence,
teamwork, leadership, mentorship, and balancing demands.
Through coursework, independent study, thesis or dissertation
research, assisting in courses, participating in extension programs,
contributing to departmental activities and other means, we expect
that students will demonstrate the ability to:
1) plan, track and adapt projects that deliver outcomes fit for
purpose, on time and within budget
2) implement planned projects efficiently and effectively
3) distinguish science from other forms of endeavor, identify "good"
science and apply science appropriately
4) evaluate information and formulate high-quality arguments,
both in verbal dialogue and in writing
5) identify and meet the need to learn about new fields
6) communicate effectively to a variety of audiences through oral
presentations and written materials
7) balance competing demands
8) interact effectively as a student, mentor, team member, leader
and member of FAS.
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