The Wentworth Model

In order to fulfill its mission and to prepare students for the world in which they will live, Wentworth has established the following general education learning outcomes as the institution’s definition of an educated person.

After completing their general education curriculum, students will be able to demonstrate competence in:

  • Written, oral, and visual communication
  • Problem solving
  • Information literacy skills
  • Applications of ethics to decision-making
  • Logical thinking and scientific and quantitative reasoning
  • Critical analysis of scientific, historical, and social phenomena and aesthetic dimensions of humankind

In order to fulfill its mission, Wentworth has established the following Undergraduate Student Learning Outcomes. These learning outcomes are reinforced in classrooms, laboratories, studios, cooperative education experiences, and co-curricular opportunities. All alumni of Wentworth undergraduate programs will demonstrate proficiency in:

  1. Written, oral, and visual communication
  2. Problem solving
  3. The use of current technological tools
  4. Making connections between disciplines and contexts
  5. A range of effective teamwork skills
  6. Critical thinking
  7. Personal and social responsibility

In order to fulfill its mission, Wentworth has established the following Graduate Student Learning Outcomes. Upon graduation, Wentworth Institute of Technology graduate students will demonstrate:

  1. Core Knowledge: advanced knowledge in a specialized area consistent with the focus of their graduate program, including critical thinking and problem solving
  2. Scholarly Communication: advanced proficiency in written and oral communication, appropriate to purpose and audience
  3. Professionalism: advanced intellectual and organizational skills of professional practice, including ethical conduct
  4. Research Methods and Analysis: quantitative and qualitative skills in the use of data gathering methods and analytical techniques used in typical research that is consistent with the focus of their graduate program

Undergraduate and Graduate Program Curricula

Wentworth’s curricula have been structured to:

  • Allow students to enter a baccalaureate degree program directly from high school
  • Allow transfer from another institution of higher learning with the possibility of receiving advanced-standing credit

At the end of their sophomore year, most baccalaureate students have the opportunity to participate in Wentworth’s optional pre-cooperative education semester prior to entering their junior year.  The cooperative education model, in which students complete two work semesters along with their academic degree requirements, is both a university tradition and a graduation requirement. (see individual program listings for details about coop semester schedules).

To ensure that the student learning outcomes are being achieved, the university's undergraduate curricula incorporates a core of general studies.

Associates degree students are required to take, at minimum, two mathematics courses, one laboratory science course, one computer literacy course, two communication courses, one humanities or social science elective, and 10 prescribed courses related to their discipline.

Baccalaureate students are required to take, at minimum, one course in basic mathematics, one laboratory science course, a minimum of 20 credits in Humanities and Social Sciences (with at least one in Humanities and one in Social Sciences), an English Sequence, an introduction to major/profession seminar, and a capstone requirement. Several course offerings, including the capstone requirement, independent study, directed study, and design and project courses, provide opportunities to seniors to demonstrate competency in innovative problem-solving situations, and proficiency in analytical writing and presentation skills. Team and/or interdisciplinary projects, with clearly defined individual responsibilities, are encouraged.

Within this framework the baccalaureate curricular structure for four-year undergraduate programs mandates each semester will be comprised of at least 12 credits, but no more than 20 credits.

Graduate curricular structure for Master of Architecture, Master of Science in Applied Computer Science and Master of Science in Data Science are offered in one, two, or three-year length of study dependent upon type of baccalaureate degree earned. All other graduate degree programs are offered in a full-time, one year accelerated length of study or in a part-time less than two-year length of study.

Academic credit will be based on the 15-week format, with one hour of lecture or recitation equal to one (1) credit and two (2) hours of laboratory or studio work equal to one (1) credit.