By accounting for outcome variations that are not programmatic it is possible to assess the value added by the specialized major. An assessment of the contribution of the major to general education learning outcomes was conducted at an independent university with 8500 students. The faculty was heavily involved in determining desired outcomes and the associated measurement methodologies. More will follow shortly. The length of exposure to a specialized major reinforces certain outcomes but not others.
Different majors attract different types of students.
Faculty capabilities also differ. These differences can be accounted for in program reviews. Pragmatic measurement methods are superior to purist and situational methods when the selection criterion for the method are faculty consensus, ease of use, and the ability to generate useful results. A graduating student survey is a cost effective method of gathering outcomes data that are timely, rich in detail, and of sufficient robustness to allow statistically significant comparisons. Copies of the presentation slides.