Having the Graduate Attributes Framework helps staff:
- make clear to current and prospective students the wealth of opportunity that studying at the University offers them and therefore encourage them to capitalise on their time at Edinburgh
- describe a common experience for students studying in varied and disparate areas
- provide an easy and coherent structure for highlighting the value and impact of new developments, especially in relation to learning and teaching.
You should be helping, supporting and encouraging students to develop these attributes, thinking about what they mean within their particular discipline or context.
The University of Edinburgh Graduate Attributes Framework
Graduate Attributes in context
Developing Graduate Attributes shapes student success and impact across their lives:
- in academia – the type of students and researchers they are/can be
- in society/community – their contribution to society and citizenship
- in work and career – their employability
Employability is the outcome of applying Graduate Attributes in one context: work and career. Graduate Attributes in their fullest sense are much broader than just employability – they relate to all aspects of the student experience. Equipping students with the attributes required for success is therefore fundamental to the University's mission and a constant thread throughout the University’s Strategic Plan, linked to learning, teaching and research.
Graduate Attributes in programme and course
The Curriculum Toolkit for embedding student development, employability and careers provides practical guidance on curriculum design that supports the development of students’ Graduate Attributes and employability.
Graduate Attributes in programme and course information
Programme and course descriptors must include relevant and meaningful information on Graduate Attributes, contextualised to that degree programme or course. The section below provides guidance and support.