Student learning goals (SLGs) are broad statements about what a program wants its majors to know or be able to do. The goals are a step in between the program's mission statement (a current, accurate description of the primary purpose of the program) and student learning outcomes (specific statements about the observable behaviors a program expects from its majors). Unlike student learning outcomes, goals do not have to be stated in a way that implies how it will be measured. Think of goals as a way to organize the program's student learning outcomes.
Student learning goals should give prospective students a general sense of what they should gain from completing the program. Ideally, all faculty in a program should be aware of the program's goals and be able to easily communicate the goals to prospective students and their parents, as well as to potential employers of the program's students.
As the name implies, student learning goals should focus only on learning and exclude operations. For example, while a program should monitor enrollment, retention, and engagement, these measures do not represent student learning.
While there are no strict rules about how many goals a program should have, programs should have a reasonable and manageable number of goals. Three to six goals is typical. The set of goals should represent what is most important to the program and should be reflected in the program's curriculum.