Student Goals & Achievements

(Updated April 2024)

Table of Contents

College

Business

Divinity

Graduate School

Law

Medicine

Professional Studies

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College

Wake Forest University strives to be a dynamic and diverse learning community, valuing knowledge, experience, and service for the benefit of humanity in the liberal arts tradition. It expects to prepare all its undergraduate students, who must meet a core liberal arts curriculum requirement, a major requirement, and a 120 credit hour requirement to graduate, to be active and informed members of the world in which they live. In line with these aims, the institution assesses student achievement using a variety of measures, including first-year retention rates, 6-year graduation rates, study abroad participation rates, and post-graduation destinations. In the tables that follow, all Wake Forest undergraduate students are considered, including those who complete degrees in the College of Arts and Sciences and those who matriculate to the School of Business after fulfilling core requirements in the College. Additional School of Business metrics are provided below. 

First-Year Retention Rate

Because the retention rate measures how many first-year students will return for their second year of school, it provides the College with a valuable tool to determine whether the institution is living up to the expectations for student success we set when recruiting students. The first-year retention rate is a well-respected, national best practice gauge of student success. This means not only can we assess internally across student diversity and across time how we are measuring up; we can also track our first-year retention rate against peer and aspirational schools as well. The first year retention rate in the College has consistently been at or above 94% for the most recent cohorts of entering students (2015-2022). The institution aims to maintain a minimum first-year retention rate of 94%, which falls within the range of reported data on first-year retention rates from a select group of IPEDS comparative peer institutions. The institutional goal is to exceed our peer average by reaching 97%.

Table 1. First Year Retention Rate*

*Three-year entering cohort averages; NA, not available as of March 2024.

6-year Graduation Rates

Even more than the 4-year graduation rate, which offers insight into how many students are finishing their degrees in a timely manner, the 6-year graduation rate measures institutional commitment to ensuring our students complete their education at Wake Forest despite challenges along the way. In addition, the 6-year graduation rate is a nationally recognized metric that helps identify those schools most committed to ensuring the academic success of their student body. It is widely understood that student persistence toward completion of their educational goals is a key gauge of student academic success, and therefore of institutional success as a whole. The 6-year graduation rate for undergraduate students has topped 88% among the most recent cohorts (students entering between 2010-2016). Wake Forest sets a minimum 6-year graduation rate threshold of 87% which falls within the range of reported data on 6-year graduation rates from a select group of IPEDS comparative peer institutions. The peer average of 92% is set as an aspirational goal for 6-year graduation rates.

Table 2. 6-Year Graduation Rate, with Peer Averages*

*Three-year entering cohort averages for all tables; NA, not available as of March 2024.

Participation in Study Abroad Experience

Study abroad encompasses a constellation of documented high-impact education practices that form the basis of a liberal arts education as valued at Wake Forest. As broadly conceived and carried out, this particular aspect of global learning connects diverse disciplines, cultures, languages, objectives, and pedagogies. By tracking study abroad participation rates, we can evaluate and assess our students’ opportunities for developing the knowledge, skills, and abilities to study, live, and work effectively in cultures other than their own.

From 2017-2020, the percentage of undergraduate students in each graduating class who participated in study abroad increased, from 56% in the class of 2017 to 66% in the class of 2020. The class of 2022 was particularly impacted by pandemic-related travel restrictions and program cancellations, and is anticipated to be an outlier as the study abroad rate for the class of 2023 more than doubled the rate for the class of 2022. In cooperation with the Wake Forest Office of Global Programs and Studies, Wake Forest aims to maintain a minimum of 63% and to reach a goal of 70% participation in study away among each graduating class and expand opportunities for study away for all students.

Table 3. Study Abroad Rate by Year

Year	%
2017	56%
2018	61%
2019	61%
2020	66%
2021	63%
2022	22%
2023	46%

*Percent of students per graduating class who studied abroad.

Post-Graduation Outcomes 2017-2023 Bachelor’s Degree Recipients*

In the last seven years, an average of 97% of bachelor’s degree students are either employed or attending graduate or professional schools after graduation. These rates meet a minimum expected threshold of 94% and often surpass the goal of 96% in the professional and academic placement of students graduating from the undergraduate programs at Wake Forest.

Table 4. Post-Graduation Outcomes

*Data collected by the Office of Personal & Career Development. Data sources include survey data provided by students, LinkedIn profile information and knowledge shared from academic departments and career coaches.

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Business

The Wake Forest School of Business has a performance-based culture. As such, the School identifies expected outcomes for its educational programs, assesses achievement of those outcomes, and is responsive to under-performance against targeted outcomes while simultaneously pursuing continuous improvement in its programs. Relative to student achievement outcomes, the School, through a dynamic combination of rigorous academic preparation, thought leadership and research, and an unrivaled connection to the marked, places primary emphasis upon learning outcomes as it pursues its mission to help businesses and organizations create a better world through developing analytical, ethical business leaders drive to achieve results. It is through a focus on learning outcomes that the School attends to its commitment to produce responsible and impactful members of society. At the same time, the School believes it has an obligation to each of its students to facilitate achievement of first destination outcomes, which translates as corporate employment for the majority of graduates. Finally, the School is committed to achieving on-time graduation across all its programs; given the real and opportunity costs associated with higher education, the School believes it has a moral obligation to shepherd students to the successful completion of degrees in reliably predictable time frames. These, then, are the primary indicators of student achievement within the School of Business: (1) learning outcomes, (2) employment outcomes, and (3) on-time graduation. Each is addressed in turn below.

Learning Outcomes

For each of its business degree programs, the School of Business pursues four broad learning goals, or “pillars,” with a total of ten distinct learning objectives:

1. Pillar: Impactful. Our graduates are able to make immediate, meaningful contributions to their organizations through their ability to:

• 1.a) Learning Objective: Think Strategically. Graduates work with large volumes of data, extract the business intelligence from this information, and formulate appropriate business strategies from this intelligence.

• 1.b) Learning Objective: Act Practically. Graduates create and manage the execution of realistic plans with wisdom to achieve strategic, operational, and tactical objectives.

• 1.c) Learning Objective: Communicate Effectively. Listen actively and consider the purpose, audience, desired action, best channel, and appropriate tone for every communication.

2. Pillar: Professional. To produce value in the broadest economic, cultural, and professional settings, our graduates:

• 2.a) Learning Objective: Create Value for Others. Graduates understand the nature, function, benefits, limits, and sustainability of market economies, and can create value within them.
• 2.b) Learning Objective: Embrace a Professional Identity. Graduates understand what honorable business is, and embrace an integrated identity as members of the noble profession of business.
• 2.c) Learning Objective: Steward the Profession of Business. Graduates understand and commit to stewardship of the honor, traditions, and productive and innovative culture of their profession, and work to strengthen their community using the skill and expertise of their professional training.

3. Pillar: Honorable. To achieve high levels of performance while maintaining the highest standards of individual character, our graduates:

• 3.a) Learning Objective: Lead Ethically. Graduates build and lead teams to achieve results in ways that motivate and value integrity; foster personal, professional, and organizational accountability and responsibility; and provide value to society.
• 3.b) Learning Objective: Exhibit Personal Strengths. Graduates exhibit ethical and psychological strengths necessary to embrace opportunities, overcome challenges, and succeed with integrity.

4. Pillar: Global. To effectively lead across cultural and geographical boundaries, our graduates:

• 4.a) Learning Objective: Leverage Diversity. Graduates understand how differences contribute to problem-solving and teamwork, and effectively engage those differences.
• 4.b) Learning Objective: Demonstrate a Global Mindset. Graduates are able to analyze complex global challenges, take responsible action in global contexts, and evaluate the consequences of that action.

The School targets ten overarching learning objectives beyond the customary discipline-specific learning objectives common to most business degree programs. These learning objectives are informed heavily by an understanding of the marketplace for talent and the distinct needs and desires of firms recruiting School of Business students and graduates. Consistent with accreditation requirements, learning outcomes are assessed frequently but not necessarily every year. The performance data provided in Table are those data that were most recently collected as part of a predetermined assessment strategy for each specific degree program. Representative sampling of student performance against targeted learning outcomes is allowed within the assessment framework. As is common within business higher education, the School defines acceptable learning outcomes performance as 80% of assessed students meeting or exceeding the learning goal, which is ultimately targeted to 100%. Performance levels below 80% trigger immediate attention and reassessment at the earliest opportunity.

Table 1. Learning Objectives 2022-2023

	BS	MSM	MSA	MSBA	WS Eve MBA	CLT Eve MBA	CLT Hybrid MBA	Online MBA	Online MSBA
Think Strategically	96%	90%	100%	89%	NRP*	NRP*	100%	99%	100%
Act Practically	97%	92%	100%	NRP*	NRP*	NRP*	100%	98%	100%
Communicate Effectively	96%	100%	99%	84%	NRP*	NRP*	100%	98%	100%
Create Value for Others	98%	90%	91%	81%	95%	95%	93%	71%	NRP%
Embrace Professional Identity	97%	100%	92%	91%	85%	98%	93%	86%	NRP%
Steward the Profession of Business	97%	100%	81%	82%	95%	98%	80%	29%	NRP%
Lead Ethically	87%	93%	64%	80%	95%	100%	100%	98%	NRP%
Exhibit Personal Strengths	96%	90%	71%	NRP%	95%	79%	100%	100%	NRP%
Leverage Diversity	96%	93%	NRP%	NRP%	NRP%	NRP%	100%	98%	NRP%
Demonstrate Global Mindset	98%	90%	NRP%	86%	100%	100%	100%	96%	NRP%

The MS in Accountancy degree program earns accreditation from the business accreditor AACSB (www.aacsb.edu) separate from the other degree offerings in the School. Traditionally the MS in Accountancy program has used a unique set of targeted learning outcomes. As previously noted, the School defines acceptable learning outcomes performance as 80% of assessed students meeting or exceeding the learning goal. Performance levels below 80% trigger immediate attention and reassessment at the earliest opportunity.

Employment Outcomes

The School is deeply committed to our students’ first destination outcomes. Our Market Readiness & Employment (MRE) team is comprised of over twenty staff members who are dedicated to supporting students across all programs. MRE’s team’s primary focus is to maximize student career preparation (based on our READY7 model) and to facilitate employer connections across a wide-range of industries and functions.

Aligned with MRE’s annual performance review scorecard, the goal across all programs is to achieve over 90% employment by six months post graduation, with a threshold of 80% at graduation. MRE tracks and reports first destination outcomes at three time intervals – at graduation, three months post graduation, and six months post graduation (Table 2).

Table 2 – 2015-2023 Outcomes by Program

Program	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
BS** at Graduation	80%	81%	79%	79%	87%	83%	83%	86%	85%
BS** 3 Months Post Graduation	90%	90%	91%	91%	97%	95%	94%	94%	94%
BS** 6 Months Post Graduation	96%	97%	97%	95%	98%	99%	98%	100%	99%
MSM at Graduation Graduation	51%	66%	44%	54%	58%	58%	65%	63%	75%
MSM 3 Months Post Graduation	73%	88%	72%	68%	83%	82%	88%	90%	91%
MSM 6 Months Post Graduation	92%	95%	84%	81%	91%	92%	97%	99%	98%
MSA at Graduation	94%	97%	92%	97%	90%	98%	97%	98%	100%
MSA 3 Months Post Graduation	97%	97%	95%	98%	91%	99%	100%	100%	100%
MSA 6 Months Post Graduation	97%	97%	96%	98%	93%	99%	100%	100%	100%
MSBA at Graduation	33%	63%	52%	37%	61%	72%	63%	N/A	N/A
MSBA 3 Months Post Graduation	60%	89%	84%	63%	88%	92%	91%	N/A	N/A
MSBA 6 Months Post Graduation	80%	97%	95%	79%	100%	100%	97%	N/A	N/A

In addition, strong employment outcomes significantly impact overall program rankings, which is a broader goal for the School.

Note that employment outcomes for the working professional MBA students are 100% as these students are employed throughout their degree program experience.

On-Time Graduation

Supporting students in pursuit of on-time graduation represents another serious commitment the School makes to our community members. Such degree attainment is a fundamental outcome that enrolled students desire and seek by engaging in their classes and activities. Close counseling and tracking of all students across all degree programs contribute to strong on-time graduation performance (Table 3).

Table 3 – Class of 2023 Retention and Graduation Rates

Program	Cohort Entry Term	Retention Rate	On Time Graduation Rate
BS***	2021****	99%	97%
MSM	Summer 2022	96%	88%
MSA 2 Semester	Fall 2022	94%	94%
MSA 3 Semester	Fall 2022	90%	83%
MSBA	Summer 2022	98%	91%
WS EVE MBA****	Fall 2021	93%	80%
CLT EVE MBA	Fall 2021	92%	84%
CLT Hybrid MBA	Spring 2022	79%	79%
Online MSBA	Summer 2021	63%	63%
Online MSBA	Fall 2021	75%	75%
Online MBA	Spring 2021	90%	85%
Online MBA	Summer 2021	86%	77%
Online MBA	Fall 2021	75%	71%

The pace and rate of success for student degree completion can be assessed in a variety of ways, but for consistency across our degree programs, and in support of high standards for student success, the School has defined on-time graduation rates as the rate at which students graduated with their matriculation cohort at the expected graduation date as outlined by their standard degree program curriculum. In light of the dual commitment to efficient graduate degree progress as well as flexibility based on personal and career needs, the School typically seeks to meet or exceed a rate of 85%, with a goal of 100%. (See College narrative for information on undergraduate degree goal and threshold metrics.) Graduation rate data are reviewed annually, with any anomalies triggering analyses and appropriate action. In the online graduate degree programs, noteworthy for their flexible design and working professional student populations, the School recognizes that authoritative standardized national data on comparable online program completion rates is still emerging, but the School currently seeks to meet or exceed an on-time rate of 60%, with an ultimate goal of 100%, and review outcomes each term for appropriate analysis and action.

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Divinity

Wake Forest University School of Divinity is a graduate, professional school that is Christian by tradition, Baptist in heritage, and ecumenical in outlook. Consistent with Wake Forest’s commitment to academic excellence and in the spirit of the University motto, Pro Humanitate, the School of Divinity prepares leaders informed by a theological understanding of vocation. Through imaginative courses and diverse programs of community engagement, students are equipped to be agents of justice, reconciliation, and compassion in Christian churches and other ministries.

Goals for the Master of Divinity and Joint Degrees (J.D./M.Div, M.Div./M.A. in Bioethics, M.Div./M.A. in Counseling, M.Div./M.A. in Education, M.Div./M.A. in Sustainability):

The faculty of the School determines, assesses, and, where appropriate, revises the degree program’s curricular goals. Students who graduate with the Master of Divinity degree or with any of the School’s joint degrees shall demonstrate a broad variety of competencies for religious leadership that promotes justice, reconciliation, and compassion, including:

• Academic integration of Christian traditions, theologies, scriptures, and practices;
• Sustained vocational reflection and spiritual formation that inform ministry in pluralistic contexts;
• Innovative application and embodiment of a range ministerial practices for a continually transforming religious world;
• Theologically informed analysis of social, cultural, political, and ecological systems within a variety of particular settings.

The Divinity School uses a variety of measures to document student success. Some of those measures are related to accrediting standards established by The Association of Theological Schools in the U.S. and Canada (ATS) and related annual reports. The ATS Standards of Accreditation also require that institutions identify, assess, and publish goals and outcomes for student achievement (General Institutional Standards 3.1 and 6.5 and Educational Standard 6). 

The School submits to ATS and subsequently receives graduation and placement data through an annual Strategic Information Report (SIR) compiled and shared by ATS with member schools. The information compiled in the SIR is based on data reported by each school through the ATS Annual Report process. The SIR details graduation and placement rates for the previous 10 years.

Also, graduating students complete a Graduating Student Questionnaire (GSQ) each year provided by and managed through ATS. Data from this questionnaire provides useful information regarding student satisfaction and achievement. Data received through the GSQ, coupled with ATS SIR data,  support School of Divinity faculty and administrative leaders as they assess the effectiveness of  the school’s Master of Divinity degree program in meeting the aims outlined in the mission statement and curricular goals.

Graduation Rates

As a measure of program success, the Divinity School tracks graduation rates. The Divinity School’s graduation rate threshold is 75%. This threshold is based on the percentage of students who complete the Master of Divinity degree within six years, a standard established by ATS as an appropriate measure across ATS member schools. The Divinity School aims to meet or exceed the graduation rates of all ATS member schools (Mainline, Evangelical, and Roman Catholic) because the School of Divinity is an ecumenical institution that enrolls students from diverse denominations and traditions. The Divinity School aims for a consistent (three year average) goal of 85% of students graduated within three years (six semester and two summer session) of matriculation. This goal accords with the Divinity School’s related aim of reducing student debt. According to the 2022-2023 ATS SIR, since 2017, the Divinity School has graduated between 79% -100% of its students within six years of their initial enrollment. The ATS SIR provides data that compares the overall graduation rates for 2023 of all ATS schools as well as ecclesial families. 

Table 1. Graduation Rates

Graduation Rates by Degree and Ecclesial Family: 2023	WFU School of Divinity	All ATS Schools	Evangelical Schools	Mainline Schools	Roman Catholic/Orthodox Schools
Master of Divinity	80%	56%	50%	64%	58%

As the above table demonstrates, Wake Forest School of Divinity’s 2023 graduation rate for students who completed the degree in less than six years was 80%. According to the 2021-2022 SIR Report, 2022 rate was 85%; 2020-2021 SIR Report, 2021 rate was 79% and the 2020 rate was 83%. As noted in the chart, the 2023 graduation rate compares favorably with and exceeds those of other ATS member schools.

A majority of Wake Forest students complete the Master of Divinity degree within three to four years (or six to eight semesters). This has been consistent over the last 10 years as reported in the 2022-2023 SIR. The Divinity School supports students to complete their degrees within this general time frame (three to four years) by encouraging full-time enrollment status and designing the degree program so that most students can graduate within that time frame by completing on average 12-14 credit hours per semester toward the degree total of 76 credit hours. Financial aid plans are designed to support students through six semesters of enrollment. 

Each year, a small percentage of students (5-15%) are accepted into one of the School’s dual degree programs, with the result that they will graduate from both programs in a total of about four or five years. A few MDiv students withdraw or take a leave of absence for personal reasons each year, or they transfer to another theological school. Very few MDiv students become academically ineligible (fewer than 5% per year). Given these factors, we set as a threshold that at least 75% of our entering MDiv students complete their degree within three years of matriculating. As stated above, our goal is that at least 85% of our entering MDiv students complete their degree within three years of matriculating.

Placement Rates

Placement rates indicate student achievement by signaling that student qualifications, skills, and credentials are recognized by varied employment contexts. The Divinity School’s placement threshold is for 75% of our MDiv graduates to be employed within 10 months after graduation in vocational or non-vocational settings or to be enrolled in further study. This threshold recognizes that some students will take on short-term positions or positions not specifically related to the MDiv degree. In rare instances, graduates may also choose not to seek employment. The Divinity School’s placement goal is for 85% of graduates to be employed within 10 months after graduation. In 2019, the Divinity School’s Office of Vocational Formation developed a series of “strategic plan” documents and related “vocational checklists” to assist advisers in mentoring and coaching students who seek various kinds of employment post-MDiv. 

The Divinity School has achieved on average a 92% positive placement rate for the years 2019 – 2023. ATS categorizes placement as “vocational placements” (ie. congregational ministry, chaplaincy, and other traditional ministry leadership settings), “non-vocational placements” (ie. public school employment, non-profit leadership, employment in public service), and “went on for further study.” The Divinity School’s overall placement rate for 2023 was 90%. This rate compares favorably with the placement rate for other mainline schools (88%) and is on par with the placement rate for all ATS schools (90%).

Table 2. WFU Divinity School’s Percent of Positive Placements Total

Graduating Student Questionnaire

Demographic and program satisfaction data for each graduating class is collected each academic year through the Graduating Student Questionnaire (GSQ). The GSQ is administered through ATS. The GSQ provides information about student satisfaction with the degree program, debt load upon graduation, and job placement. The GSQ is self-reported by graduating students using a survey asking students to rate their satisfaction on a 1 – 5 scale where five indicates the program was “very effective” at a particular learning outcome or other goal. Coupled with placement data (above), the GSQ provides the Divinity School with a useful picture of program effectiveness and student achievement. The Divinity School had 83% participation rates for the years 2022-23; 85% participation rate for the year 2021-22; 81% for the year 2020-2021. The GSQ measures educational growth in terms of student-perceived personal growth and skills effectiveness. 

The MDiv program is designed to equip graduates to be effective religious leaders and to cultivate personal professional growth. The Divinity School expects that students will experience the MDiv curriculum as “somewhat” to “very effective” in equipping them to lead in diverse ministry settings so the GSQ threshold is set at the middle of the self-reported scale (an average of at least 3 on Table 3 below). This threshold is based on the diverse vocational goals students bring into the program and the breadth of course offerings available to students. Overall the Divinity School has met this GSQ threshold in all but one of the areas assessed (see table 3). The School’s GSQ goal is an average of 4 on the self-reported scale in each of the areas surveyed. To advance toward this goal, and in cases where the School does not meet the GSQ threshold, faculty explore curricular adjustments to improve effectiveness. Examples include enhancing existing courses and offering additional courses in particular curricular areas where the average scores are lower than the threshold.

Table 3. Measure of Educational Effectiveness and Personal Growth

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Graduate School

Arts and Sciences — Reynolda Campus

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) identifies, evaluates, and publishes goals and outcomes for student achievement. The GSAS uses multiple measures to document student success. While individual programs of study may have various and disparate goals for student success, the GSAS considers the following three basic measures of student success across all programs.

The Graduate School (Arts & Sciences) aims for its graduating students to exceed the Student Learning Objectives (SLOs) established by each individual program.

The mission of the WFU GSAS is to train and mentor future leaders in research, teaching, and innovation to serve humanity. To meet this lofty goal, the student must first succeed in the training ground of the specific graduate program.  These programs can be quite disparate at Wake Forest.  Therefore, we use each program’s student learning objectives (SLOs) to compare student performance across programs and hence the program’s overall performance and GSAS.  Each of the graduate programs (column 1) listed in the table below sets at least 3 learning objectives (column 2) for its graduating students.  At the time of graduation, each individual is rated by the graduate program’s mentor and/or director across those objectives as follows: 1- does not meet expectations; 2- meets expectations; 3 – exceeds expectations.  Therefore, the threshold for each program is an average of 2.0 with an aspirational goal of 2.5-3.0 in columns 4 and 6. All programs met this threshold and the majority of programs achieved the aspirational goal in the Academic Years 2022 and 2023. Note that Statistical Sciences is a new program formed by the amicable split of the Maths and Stats Department.

Table 1. Performance on Student Learning Outcomes

Program	Number of Learning Objectives	Total 2022 Graduates	2022 Avg. SLO Score	Total 2023 Graduates	2023 Avg. SLO Score
Bioethics	4	7	2.86	4	2.80
Biology	4	4	2.58	11	3.00
Chemistry	5	3	2.14	11	2.73
Communication	3	8	2.77	10	2.77
Computer Science	3	5	2.55	6	2.55
Counseling	3	125	2.71	112	2.71
Documentary Film	8	7	2.20	10	2.20
Education	5	9	2.83	11	2.83
English	3	5	2.33	8	2.33
Health and Exercise Science	4	8	2.23	5	2.23
Interpreting and Translation Studies	3	9	2.62	11	2.62
Liberal Arts Studies	4	8	2.73	24	2.73
Mathematics	5	11	2.40	9	2.40
Physics	4	3	2.50	5	3.00
Psychology	5	14	3.00	5	2.30
Statistics	5	N/A	N/A	6	2.30
Sustainability	5	16	2.48	23	2.69
Graduate School (Reynolda)	73	242	2.56	271	2.71

The GSAS sets a goal that less than 10% of its graduating students will have undecided career paths upon graduation.

The mission of the WFU GSAS is to train and mentor future leaders in research, teaching, and innovation to serve humanity.  As such, we find it imperative that students stay the course once they complete the degree so that they may have a significant future impact in the field.  While 0% of students with undecided career paths related to their graduate work is ideal, 25% is the minimum threshold, and 10% is a more realistic and attainable goal.  Surely some students will change their focus during or after graduate school each year.

The placement of recent graduates from the past nine years is tabulated below.  As the table demonstrates, fewer than 13% (12.5%) of Wake Forest graduates had unknown career paths upon graduation in 2023.

Table 2. Graduation Placement

Graduation Year	% Advanced Degree	% Workforce	% Teaching	% Undecided
2023	12.9	67.0	7.6	12.5
2022	35.0	49.5	7.3	8.3
2021	34.5	45.7	7.8	12.1
2020	38.8	47.6	7.0	6.6
2019	41.7	44.4	6.9	6.9
2018	39.9	43.7	12.5	3.8
2017	46.0	34.8	16.2	3.0
2016	35.3	39.9	15.0	9.8
2015	53.8	25.3	17.7	3.2

The GSAS sets a goal that 100% of its master’s students complete the degree in 2 years and 100% of its doctoral students complete the degree in 7 years.

The national average completion rates for MA and MS degrees are 58% and 42%, respectively. While these completion rates might seem low, students, for various reasons, might enter a third year in a two-year program (simply to complete or defend the thesis in many cases).  At Wake Forest, the graduating class of 2023 had a 2-year completion rate of 88% for the MA and 86% for the MS (Table 17 in each of the archived GSAS Annual Reports).  These rates are significantly better than the nationwide average.

The 10-year Ph.D. completion rate for graduate schools nationwide is 57%.  The table below indicates that the 2023 7-year completion rate for the Ph.D. at Wake Forest was 93%, which clearly exceeds the national 7-year completion rate for the Ph.D. (which would be less than the reported 10-year rate).

The minimum thresholds for master’s and Ph.D. programs are the nationwide averages reported by the Council of Graduate Schools.

Table 3. Degree Completion Rates

Graduation Year	MA Completion Rate %	MS Completion Rate %	PhD Completion Rate %
Council of Graduate Schools Min Threshold %	58	42	57
2023	88	86	93
2022	73	82	71
2021	74	75	44
2020	79	85	54
2019	80	86	78
2018	80	88	35
2017	73	72	83
2016	76	83	68

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Biomedical Sciences — Bowman Gray Campus

The Biomedical Science programs of the Graduate School evaluate, and refine their success metric goals as a part of their annual reporting process each summer. These metrics and their thresholds will be monitored annually going forward, with the probability that thresholds and goals will be modified during the annual reporting process. In future years, in addition to on-time degree completion, the Biomedical Graduate programs will report on the additional success metrics in the areas of:

• Satisfactory academic progress
• Career readiness
• Publication productivity

On-time degree completion

Each program has a plan of study that defines the required coursework and, in many cases, the expected time-to-degree. While dissertation and thesis-based programs have some variability in the amount of time that is required to collect an adequate amount of research productivity that may result in a final document, we are able to set an expectation for each biomedical graduate program. Time-to-degree is a key attribute of graduate programs and is considered an indicator of graduate program efficiency. Monitoring on-time completion allows the Biomedical Graduate Program Office to identify and manage issues within our programs. 

For doctoral-level programs, our threshold is for 75% of all doctoral students to complete their degree within 5.1 years, with a goal that 85% of doctoral students will complete their degree within 5.1 years. The 75% threshold was selected based on a review of data from Wake Forest University Biomedical Graduate program graduates from prior years, with a recognition of the probability that the percentage goal will likely increase as graduate programs seek to drive towards the new goal. 5.1 years was selected as the on-time threshold in recognition of our own prior data, and the stated desire by our programs to have a value lower than that reported by the NIH for all doctoral degrees in the biomedical sciences.

For master-level programs, our threshold is for 80% of all master students to complete their degree by the appropriate benchmark based on the student’s plan of study, with a goal that 90% of master students will complete their degree by the appropriate benchmark based on the student’s plan of study. The benchmarks for plan of study are as follows:

• 2.1 years for thesis-based students
• 1.8 years for students on a 5-term plan of study
• 1.5 years for students on a 4-term plan of study
• 1.1 years for students on a 3-term plan of study

Table 1. On Time Graduation Rate

Class Graduation Year	On Time Graduation Rate- Masters	On Time Graduation Rate- Doctoral
2021	85%	76%
2022	74%	68%
2023	91%	68%

At the time of the publication of the 22-23 Annual Report for Biomedical Graduate programs, it was noted that on-time degree completion rates were lower than expected for doctoral programs, but the goal was met for master programs. Internal reviews were held with individual program directors. The 2023 doctoral class was impacted by the slowing of research during COVID, and reflected the closure of laboratories for a time while our research mentors explored and implemented strategies to restore labs to a functional state. We anticipate that on-time numbers for doctoral programs will return to normal as those impacted by research stoppages related to COVID complete their degrees and we examine data for students who began their doctoral study after COVID stoppages occurred.

Table 2. Class of 2022/2023: Average years to Degree Completion by Program

Degree Program	PhD	MS
Addiction Research and Clinical Health		1.37
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	4.75
Biomedical Engineering	5.08	1.94
Biomedical Sciences (Pre‐health Pathway)		1.04
Biomedical Sciences (Research Pathway)		1.76
Cancer Biology	5.16
Clinical and Population Translational Science		–
Clinical Research Management		1.69
Health Disparities in Neuroscience‐related Disorders		1.70
Healthcare Leadership		1.69
Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology	5.24
Microbiology and Immunology	4.75
Molecular Genetics and Genomics	–
Molecular Medicine and Translational Science	5.63
Neuroscience	5.02	1.41
Translational & Health System Science		1.37
Average	4.87	1.89

All programs are held to similar standards concerning satisfactory academic progress, with common definitions for student progress that is deemed unsatisfactory, using the following classifications:

Satisfactory Academic Progress

1. At-risk for graduation: Any student with a cumulative GPA between 2.5 and 3.0 at the end of an academic term;
2. Academic probation: Any student with a cumulative GPA below 2.5 at the end of an academic term, or who receives an “Unsatisfactory” grade in Thesis/Dissertation Research, Capstone Project, or Internship.

Students that are in either status are ineligible for graduation, may become ineligible to access federal financial aid and require more academic advising to re-establish satisfactory academic progress. Monitoring the rates of satisfactory academic progress in each program allows the Biomedical Graduate Program Office to identify and manage student advising issues within our programs.

For doctoral-level programs, our threshold is for 95% of all doctoral students to maintain satisfactory academic progress within a given academic year.

For master-level programs, our threshold is for 85% of all master students to maintain satisfactory academic progress within a given academic year.

Table 3. Percentage of Biomedical Students Achieving Satisfactory Academic Progress in Academic Year 2022-2023 by Degree

Degree	All Types	Avoiding “At-risk” Designation	Avoiding “Probation” Designation
Doctoral Program Averages	96%	97%	93%
Master Program Averages	95%	98%	93%
All Biomedical Program Averages	96%	97%	93%

At the time of the publication of the 22-23 Annual Report for Biomedical Graduate programs, it was noted that satisfactory academic progress rates for the aggregated programs were very close to that expected for doctoral programs and exceeded that expected for master programs. Internal reviews were held with individual program directors in the case that an individual program’s satisfactory academic progress rates were not at the expected threshold.

Career Readiness

Embedded within the Exit Survey for Biomedical Graduate Programs, each graduated student rates, on a 5-point scale, their preparedness for a career on two items:

1. Start a Career in My Chosen Field
2. Apply Graduate Training to My Next Environment

As there is a stated concern to ensure that Wake Forest’s Biomedical Graduate programs are producing graduates who are job-ready on day 1, there is an expectation that graduate students should report a high degree of preparedness. Monitoring these two career readiness ratings allows the Biomedical Graduate Program Office to identify and manage issues within our programs.

For all programs, our threshold is for 95% of all students to select a rating of 4 or higher for both career readiness ratings.

Table 4. Percentage of Biomedical Students Reporting 4 or higher in Career Readiness Metrics in Academic Year 2022-2023 by Degree

Degree	Career Ready	Apply in Next Environments
Doctoral Program Averages	89%	92%
Master Program Averages	74%	88%
All Biomedical Program Averages	75%	88%

At the time of the publication of the 22-23 Annual Report for Biomedical Graduate programs, it was noted that the percentage of those reporting career readiness for the aggregated programs was well below our expected thresholds. As this is a new data point, for which no previous data could be used to set targets, we are committed to monitoring this data for another year and may consider adjusting our expectations. Internal reviews were held with individual program directors in the case that an individual program showed evidence of a higher incidence of lower ratings.

Publication Productivity

Each dissertation and thesis student is required to prepare a publication- quality product to complete a final defense. A count of peer-reviewed publications is deemed a key success metric for research-based graduate programs and is considered an indicator of a graduate program’s productivity. Monitoring peer-reviewed publications allows us to identify and manage issues within our dissertation and thesis programs.

For doctoral-level programs, our threshold is for 85% of all doctoral students to have at least one peer-reviewed publication in press or print by the time of graduation. In addition, we also have set a threshold for 85% of all doctoral students to have at least 2 additional publications projected within 3 years of graduation.

For students in master-level programs that require a thesis, our threshold is for 70% of all master’s students to have at least 1 publication in press OR print by the time of graduation, or 1 publication projected within 3 years of graduation.

Table 5. Percentage of Biomedical PhD Graduates Reporting on Publication Productivity in Academic Year 2022-2023

At the time of the publication of the 22-23 Annual Report for Biomedical Graduate programs, it was noted that the percentage of those meeting or exceeding our publication productivity expectations in our doctoral programs is split, with our having exceeding the threshold that we set for ourselves for a publication quality product at graduation, but falling short of our goal of having at least 2 additional publications projected within 3 years of graduation. As this is a new data point, for which no previous data could be used to set targets, we are committed to monitoring this data for another year and may consider adjusting our expectations.

Table 6. Percentage of Biomedical MS Graduates Reporting on Publication Productivity in Academic Year 2022-2023

Degree	Publication Quality Product at Graduation	At least 1 Additional Publication Projected within 3 Years	Meeting EITHER of the 2 Criteria
Master Program Averages	43%	46%	54%

At the time of the publication of the 22-23 Annual Report for Biomedical Graduate programs, it was noted that the percentage of those meeting or exceeding our publication productivity expectations in our master’s programs is not meeting the threshold/goal that we set for ourselves. As this is a new data point, for which no previous data could be used to set targets, we are committed to monitoring this data for another year and may consider adjusting our expectations. Internal reviews were held with individual program directors in the case that an individual program showed evidence of a higher incidence of falling short of publication productivity.

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Law

Wake Forest Law School has a robust approach to ensuring student achievement and uses multiple measures to confirm that such achievement has been accomplished. 

Wake Forest Law Approach to Student Achievement

Student achievement at Wake Forest Law is evaluated and guided by our mission which is “to advance the cause of justice by creating knowledge and educating students to meet the legal needs of the world with confidence, character, and creativity. We instill in students a respect for the law, a devotion to the ideal of service, and a commitment to professional values. We educate students from around the world in a richly diverse, equitable, and inclusive community.” 

All Law School courses go through an approval process that requires a statement of expected student outcomes and description of the assessment mechanisms that monitor progress and achievement of outcomes. In the first year of law school, faculty in each subject use a set of multiple choice questions consistent across sections to monitor achievement in the subject matter area. That data is analyzed to ensure that students are sufficiently meeting the learning outcomes for the course. The first year of law school is universally seen as the critical foundation for upper-division courses. These subject matters are also tested during the bar exam.

Indicators of Achievement

Wake Forest Law confers four degrees: Juris Doctor (JD), Master of Laws (LLM), Doctor of Judicial Science (SJD), and Master of Studies in Law (MSL). Student achievement in all programs is demonstrated by strong graduation rates. Other indicators of achievement for JD students include bar passage (https://law.wfu.edu/about/files/aba-bar-passage.pdf) and employment outcomes, (https://career.law.wfu.edu/stats/class-of-2022-employment-profile/). These indicators are not applicable to our LLM, SJD, and MSL programs. Generally, bar passage is not applicable to these non-JD programs because students in the programs are already lawyers or in careers that do not require bar membership. The students in LLM, SJD, and MSL programs typically use their Wake Forest Law degree to improve performance at their existing employment; hence, employment data would not reflect the achievement of students in these non-JD programs. Other indicators of achievement for LLM, SJD, and MSL students include their self-reported gains in legal analysis while attending Wake Forest Law.

Because students who seek non-JD degrees are generally attempting to improve their job mobility, the Law school is beginning to collect evidence of career advancement tied to the MSL degrees. This data will serve as another indicator of achievement.  

Measures of Academic Success in the Juris Doctor Degree

Graduation Rate

The overwhelming majority of JD students who matriculate to Wake Forest Law, graduate within three years as indicated in the tables below. Our admissions process ensures that our students exhibit the traits and attributes for success in law school and thus, have our confidence in their ability to graduate. Students who achieve an LSAT score of 150 or below are presumed to be unlikely to succeed in law school. Wake Forest Law does not generally accept these students into the program. The current median LSAT score is 165 and the median GPA is 3.79. Students with lower LSATs but high GPAs (at our median or above) are accepted to the law school if, after evaluating the whole application and reference letters, the student appears able to succeed in law school. Established thresholds and goals for the JD program are included below. All thresholds and goals were set through analysis of historical performance and faculty input. Calculating probable success in law school is part of the admissions evaluation process. 

Table 1. JD Graduation Rates Threshold and Goal

The following tables detail the graduation rates of JD students by entering cohort for the last four graduating classes. The tables are broken out into racial and gender demographics, which aligns with our reporting for all accrediting agencies. 

Table 2. Juris Doctor Graduation Rates, Graduating Classes 2020 – 2023

	Matriculant Term	# Matriculants	# Graduates	%  Graduates
Class of 2020	Fall 2017	151	141	93%
Class of 2021	Fall 2018	174	166	95%
Class of 2022	Fall 2019	217	194	89%
Class of 2023	Fall 2020	88	85	97%

These outcomes have met or exceeded our threshold for the last four graduating classes, and in most cases exceed our graduation goals. We continue to monitor our student attrition and identify ways to support students so that we continue to meet our thresholds and achieve our graduation goals.

Student Attrition Through Academic Ineligibility

Very few JD students become academically ineligible. In fact, only two students have become academically ineligible out of all matriculants analyzed in the tables below. Yet each year, some JD students decide to pursue other career opportunities, withdraw or take a leave of absence for personal reasons, or transfer to another law school. The Sr. Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, in consultation with the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs and Registrar’s Office, reviews student retention and performance regularly, supporting students who are identified as at risk. The Law School has adopted the following student retention threshold and goal. The threshold and goal were adopted after analysis of historical performance, peer performance, and faculty input. 

Table 3. JD Student Attrition Threshold and Goal

The following tables show performance in student retention which has met and exceeded both the threshold and goal for each reported year.  

Table 4. Performance in Attrition

Bar Passage

In 2018, the ABA began requiring law schools to report bar passage rates based not just on first-time test takers, but also the pass rate over a two-year period (“Ultimate Bar Passage”), which we use as our threshold measure. To remain an ABA-accredited law school, we must ensure that at least 75% of our JD graduates who take a bar examination pass within two years of their graduation. Our goal for this metric is that 85% or more of JD graduates who take a bar examination pass within two years of their graduation. Wake Forest Law has exceeded that threshold, which is consistent with our mission to prepare JD graduates to join the practice of law. We also recognize that some JD graduates decide to pursue careers not requiring bar admission. 

Table 5. JD Bar Passage Threshold and Goal

The ABA requirement, with collection and examination of data after one and two years, leads the Law school to provide high-quality bar exam support for all graduates, not just first-time takers.  Furthermore, it ensures that we aim for the vast majority of our graduates to practice law. The bar passage rate for Wake Forest Law JD graduates is consistently strong and above the state and national averages. We pride ourselves on preparing our JD students for success on the bar through our curriculum and bar support programming.

Wake Forest Law’s pass rate within two years after graduation was 97% for 2021 graduates, 97% for 2020 graduates, and 95% for 2019 graduates.

With at least a few state Bars, data is available on how students perform in each subject matter area.  The Law School plans to use that data to examine whether changes are needed in other areas of the School such as admissions decisions and faculty professional development. We also use this information to determine if there are certain subjects of law that might require more academic support.

Table 6. Juris Doctor Bar Passage Rates Within Two Years of Graduation

Employment

The ABA also requires Wake Forest Law to disclose standardized and detailed employment statistics. These statistics are another measure of JD student success. ABA standards state that the objective of a law school academic program is to prepare students for the practice of law, although it has not adopted a specific outcome standard for law graduate employment. 

Table 7. JD Career Placement Threshold and Goal

We intend for a threshold of 75%, and a goal of 90% or more, of our graduates will be employed within ten months after graduation, while also recognizing that some students will decide to pursue additional education after law school, take on part-time, short-term positions, or employment not requiring a JD, or choose not to seek employment.

The employment rate for new JD graduates in full-time, long-term positions, measured at 10 months following graduation, has remained consistent or increased over the past five years. Out of the 202 JD graduates of the Class of 2022, a total of 196 or 96% of our JD graduates were employed in full-time, long-term positions requiring bar passage or for which a JD was preferred. This was very comparable to the employment rate for the Class of 2021 at 97% for the same type of positions. For the Classes of 2020 and 2019, the relevant employment rates were 92% and 90%, respectively. These outcomes show that the Law School outperformed both our thresholds and goals consistently.

The law school aspires to continue with successful employment outcomes and to reach new markets for our students outside of North Carolina. 

Table 8. Employment Summary for 2019-2022 JD Graduates

Measures of Academic Success in the LLM Program

The Master of Laws (LLM) degree is designed for attorneys who hold a first degree in law from a country outside of the United States. The program can be completed in two to four semesters. Graduation requirements include maintaining a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher, completion of required and elective courses, and the successful submission of writing requirements.

Graduation Rate

One measure of student success is measured in the overall graduation rate of matriculants from each entering cohort. For each class, small numbers may elect to pursue other career opportunities, withdraw or take a leave of absence for personal reasons, or transfer to another law school. Even fewer LLM students become academically ineligible. Given these factors, we set the following threshold and goal for graduation in our LLM program:

Table 9. LLM Graduation Rate Threshold and Goal

The LLM program has met or exceeded the threshold consistently.  From the classes that entered the program from 2018 through 2020, 100% of the students have been conferred the LLM degree.  The class that entered in 2021 achieved a 94% graduation rate, and the class that matriculated in 2022 currently has achieved a 90% rate with one graduate pending graduation in May 2024. Provided the student graduates in May 2024, the entering class of 2022 will have also achieved a 100% graduation rate. In each of these cases, the Law School will have exceeded both our threshold and goal.

Table 10. 2019-2022 LLM Graduation Rates Within Two Years of Matriculation

	Matriculant Term	# Matriculants	Graduates Within Two Years
			#	%
Class of 2019	Fall 2018	23	23	100%
Class of 2020	Fall 2019	17	17	100%
Class of 2021	Fall 2020	17	17	100%
Class of 2022	Fall 2021	18	17	94%

Self-Reported Progress

Another measure for these graduate-level students is their self-reported progress in (1) understanding the fundamental legal concepts and principles; (2) identifying and framing potential legal issues; (3) applying relevant legal issues to new fact patterns; (4) communicating legal analysis in a clear and organized manner; (5) sorting large amounts of information into a useful format; and (6) developing a deep understanding of legal topics or principles. 

LLM students are licensed judges, attorneys and working professionals. The program is meant to enhance the knowledge and experience they have already gained through prior education and work and to increase their understanding of American law and how it relates to their home legal systems. As such, we believe that their own evaluation of their understanding from their courses is key in understanding and demonstrating their overall success.

Our threshold for these six indicators is a semester mean of 3.5 and a goal of 4.0 on a self-reported scale of 0 to 5: (0) Not Applicable, (1) No apparent progress/negligible gains, (2) Slight progress/small gains, (3) Moderate progress/some gains, (4) Substantial progress/large gains, and (5) Exceptional progress/outstanding gains. It is the Law School’s expectation that students will experience more than moderate progress, therefore we have set the benchmark to be slightly higher than the middle of the self-reported scale.

The following table details an average of these self-reported progress means across all LLM-specific courses in the program for the past three years. In each year of data collection, the mean exceeds the threshold and in most cases exceeds the goal.

Table 11. LLM Self-Reported Progress Summary

	Fall 2020 Mean	Fall 2021 Mean	Fall 2022 Mean	Fall 2023 Mean
Understanding of fundamental legal concepts and principles	4.1	4.4	4.6	4.6
Progress identifying and framing potential legal issues	4.3	*	4.2	4.7
Applying relevant legal issues to new fact patterns	4.3	*	4.1	4.5
Communicating legal analysis in a clear and organized manner	4.4	*	4.2	4.6
Sorting large amounts of information into a useful format	4.5	*	4.2	4.6
Developing a deep understanding of legal topics or principles taught	4.5	*	4.2	4.7

*Note: Due to staff turnover, data was not collected during the Fall 2021 term.

Measures of Academic Success in the Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) Program

The Scientiae Juridicae Doctor (SJD) is designed for attorneys who hold a first degree in law from a country outside of the United States as well as a Master of Laws degree. The program requires coursework as well as an extensive dissertation project completed under the supervision of a tenured faculty advisor with expertise in the dissertation topic area. The program can be completed in two to five years depending on the depth and rigor of the project, and the volume of existing research material to review and analyze. Graduation requirements include maintaining a cumulative GPA of 2.0 (or pass) or higher and successfully defending a dissertation to a committee of faculty members. SJD students may begin their program in the Fall or Spring semester.

Graduation Rate

One measure of student success is the overall graduation rate of matriculants from each entering cohort. As working professionals, SJD students may decide to pursue other career opportunities, withdraw or take a leave of absence for personal reasons, or transfer to another law school. Few SJD students become academically ineligible. Given these factors, we set the threshold and goal for graduation rates below. Entering cohorts of SJD students ultimately move through the program at varying speeds. Due to this, graduation data is provided for the most recent entering cohorts from which all matriculants have graduated, or withdrawn from the program.

Table 12. SJD Graduation Rate Threshold and Goal

From 2015 through 2018, a total of 15 students matriculated to the SJD program and were placed with faculty advisors.  During that four year period, 93% of the students were conferred with the SJD degree within the five year program limit, exceeding both the graduation rate threshold and goal of 75% and an 85% respectively.

Table 13. SJD 2015-2018 Matriculants’ Five-Year Graduation Rates

Quality Dissertation

Another measurement of success for these doctoral candidate students is the final product of their degree: producing a dissertation of publishable quality that contributes in an original manner to the law and a presentation of their work to the law school community. Success with these metrics is defined as faculty approval of the defended work and successful completion of the public presentation where members of the law school community may raise questions about the work that has been done.  Successful dissertations from SJD students are bound, cataloged, and made available to the public through the Wake Forest Law Library.

For the reasons given for the graduation threshold and goal, we set the threshold and goal that 75% for SJD students producing a dissertation meeting the above standards. As a small, individually directed program, these thresholds are deemed met when the student’s faculty advisor signs off on the final grade for their work and approves them for graduation. The four-year combined overall graduation rate of the program (93%) demonstrates that this standard was met, as reflected in the graduation rate results table above.

The Law School aspires to ensure success for SJDs and plans to offer a course on thesis writing available to all SJDs as they begin writing the thesis. The course has been approved by the Faculty Curriculum Committee and the full Residential Faculty for inclusion in future academic years.  To assist students who do not speak English as their first language, each SJD writer will have access to a teaching assistant who who can provide assistance with line editing in English before the final thesis is submitted for review.

Measures of Academic Success in Master of Studies in Law (MSL) Program

The fully online Master of Studies in Law is designed specifically for and uniquely tailored to working professionals who need to better understand the law and to manage risks more efficiently and effectively in their careers in business, health care and human resources and given the nature of the student’ careers, some matriculate to the degree program, but then convert to a less rigorous certificate program. The program is offered on a part-time basis, and students may take between three and six credit hours per semester. Students transferring credit may complete the degree in as little as 21 months (five semesters). Students without transfer credit may complete the degree in as little as 24 months (six semesters.) Students must complete the program within five years of matriculation. Graduation requirements include maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher, and completion of required and elective courses. Students may matriculate into the MSL program in the Fall, Spring, or Summer semesters.

Graduation Rate

One measure of student success is measured in the overall graduation rate of matriculants from each entering cohort. As working professionals, MSL students may decide to pursue other career opportunities, withdraw or take a leave of absence for personal reasons, or transfer to another graduate-level program. Few MSL students become academically ineligible. Given these factors, we set the graduation threshold and goal as indicated below.

Table 14. MSL Graduation Rate Threshold and Goal

The program has operated as a fully online and asynchronous degree for working professionals since 2016. Entering cohorts of MSL students ultimately move through the program at varying speeds. Due to this, graduation data is provided for the most recent entering cohorts (in the current online iteration) since Fall 2016. All but one of these cohorts have met our goal, and several have exceeded the threshold. For the Summer 2017 entering cohort, two students withdrew from the program causing the cohort to fall short of the graduation rate threshold.

Table 15. MSL Fall 2016-Fall 2018 Matriculants’ Graduation Rates

Self-Reported Progress

Another measure for these graduate-level professional students is their self-reported progress in (1) understanding the fundamental concepts and principles; (2) identifying and framing potential legal issues; and (3) recognizing the relevance to the workplace of the concepts and principles in this area of law. Students in this program are working professionals. 

This program is meant to enhance the knowledge and experience they have already gained through prior education and work. As such, we believe that their own evaluation of their understanding from the courses is key in understanding and demonstrating their overall success. Our threshold for these three indicators is a semester mean of 3.85 and a goal of 4.0 on a self-reported scale of 1 to 5: (1) Poor, (2) Fair, (3) Good, (4) Very good, (5) Excellent. It is the law school’s expectation that students will experience more than good progress, therefore we have set the benchmark to be slightly higher than the middle of the self-reported scale.

The following table details these self-reported progress means across all courses in the program for the past three years. In each year, the mean exceeds the benchmark.

Table 16. MSL Self-Reported Progress Summary

	Spring 2022	Summer 2022	Fall 2022	Summer 2023
Understanding of fundamental legal concepts and principles	4.4	4.4	4.5	4.2
Progress identifying and framing potential legal issues	4.5	4.4	4.5	4.3
Recognizing the relevance of legal concepts and principles to the workplace	4.5	4.4	4.5	4.3

MSL applicants usually seek the degree to enhance their employment opportunities. The Law School intends to begin capturing the impact of the MSL on graduates’ employment through the use of surveys and exit interviews.  This information will also be an indicator of success consistent with the goals of most of the MSL graduates. It may also affect the MSL offerings.

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School of Medicine

Consistent with the mission of the Wake Forest School of Medicine (WFSM) to train leaders in healthcare and biomedical science, the Office of Medical Education monitors student achievement and performance throughout the medical school.

Doctorate of Medicine (MD)

Graduation Rate

Our Undergraduate Medical Education Curriculum Committee (UMECC) has set a minimum threshold and goal of 80% for our graduation rate goal.  The UMECC believed that this is a meaningful metric, reflecting the fact that our program’s curriculum and student support processes allow the vast majority of our students to successfully complete our MD program curriculum within four years of matriculation

Below are the overall graduation rates for the last four cohorts.

Table 1. Overall Graduation Rate

Class Graduation Year	On-Time Graduation Rate	Overall Graduation Rate
2023	88%	88%
2022	87%	92%
2021	90%	97%
2020	86%	99%
2019	90%	97%
2018	80%	95%

* On-time graduation rate shows the students who completed the program in the four years that are required. Overall graduation rate shows the students who completed the program.

National Board Examinations

Our Undergraduate Medical Education Curriculum Committee (UMECC) has set a performance standard for board-type examinations in the preclinical foundational science courses as 70% correct to pass the test. Failures require successful participation in detailed remediation. 

Our students consistently perform extremely well on these examinations, and their individual performance on these national exams correlates extremely well with their performance on our Wake Curricular assessments. Performance standards for national exams have been set by UMECC for at or above the national average.

The percent pass rate for WFSM first-time takers of USMLE Step 2 Clinical Skills has been within one percentage point or above the national mean over the past six years (connects to Knowledge for Practice, Patient Care, and Interpersonal Communication Skills objectives).

Table 2. Step 1 Scores WFSM vs. National

Test year	WF Passing rate	WF Mean (STD)	National Passing Rate	National Mean (STD)
2023	133/138 (96%)	NA*	92%	NA*
2022	143/147 (97%)	NA*	93%	NA*
2021	140/143 (98%)	234 (17)	96%	230 (19)
2020	135/137 (99%)	234 (16)	97%	234 (18)
2019	138/141 (98%)	233 (17)	97%	231 (19)
2018	114/120 (95%)	231 (21)	96%	230 (19)
2017	116/118 (98%)	230 (19)	96%	229 (20)
2016	109/115 (95%)	229 (21)	95%	228 (21)

*Step 1 moved to pass/fail so no mean is given

The percent pass rate for WFSM first-time takers of USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (connects to Knowledge for Practice and Patient Care objectives) has consistently been above the national mean over the past seven years; the mean has consistently been six to eight points above the national average.

The percent pass rate for WFSM first-time takers of USMLE Step 2 Clinical Skills has been within one percentage point or above the national mean over the past six years (connects to  Knowledge for Practice, Patient Care, and Interpersonal Communication Skills objectives).

Table 3. Step 2 Clinical Knowledge Reporting

Reporting Period	WF Total First Attempts	WF Passing Rate	National Passing Rate	WF Mean (STD)	National Mean (STD)
7/1/2022-6/30/2023	136	99%	98%	251 (12)	248 (15)
7/1/2021-6/30/2022	150	99%	99%	250(14)	247(15)
7/1/2020-6/30/2021	197	99%	99%	249(14)	246(15)
7/1/2019-3/13/2020	74*	100%	98%	252(12)	245(16)
7/1/2018-6/30/2019	156	97%	98%	247(17)	243(16)
7/1/2017-6/30/2018	112	98%	98%	247(15)	243(17)
7/1/2016-6/30/2017	109	98%	96%	248(16)	242(17)

*reflects Covid pandemic ProMetric closures

The mean scores for USMLE Step 3 have been steadily increasing over the past several years (connects to Knowledge for Practice, Patient Care, and Interpersonal Communication Skills objectives).

Table 4. Step 3 Reporting

Class of	WF total first attempts	WF passing rate	National passing rate
2020	113	99%	98%
2019	112	99%	98%
2018	104	99%	98%
2017	113	97%	98%
2016	111	98%	98%
2015	112	98%	98%
2014	112	100%	98%

Placement for Residency

While WFSM seeks to match 100% of its students with residencies, our Undergraduate Medical Education Curriculum Committee (UMECC) chose a performance metric (goal and threshold) of 95% of the 5-year average national match rate for allopathic US seniors into PGY-1 positions. The UMECC determined this approach to evaluating our Match Rate is meaningful because it highlights the excellent training provided by WFSM that makes our students and graduates highly competitive for residency training positions. All students who have entered the match have been very successful in obtaining residency positions (connects to Knowledge for Practice, Patient Care, and Personal and Professional Development objectives). The national residency match is an important practical outcome for MD program students, determining placement for their next stage of training. To achieve that goal we provide extensive career advising support for the match process, in addition to an outstanding curriculum and assessment program.

The success of graduating students in placement for residency training is monitored and published annually. The 2023 Match Rate was 97.1%. The National Residency Matching Program (NRMP; The Match) is a private, non-profit organization that implements the process by which the preferences of MD student applicants for U.S. residency positions are matched with the preferences of residency program directors.

Table 5. Match Results for MS2017 through MS 2023

Year	US Match Rate	WFSM Match Rate
2023	97.1%	93.3%
2022	92.9%	95.6
2021	92.8%	97.9%
2020	93.7%	100%
2019	93.9%	98.3%
2018	94.3%	98.1%
2017	98.1%	94.3%

Academic Nursing

The achievement of students within the Department of Academic Nursing (DAN) is gauged by 1) on-time graduation rates, 2) achievement of AACN DNP Essentials (2006), 3) dissemination of the scholarly project, and 4), specific to the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) program, successful completion of the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA) National Certification Exam (NCE) following graduation from the program. The DAN has maintained excellent, 1) on-time graduation rates for both of its programs (see Table 6), 2) achievement of the DNP Essentials (see Table 7), 3) dissemination of scholarship, and 4) NCE pass rates and scaled scores (see Table 8).

Graduation rates

The Department of Academic Nursing has an overall on-time graduation rate of 98% (see Table 6). The CRNA program has set a minimum graduation threshold rate of 80% with 90% as the benchmark goal. This exceeds the national standard of 80% over a 5-year running average set by the Council for Accreditation for Nurse Anesthesia Programs (COA) for nurse anesthesia programs. The Post-Master’s DNP program has set a 70% minimum threshold and an 80% benchmark goal as the doctoral project can vary in length and breadth. Also, the AACN credentialing body, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), has a minimum 70% completion rate standard over a running 3-year total that exceeds this threshold. Because the DAN has set a strategic goal to obtain CCNE accreditation in 5 years, this performance ensures a favorable application review.

Table 6. Department of Academic Nursing Overall Graduation Rate By Program

Class Graduation Year	Post-Master’s DNP Graduation Rate*	CRNA Masters Graduation Rate
2018	N/A*	100%
2019	N/A*	100%
2020	91%	96%
2021	100%	100%
2022	100%	100%
2023	100%	100%

*Post-Master’s DNP Program did not start until class of 2020.

Please note: Data excludes leaves of absences and withdrawals initiated by the student.

AACN Doctorate of Nursing Practice Essentials

The Department of Academic Nursing (DAN) has two graduate programs: The BS-DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice) with focus on nurse anesthesia and PM (Post-Master’s)- DNP Program. The learning outcomes of the programs are aligned with the department learning outcomes, specific program learning objectives, course objectives, and the AACN DNP Essentials. Although the nurse anesthesia program has been established since 1942, the very first cohort of the Doctor of Nursing Practice matriculated in 2021 as DNP degree is mandated by the Council on Accreditation by 2025. DAN established the PM-DNP in 2018, graduating its first cohort in 2020. Although programs have different learning objectives, the department learning outcomes and the AACN DNP Essentials guide the student learning outcomes. For the BS-DNP Nurse Anesthesia focus, program learning objectives are guided by the standards of the Council on Accreditation. Students are asked whether they believe they have achieved the AACN DNP Essentials. The minimum threshold and achievement goal for positive agreement of student achievement of AACN DNP Essentials is 100%.

Table 7. Positive Agreement of Achievement of AACN DNP Essentials by Graduating Class 

DNP Essential	Class of 2020	Class of 2021	Class of 2022	Class of 2023
I. Scientific Underpinnings for practice	100%	100%	100%	100%
II. Organizational and Systems Leadership for Quality Improvement and Systems Thinking	100%	100%	100%	100%
III. Clinical Scholarship and Analytical Methods for Evidence-Based Practice	100%	100%	100%	100%
IV. Information Systems/Technology and Patient Care, Technology for the Improvement and Transformation of Health Care	100%	100%	100%	100%
V. Health Care policy for Advocacy in Health Care	100%	100%	100%	100%
VI. Interprofessional Collaboration for Improving Patient and Population Health Outcomes	100%	100%	100%	100%
VII. Clinical Prevention and Population Health for Improving the Nation’s Health	100%	100%	100%	100%
VIII. Advanced Nursing Practice	100%	100%	100%	100%

Dissemination of the scholarly project

One common learning objective associated with all learning outcomes and objectives is the dissemination of scholarly projects. The submission of scholarly project paper is a graduation requirement; however, the choice of the dissemination of the results of the scholarly projects beyond the WFUSM is a metric that is being monitored. Currently, since the scholarly projects are “new” for the DNP degree for all nursing education programs, there is not standard on the metric. The department is still gathering dat so that we can identify a threshold. The programs have courses geared towards the completion of scholarly projects. The scholarly projects are one of the learning outcomes demonstrating most of the department learning outcomes and the AACN DNP Essentials. The minimum threshold and achievement goal for dissemination of scholarly projects is 60%.

NBCRA NCE Performance

The mandatory threshold pass rate set by the Council for Accreditation for Nurse Anesthesia Programs (COA) for first-time NBCRNA NCE test takers as defined in the policy is 80% over a 5-year running average. This minimum threshold and a goal of 90% was adopted by our CRNA program, both master’s and CRNA DNP, as a marker for successful student achievement of program outcomes, and our program consistently exceeds this threshold (Table 8). This metric is meaningful as it represents didactic and clinical program excellence. This metric is a summary statistic of CRNA didactic and clinical curriculum quality and provides a national benchmark for comparison to national NCE mean scales and mean subscale scores. All CRNA programs (DNP and Master’s) are required to make this metric publicly available. The PM-DNP is a post-licensure and post-certification program. Therefore, these metrics do not apply to its programming. 

Table 8. NBCRA NCE Performance Scores 

Class	First Time Pass Rate	First Time Scaled Score Avg
2006	75%	508.8
2007	100%	523.8
2008	74%	478.8
2009	95%	510.9
2010	95%	494.5
2011	100%	530.3
2012	95%	512.6
2013	100%	525.4
2014	96%	504.1
2015	83%	495.6
2016	95%	497.2
2017	83%	496.9
2018	91%	502.8
2019	100%	521.1
2020	95%	497.7
2021	95%	525.1
2022	88%	495.6
2023 Average	95% 92%	501.3 507.1

Physician Assistant Program

The Physician Assistant (PA) Program evaluates success with respect to student achievement consistent with its mission to produce highly capable, compassionate PAs who make significant contributions to the health care community.

Wake PA Program Goal 1—PANCE Pass Rates (first time takers): Fall 2023

Goal

Prepare graduates who are proficient in medical knowledge for entry into the PA profession.

Rationale

Because all 50 states, the military and federal health services mandate that PAs pass the PANCE in order to obtain licensure and/or full practice authority, the Wake Forest PA Program prioritizes the importance of demonstrating PA graduates’ ability to actually enter the profession.

Benchmark

The program goal for first-time test taker pass performance on PANCE is a 90% or higher.  This expectation exceeds the ARC-PA’s and our threshold <85% alert value, which requires mandatory action. The program also uses the national mean for first time test takers as a surrogate marker of our competitiveness.  Thus, our cohorts’ surpassing the national mean each year serves as an additional measure of success.

Outcomes measures

Since 2015, the percent pass rate for Wake Forest PA Program first-time takers of the PANCE has been above the national first-time pass rate in every year. The compiled five-year average for the first-time pass rate for WFSM PA Program is 96%, and the national average is 93%. (See Table 9)

Table 9. PANCE Pass Rates – First Time Examinee

Wake Forest PA Class Graduating Year	Number of First Time Takers	Program First Time Takers Pass Rate	National First Time Takers Pass Rate for the Class Graduation Year
2015	59	100%	96%
2016	89	99%	96%
2017	86	100%	97%
2018	87	99%	98%
2019	84	98%	93%
2020	86	98%	95%
2021	85	95%	93%
2022	88	92%	92%
2023	85%	96%	92%

Wake PA Program Goal 2  (Graduation rates)

Goal

Support enrolled students through graduation from the program with a Master of Medical Science degree.

Rationale

To meet the aim of successful graduation for each enrollee, the faculty and staff within the Wake Forest PA Program facilitates the education of students in program competencies and learning outcomes and provides the necessary support to complete all requirements for graduation.

Benchmark

On-time (student graduates with the class that they entered with) graduation rates threshold and goal will meet or exceed 94% and total cohort (student that eventually graduates) graduation rates threshold and goal will meet or exceed 97%. In addition, graduation rates for Wake Forest PA will exceed the national average for all PA programs.

Outcomes measures

The program measures student success by evaluating graduation rates for two timelines. The table reflects graduation rates by cohort, based upon the numbers of students who graduated on time or on a later timeline. The PA Program’s on-time graduation rates have ranged from 94 to 98% over the past five years, with total cohort graduation rates ranging from 98 to 99%.

In addition, the PA Program is able to utilize an additional benchmark of the mean on-time graduation rate for all PA programs, as posted in the most recent PA Education Association (PAEA) Program Survey. In the 2021 report, the total program on-time graduation average was 94.2%. In comparison, every on-time graduating cohort listed in Table 10 exceeded this percentage.

Table 10: Full Cohort PA Graduation Rates

Class Graduation Year	Total Cohort Graduation Rate	On Time Graduation Rate
2016	100%	99%
2017	98%	97%
2018	98%	97%
2019	98%	94%
2020	99%	96%
2021	98%	94%
2022	99%	98%
2023	98%	96%

Wake PA Program Goal 3 – Leadership Development

Goal

Support students’ professional identity growth through leadership trait development within their PA education. 

Rationale

In addition to producing highly capable, compassionate PAs who deliver patient-centered care, our mission also strives to inspire graduates to make significant health care contributions in our communities, and continually advance the PA profession through leadership and advocacy.

Benchmark

Student survey feedback measures will meet or exceed 90% agreement in each of five elements the program’s leadership aims: 1) communicating values of the PA profession, 2) supporting a culture of teamwork and change, 3) acknowledging the value and contribution of others, 4) leading with courage, integrity, selflessness, empathy, collaboration, and reflection, and 5) seeking opportunities for leadership development. 

Outcomes Measures

In exit surveys of our most recent graduating cohorts, >90% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the program provided the elements of leadership development (see table 11).

Table 11. Graduating Cohorts’ Leadership Development Survey Results 

Wake PA Program Goal 4 – Engage Underserved Populations

Goal

Provide experiential opportunities for students to engage with underserved populations in the community.

Rationale

The Wake Forest PA program strives to build trust with medically underserved communities which experience disproportionately higher mortality rates and worse disease outcomes. By locating students in underserved clinical sites, the program also aims to improve the awareness of the PA profession and the positive impact of PAs in team-based care in communities where health disparities are common. 

Benchmark

All students will successfully complete at least one supervised clinical practice experience (rotation) in an underserved area in North Carolina. 

Outcomes Measures

100% of students in the past six cohorts successfully completed at least one supervised clinical practice experience in an underserved area (see table 12).

Table 12. Completion of Supervised Clinical Practice Experience

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Professional Studies

The mission of the School of Professional Studies (SPS) is to provide accessible, flexible, and academically strong programs designed for working professionals. SPS uses several measures to document student achievement:

1. Student retention rates – A degree student will be defined as retained if they successfully transition from their first year to the second year of their program and attempt the second year requirements of their program.  
2. Student graduation rates – Graduation rate will be calculated as a percentage of degree students who graduate or complete their program within 150% of the program length. 
3. Employment outcomes – Employment outcomes will be calculated as the percentage of graduates who report that the program helped them accomplish near-term career goals (e.g., received a raise, promotion, career change) assessed through an annual student survey.

Each measure is in alignment with the SPS mission statement to accelerate the professional growth of adult learners across their careers through accessible, flexible, and cutting-edge educational experiences. Both the retention and completion rate measures provide comprehensive evidence of student achievement at SPS. In addition, employment outcomes is a measure of graduates’ preparation to succeed in their chosen professional role. Since these programs are designed to enhance the skills of working professionals, it is anticipated that graduates will be better prepared for enhanced employment outcomes, such as promotions, raises, and new job opportunities. Thresholds of acceptability and goals have been established based on comparisons to the range of similar outcomes from other schools of professional study.

The School of Professional Studies initiated its first two academic programs (Masters in Project Management and Digital Marketing) in the Spring semester of 2022, therefore, complete student achievement data are not yet fully available.

For retention rates, the threshold is 70% and the goal is 85%. The retention rate from Spring 2023 to Spring 2024 was 82%, exceeding the threshold of acceptability and falling slightly below the goal. For employment outcomes, the threshold is 50% and the goal is 75%. As of Spring 2024, at least 50% of graduating degree students reported that their SPS program helped them accomplish a near-term career goal (such as a career change or promotion). 

Student completion rates will be available at the conclusion of the Fall 2024 semester.

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