The School has defined a set of shared capacities that describe fundamental problem-solving abilities expected across all disciplines. This course requires you to understand and practice these to secure a place in the industry. Your skills have value only if you can present them clearly to others. You must be able to show how you think, what you can do, and why your judgment should be trusted.

In a world increasingly dominated by AI systems that can generate content and code, output alone is not distinguishing. What matters is judgment—how problems are framed, limits recognized, choices made, and responsibility taken. The shared capacities below identify the skills through which that judgment becomes visible.

These capacities are central to all work in this course. Because you are the person most affected by whether they are exercised well or poorly, you are expected to apply them whenever appropriate. They are:

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Students will be able to:

• Effectively assess implicit or explicit claims, attending to factors such as possibilities, limitations, and flaws; and
• Effectively attend to factors such as evidence and context as appropriate when articulating ideas or arguments.

 

COMMUNICATION

Students will be able to:

• Produce effective written communications that are appropriate for context and audience; and
• Produce effective oral communications that are appropriate for context and audience.

 

QUANTITATIVE REASONING

Students will be able to:

• Construct or interpret arguments based on quantitative data or methods; and
• Recognize possibilities and limitations of quantitative, mathematical, or statistical methods.
   

 

RESEARCH LITERACY

Students will be able to:

• Define an appropriate scope of information needed to respond to a research question; and
• Deploy appropriate research methods and technologies in a manner consistent with relevant norms; and
• Evaluate information sources critically.

 

SCIENTIFIC LITERACY

Students will be able to:

• Apply or interpret scientific concepts or methodologies; and
• Recognize possibilities and limitations of scientific concepts or methodologies. 

 

AUTHORSHIP

Students will be able to:

• Develop works (in any medium) with an original voice or perspective; and
• Articulate how their work fits into intellectual or artistic contexts (considering production and/or reception).

 

CREATIVE MAKING

Students will be able to:

• Generate original work that employs visual, musical, performance, or other creative practices; and
• Demonstrate reflection upon the iterative process of creating this work.
   

 

CROSS-DISCIPLINARY THINKING

Students will be able to:

• Understand concepts, theories, experiences, and/or methods from multiple disciplinary perspectives or fields of study; and
• Combine diverse modes of inquiry to produce meaningful work.

 

FLEXIBILITY AND RESILIENCY

Students will be able to:

• Take appropriate risks, rebound from setbacks, and persevere to complete a given course of action; and
• Adapt to new situations through a process of continual development.

 

WORKING IN COMPLEX SYSTEMS

Students will be able to:

• Successfully navigate multiple projects or responsibilities (e.g., manage time, organize tasks, meet deadlines, and adhere to requirements and standards for completing); and
• Understand and work across institutional boundaries.

 

ETHICAL REASONING

Students will be able to:

• Analyze how social, economic, and/or political systems interact with individual or group identities or experiences within particular cultural and historical contexts; and
• Articulate effective arguments in support of personal or collective values, judgments, or responsibilities by applying ethical concepts.