Career Outcomes Rate Increases at Delaware Valley University
Buoyed by its nationally recognized Experience360 (E360) Program, Delaware Valley University has increased its career outcomes rate for the third straight year.
DelVal’s Class of 2018 – the most recent class surveyed – reported a record-high 93.2-percent career outcomes rate, a measure of the percentage of alumni who are employed, engaged in service work, in the military, or continuing their education within a year of graduating. The University surveys its graduates throughout their first year after graduating.
E360, DelVal’s required experiential learning program, prepares students to problem solve, integrating classroom knowledge with practical applications. Through the E360 Program, every student gains real-world experiences that are tailored to their major and future career goals. E360 helps DelVal students become well-rounded, global citizens by providing experiences that foster and strengthen a wide-range of vital skills and attributes necessary for career success. Students prepare for their futures from their first day, starting with a course incorporating professional development and problem-based learning. Whether through internships, civic engagement or research, students actively reflect on what they are learning, use analytical skills to conceptualize their experiences, demonstrate decision-making and problem-solving skills, and gain relevant expertise in their chosen fields. They leave campus with a dynamic co-curricular transcript.
Since the pilot class graduated from the E360 Program, the University’s career outcomes rate has increased by a total of 5.5 percentage points (3 percentage points from 2015 to 2016, an additional half a point from 2016 to 2017, and the most recent 2 points from 2017 to 2018).
E360 was recently named the 2019 Outstanding Experiential Education Program by the National Society for Experiential Education (NSEE). NSEE awards this honor in recognition of “an outstanding institution that has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to experiential education.”
“We’re giving our students a combination of education and experience that is helping them to stand out in the job market and, as they apply to competitive graduate school programs,” said Dr. Benjamin Rusiloski, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty. “A DelVal education gives students more than classes or internships. We focus on real-world problems and hands-on learning every day. Our career outcomes rate is strong and continuing to climb. I think that speaks to the power of our focus on experiential learning.”
Brooke Kitting ’18 is a member of the class that participated in the most recent outcomes survey. Kitting was accepted to the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine, one of the world’s leading veterinary programs, with a full scholarship.
“I felt like everyone on campus cared about providing me with a good education and setting me up for success after graduation,” said Kitting of her experience at DelVal. “I like a good challenge, and I knew that DelVal would challenge me in ways that would put me face-to-face with meaningful opportunities. I was not disappointed.”
Christopher Adams ’19, a member of DelVal’s most recent class, has accepted a full-time position with FORGE Life Science, a biotech company that works primarily with viruses and cancer.
“The hands-on experiences have helped me have a base of knowledge for my field,” said Adams. “I have found that learning information is great, but applying the information to a hands-on experiment is much more satisfying.”
Credit: Delaware Valley University. Delaware Valley University’s career outcomes rate has increased over the past three years. Delaware Valley University surveyed members of the Class of 2018 and found that 93.2 percent of the survey respondents indicated a career outcome of either employment, continued education, volunteer service or military service within a year of graduating. Employment in this graph may include military service and volunteer service in the calculation. The survey for the Class of 2018 included students who graduated in August 2017, December 2017 and May 2018. Statistics are derived from a total knowledge base of 78 percent of the total undergraduate class.
To learn more about the University’s Experience360 Program, please visit delval.edu/cspd.