Skip to main content
Queen Mary Academy
  1. Queen Mary Academy
  2. Educators
  3. Resources
  4. Graduate Attributes
  5. Graduate Attributes for students

Graduate Attributes for students

Graduate Attributes are the knowledge, skills and behaviours that Queen Mary students develop as a result of their learning and experiences at university. Where will your Graduate Attributes take you?

The Queen Mary Graduate Attributes are aligned our institutional values and also with key employability skills that graduates need for today's workplace. The attributes were co-created with students and Queen Mary Students' Union representatives, and closely informed by consultations carried out with students from across Queen Mary. 

Graphic showing icons representing all 13 Queen Mary Graduate Attributes

The resources on these pages have been developed by students to support you to identify, reflect on and talk about your graduate attributes. On each of the attributes pages you will find:

  • Examples of the ways in which you might develop each graduate attribute through your course or through extra-curricular activities. This is to help you identify the graduate attributes you have already been working on, and to give you ideas of how you can develop attributes if you feel they need a bit more work.
  • Examples of how each graduate attribute might be assessed or evaluated. Graduate attributes can be part of formal assessed coursework for your degree, for example a presentation, a project or dissertation assignment. Or they might be something that is evaluated more informally, for example, feedback from your peers on a group activity, feedback from your manager / supervisor during work experience or a placement. This is to help you identify where you can find out about your progress and receive feedback on your graduate attributes. This might help you spot your areas of strength and areas you want to develop further.
  • Interview questions relating to each attribute. These example interview questions give you the chance to draw on the examples you have identified and think about how you would use them to answer questions in an interview. The questions may also help you spot areas that you want to develop further. 
  • Alumni case studies where Queen Mary alumni talk about how they are putting their graduate attributes into use in the workplace or further study. This is to share ideas and advice about how you can develop and use graduate attributes once you graduate.
  • Links to more information and support. These are links to opportunities, information, training courses and other support available both within Queen Mary and more widely.   
I think gathering student feedback and incorporating this into the design of graduate attributes makes our process and overall result authentic. It really stands out.
— Radhika Thiagarajan, QMSU Vice President Communities

What are the graduate attributes for your programme? How will you develop these attributes? How will you use your attributes after you graduate?

 

Attributes

Top employability skills

How could you demonstrate this?
  • Communicate effectively in a range of formats for different purposes with a diverse range of people 
  • Communication
  • Give a presentation / demonstration
  • Write a report / blog / paper
  • Take part in class discussions
  • Respect, listen to, and value others and their opinions
  • Communication
  • Take part in group work activities and discussions
  • Give and receive peer feedback 
  • Recognise and value your individual worth and identify the contributions you can make
  • Self-awareness
  • Create a personal development plan
  • Identify your own strengths and areas for development
  • Identify clear personal, study and career goals, taking responsibility for your own growth and development
  • Self-management

 
  • Identify your own strengths and areas for development
  • Set targets for yourself
  • Meet deadlines
  • Undertake independent study
  • Apply a flexible and resilient approach to your life
  • Adaptability / flexibility
  • Resilience
  • Manage your course workload alongside other competing demands
  • Keep trying if things don't work out first time
  • Engage critically and reflectively with knowledge
  
  • Write a comparative essay
  • Argue a case
  • Analyse data and produce recommendations
  • Use information to make a diagnosis
  • Demonstrate an innovative and creative approach to problem solving

 
  • Problem solving
  • Creativity / innovation

 
  • Solve problem sets
  • Work in a group to solve problems / complete activities
  • Complete experiments in the lab
  • Develop solutions for product or system design
  • Apply your disciplinary expertise to broader contexts and society

 
  • Commercial / sector awareness

 
  • Consider political, historical, and cultural contexts within your work
  • Undertake work experience, placements or internships
  • Develop or test a business idea
  • Work with the local community
  • Be digitally fluent
  • Digital proficiency
  • Use digital resources to research a topic
  • Use computer programming to model and solve problems / produce results
  • Learn, communicate and collaborate using digital platforms
  • Participate effectively and inclusively in different roles as part of a team, including as a leader 
  • Team working
  • Take part in group work activities and discussions
  • Give and receive peer feedback
  • Participate in or lead a student society or group
  • Collaborate with a diverse range of colleagues  
  • Team working
  • Interact and work with a wide range of peers
  • Act honestly, fairly and ethically, including in academic conduct

 
  • Follow safety, legal and other guidelines
  • Demonstrate academic integrity in your work
  • Uphold professional codes of conduct
  • Promote socially responsible behaviour for a global sustainable future

 
  • Consider sustainability in problem solving, design or technical work
  • Understand how sustainability relates to your subject area
  • Volunteer
  • Be active in sustainability groups on campus
Co-creating graduate attributes with students helps other students better understand and apply those attributes. It also allows academics to create initiatives which improve specific skills students want to develop.
— Shazil Shariff, Graduate Attributes Student Intern
Back to top