ABSTRACT
Graduate attributes are gaining popularity as a tool to inform curriculum renewal efforts. Not only do they help to define the kind of graduates programs seek to deliver, they provide a tangible way for accreditation bodies to communicate to universities what students are expected to develop by the time they complete their studies. Yet despite this increasing popularity, graduate attributes receive a mixed review among academics,1 and the actual use of graduate attributes is still very low. As Professor King reflected in a 2008 review of engineering education in Australia,
Few engineering education programs are underpinned by a comprehensive specification of program objectives and detailed graduate outcomes that provide a clear understanding of the knowledge, attributes and capability targets for graduates in the particular discipline.2
