Graduate Attributes

The University of Sheffield's Graduate Attributes consist of 12 categories, each with three identified attributes. These 12 categories are grouped into themes of Learning, Community Impact, and Self Development.

My Learning

• • Academic Skills

    • Academic writing - Using clear, concise language appropriate to the academic discipline and credible evidence to present written arguments or reports, using relevant referencing and citation

    • Numeracy and data - Appropriately calculating, analysing and presenting numerical data

    • Study skills - Selects, uses and seeks existing and new knowledge to develop intellect; using learning and study time effectively 

  • Applying Knowledge

    • Translating knowledge - Applying and translating knowledge and skills to contexts and challenges within and beyond your studies

    • Problem solving - Exploring innovative approaches to solving problems. Developing creativity, understanding, and challenging existing ideas

    • Exchanging knowledge - Demonstrating interest in and understanding of the positive application of knowledge in a working environment

  • Research & Critical Thinking

    • Research skills - Experienced in the processes and methods of research - discovering, understanding and creating information

    • Research impact - Considering impact and disseminating the benefits of research and knowledge to wider community and society

    • Critical thinking - Critically appraising, questioning, analysing and interpreting a variety of evidence, and applying research skills in different contexts

  • Digital Capability

    • Digital fluency - Sourcing, using and creatively applying appropriate digital tools, information and skills

    • Digital communication - Assessing and presenting data, information and evidence using software and digital media

    • Digital citizenship - Developing and maintaining a professional and ethical online presence and identity

My Impact

• • Interpersonal Skills

    • Communication - Communicating confidently in writing, in person and online for different purposes and audiences

    • Networking - Using interpersonal skills to build and maintain positive relationships through networking

    • Emotional intelligence - Recognise own and others emotions to guide thinking and behaviour 

  • Working with others

    • Collaboration - Working effectively with others and in teams, encouraging collaboration and contributing positively

    • Influencing - Positively contributing, influencing and inspiring others

    • Leadership - Developing leadership potential and capability 

  • Equality and inclusion

    • Community engagement - Actively participate and positively affect others in personal, local, global or virtual communities

    • Global awareness - Global competence and cultural intelligence, engaging with global issues and contexts

    • Inclusivity - Recognising and valuing different abilities, backgrounds, beliefs and ways of living

  • Ethics and sustainability

    • Integrity - Acting ethically, honestly and fairly in personal, academic and workplace settings

    • Appropriate conduct - Demonstrating appropriate and socially responsible behaviour, including academic conduct

    • Sustainability - Acquiring the knowledge and skills to promote societal and environmental sustainability 

My Self

• • Positive Wellbeing

    • Self care - Identifying and doing things to enhance mental and physical health, confidence and self esteem

    • Autonomy - Making own decisions about how to think and behave, pursuing freely chosen goals

    • Self-awareness - Reflective and understanding of personal strengths, values and areas for development 

  • Purpose

    • Healthy relationships - Developing positive, trusting, and supportive relationships 

    • Defining purpose - Finding a sense of direction in life, defining personal values and goals and working to fulfil them

    • Positive mindset - Approaching challenges with a positive outlook, self-belief and a sense of perspective 

  • Personal Development

    • Growth mindset - Recognising the value of continuing development and effective life and career management techniques

    • Determination - Effectively planning and managing tasks within deadlines - getting things done

    • Resilience - Effectively re-framing, learning and recovering quickly from difficulties and setbacks 

  • Enterprising

    • Innovation - Curious, creative and innovative - considering and developing new approaches and ideas

    • Commercial awareness - Demonstrating an understanding of commercial and organisational decisions and wider contexts

    • Adaptability - Open minded, willing to learn new things, take on new challenges and make adjustments 

The Sheffield Hallam Graduate Attributes consist of 12 core attributes, each associated a number of traits:

• Confidence: The ability to demonstrate that you can clearly articulate your strengths, values, and opinions.  

  •  Approaches tasks with optimism  

  • Backs own judgment and decision making  

  • Volunteers for key roles in a team, taking on leadership roles when appropriate  

• Creativity: The ability to offer new and different perspectives to a challenge independently.  

  • Adapts approach to situations  

  • Generates new ideas to problem solve  

  • Challenges and thinks critically about the received wisdom and status quo  

• Resilience: The ability to recover quickly from criticism or disappointment and maintain focus under pressure and changing circumstances.  

  • Copes well with deadlines and competing pressures  

  • Finds ways to continue a task when information or circumstances change  

  • Realistically evaluates challenges and proactively responds to them  

  • Uses criticism to better themselves or their work 

• Responsibility: Takes ownership. Demonstrates a high level of dependability and leadership, and can be relied upon consistently.  

  • Completes all assigned tasks on time  

  • Fulfills all commitments made to peers, supervisors, and lecturers  

  • Admits mistakes, misjudgments or errors  

  • Autonomous learners capable of self-management including time management and initiative

• Credibility: The ability to have people trust your agenda or idea over another person with similar information or results. 

  • Actively listens to the content of what people are saying and responds appropriately, to build buy-in  

  • Establishes credibility and works cooperatively with others to move things on 

  • Employs different techniques and adjusts style to have the best impact  

• Adaptability: The ability to recognise and react appropriately and effectively to situational change and/or ambiguous information.  

  • Prepared to change course when circumstances change  

  • Able to plan before all information is known 

  • Comfortable with the fact that some decisions will be wrong 

  • Embraces and anticipates change  

• Curiosity: The ability to look beyond the obvious, independently appraise information and seek to improve the performance of yourself and others.  

  • Critically evaluates information in order to improve understanding  

  • Always adopts an enquiring approach  

  • Regularly reflects on own performance and approach to seek improvement  

  • Asks good questions  

  • Seeks additional opportunities to learn more 

• Enterprising: The ability to seek out opportunities and try new things, whilst being resourceful, showing initiative and being comfortable with risk.

  • Demonstrates an innovative approach, creativity, collaboration and risk-taking  

  • Always looks for new opportunities  

  • Commercially / professionally / situationally aware  

  • Demonstrates innovative thinking  

• Driven to succeed: The ability to consistently seek to over-deliver against expectations, and work productively and reliably. 

  • Demonstrates a clear desire to meet and exceed objectives  

  • Focused and productive to meet given time limits  

  • Demonstrates a drive and necessity to successfully complete a particular task  

  • Anticipates problems at an early stage and takes action to resolve 

• Emotional Intelligence: The ability to manage your feelings and express them appropriately and effectively, enabling people to work together.  

  • Can help improve others' optimism by understanding their emotions  

  • Manages own feelings and expresses them appropriately  

  • Takes time to understand the feelings and perspectives of others  

  • Regularly evaluates own behavioural performance to ensure they are rational  

• Globally minded: The ability to interact effectively with people from different backgrounds and cultures, and use appropriate behaviour to recognise cultural differences. 

  • Considers and respects different perspectives, based on cultural diversity  

  • Demonstrates awareness of differences and influences of different cultures, and seeks to learn more  

  • Takes into account different audiences, adjusting behaviour to respond to how other people think and behave in different cultures or environments  

• Integrity: Makes decisions consistently and accepts responsibility for your actions. Makes ethical decisions and considers the context before acting.  

  • Takes responsibility for own actions and mistakes  

  • Makes what they believe to be the right ethical decision  

  • Articulates rationale behind decisions  

  • Is aware of the impact and implications of decisions