Learning outcomes for postgraduate education in anatomy based on national qualifications framework

Postgraduate education provides students with a higher level of education in their chosen subject of study. This study described and discussed learning outcomes for postgraduate education in anatomy, drawing on the author’s own experiences. Because learning at higher levels is contingent on acquiring prerequisite knowledge, skills, and competences at lower levels, learning outcomes based on lower-level qualifications were established for each degree. The arrangement of postgraduate programs varies greatly not only between nations but also among the universities within the same country. Having a uniform framework appears to be a useful and novel guideline for institutions. The National Qualifications Framework for Higher Education in Türkiye (NQF-HETR) provides specific explanations for degrees based on learning outcomes and content to build new qualifications. Learning outcomes reflect what a learner is expected to know, understand, and/or be able to do by the end of a learning period. There are three categories of learning outcomes: knowledge, skills, and competences. Learning outcomes for postgraduate education in anatomy provide a means of translating the goals of an anatomy course or program into a set of competences, as well as providing students with clear indications of their paths through postgraduate education and what levels of knowledge and skills will qualify them for degree awards. Learning outcomes also provide a useful language for communicating about a curriculum.