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Course-based undergraduate research experiences help students see themselves as scientists, but instructors need practical ways to evaluate what students are gaining from them beyond standard course evaluations. In MIMG 103AL/BL, a two-quarter microbiology sequence at UCLA, students participate in a virology CURE. This study asks: To what extent do students in a microbiology CURE report growth in research-related course learning outcomes, and how do these gains align with persistence-related outcomes measured by the HHMI Persistence in the Sciences (PITS) survey? Students completed a pre/post Course Learning Outcomes survey, rating their abilities across ten outcomes. Preliminary data show gains across all learning outcomes in both courses. In MIMG 103AL, the mean increased from 4.19 to 5.47 on a 6-point scale. In MIMG 103BL, the mean increased from 4.29 to 5.69. Across both courses, the strongest gains were in outcomes most closely tied to doing research, including confidence with laboratory techniques, understanding the rationale for research approaches, applying concepts, and troubleshooting. The largest single gain in both courses was confidence in performing laboratory techniques, which increased from 3.41 to 5.51 in 103AL and from 3.60 to 5.76 in 103BL. These course learning outcome data were paired with PITS data from a prior section, which showed class means above the program mean across all constructs. 83.3% of students showed a high likelihood of continuing in science based on project ownership content, while 66.7% had a high likelihood based on project ownership emotion, scientific community values, and networking. Together, these findings suggest that the CURE supports measurable growth in both research skills and persistence-related science outcomes. This work also provides an adaptable assessment framework that instructors can use to evaluate student development in CUREs more closely aligned to authentic research experiences.
