Graduating from postgraduate programs in Social Sciences at the UCR: analysis of time, financial investment, and challenges
Gardado en:
| Autor: | |
|---|---|
| Formato: | artículo original |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Data de Publicación: | 2026 |
| Descripción: | Between 2017 and 2025, the Postgraduate Studies System (SEP) of the University of Costa Rica (UCR) underwent a restructuring process as a result of a mandate from the University Council requesting comprehensive reform (R-206-2017). In this context, the SEP needed information on the functioning of its programs to guide strategies that prioritize academic quality. The study focused on two key aspects: the institutional and personal factors that influence graduation time (GT), as well as the average economic investment, according to academic credit, made by the student population to complete their postgraduate studies. The objective was to propose educational strategies aimed at improving the GT of postgraduate students for a more efficient educational investment. In this case, the analysis focused on the area of Social Sciences, which includes 25 postgraduate programs. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 12 program directors who oversee one specialization, 13 professional master's degrees, six academic master's degrees, and three doctorates. Likewise, the life stories of four postgraduate students from the 2015-2024 period were incorporated, a mixed approach was used, with a comprehensive DICO type 1 design, which combined the phenomenology (qualitative) with the non-experimental descriptive (quantitative) method. Among the findings, the following stand out: more women than men graduate, the TG exceeds the official duration of the programs, and the economic investment is considerable, even with exemptions or scholarships. It is concluded that the delay in graduation times is due to multifactorial causes that combine personal and institutional aspects. Therefore, the need for support strategies that strengthen motivation, planning, and teacher support is confirmed. In addition, it is recommended to implement educational support strategies that promote timely graduation and reduce the negative impact on both the university and the students. |
| País: | Portal de Revistas UNED |
| Institución: | Universidad Estatal a Distancia |
| Repositorio: | Portal de Revistas UNED |
| Idioma: | Español |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:revistas.investiga.uned.ac.cr:article/5810 |
| Acceso en liña: | https://revistas.uned.ac.cr/index.php/innovaciones/article/view/5810 |
| Palabra crave: | educational efficiency educational performance higher education educational needs graduate students educational strategies eficiencia de la educación rendimiento de la educación enseñanza superior necesidades educacionales estudiante de posgrado estrategias educativas eficiência da educação desempenho da educação ensino superior necessidades educacionais estudante de pós-graduação estratégias educacionais |