Abstract:

In accordance with the Bologna process which began in 1999, students must obtain 240 ECTS credits to graduate within the European Higher Education Area. Receiving said credits corresponds to acquiring a series of established skills determined by the degree as well as generic skills common to all degrees, which concern those skills graduating students are expected to have when joining the workforce. In the current socio-economic context, job scarcity and the increasingly important level of training for youth in the labor market mean extending studies to earn a master’s degree whether it be of a practical nature or with the aim of completing research. For a considerable portion of students that select the latter option, far from “finishing their studies” with the completion of a master’s thesis, they instead intend to open the possibility of doctoral studies and, along with this, “to begin their professional career” in the area of university research. This reality in career guidance for university students leads us to pose the following question: Do first cycle university studies prepare students for research? This paper aims to answer this from the student perspective. Analyzing responses to a questionnaire based on the generic skills of the Tuning Project, insight from master’s in Translation students is presented regarding the genuine skills needed to complete a master’s thesis listing shortcomings and resources. Of the results obtained, a proposal for training intervention is made in order to strengthen the profile of “research personnel in training” at the postgraduate level.

Keywords:

Higher Education, Research Personnel in Training, Generic Skills, Master’s Thesis, Tuning Project.