Abstract:

The objective of this study is to provide a diagnostic of the graduate programs offered in Mexico City to characterize them, in which the results will be integrated in a similar study at a national level. The research methodology is based on a diagnostic-evaluation of the graduate programs, ex post facto, and it uses descriptive statistics to describe the data. The sample used for this study consisted of 127 master programs, from which nine are included in the Register of Quality Graduate Programs (PNPC), and 25 doctorates programs, from which five belong to the PNPC. The data for this study was obtained from a yearbook published by the National Association of Universities and Institutions of Superior Education (ANUIES), and the PNPC administered by the National Council of Science and Technology in Mexico (CONACYT).

The results show that private universities have a higher program-offer than public universities in Mexico City. However, it was found that public universities have the highest number of graduate programs in the Register of Quality Graduate Programs (PNPC). In this way the universities such as National Polytechnic Institute of Mexico (IPN), Center for Research and Advanced Studies (CINVESTAV, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the Metropolitan Autonomous University (UAM), the National Pedagogical University (UPN), the Iberoamerican University (UIA), and the Latinamerican Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO Campus Mexico City), are the universities with a major presence in the PNPC. Thus, most of the graduate programs included in the PNPC in Mexico City belong to the most traditional and prestigious universities (most of them public), characterized by their high quality graduate programs.

Keywords:

Graduate programs, Education, High Quality, Masters and PhDs.