Abstract:

Students selecting a certain Bachelor Degree can do it motivated by different causes. Even students can have different expectation from the selected Bachelor Degree. There are generally common aspects among all the students, such as the age around 18 years, as well as having decided to aim for higher education at the university starting with a Bachelor Degree, and in some cases continuing with a Master and only a small percentage of them with a PhD. However, there are other aspects that allow them to be distinguished according to different income profiles, such as the motivation for the selection of a specific Bachelor Degree, if that Degree was their first option in their future choice, etc.

That aspect is analyzed in the Civil and Territorial Engineering Bachelor Degree at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Spain). To achieve it, a survey was carried out to some students, including some who had just started the Bachelor Degree and also some who were finishing it. They were asked questions such as: Was Civil and Territorial Engineering Bachelor Degree your first choice?; If that is not the case, do you think about continuing the Degree or are you thinking about continuing your academic training in a different Degree next year?; Why did you chose this Degree?; What specific specialization within career opportunity of the Degree catches your attention the most?

In total 61 surveys results were obtained: 37 for first-year students and 24 for last-year students. The results were processed and analyzed, identifying the different student profiles. The study finishes with a reflection on whether it is appropriate to adapt the teaching to the income profiles, seeking greater motivation of the students. It was analyzed how the different teaching methodologies focused on students can be applied in first year subjects focused mainly on basic sciences so that students perceive how they can apply such knowledge in their professional future, thus reducing the discouragement that students generally suffer during the first course since they fail to see the practical application of what they are studying in the basic science subjects during the first year of the Degree for their professional future.

Keywords:

Qualifying University Bachelor's degrees, applicant's profile, teaching methodologies, motivation.