Abstract:

This study examines the professional orientation approach of the Bachelor’s Degree Thesis (BDT) in knowledge areas in the Faculty of Law and Economic Sciences, Universitat Jaume I (Spain). The article has the following objectives: firstly, to define the current situation vis-à-vis approaches to the BDT at the Universitat Jaume I from a competence perspective, and identify BDTs with a professional orientation; secondly, to report experiences from three academic years (2014–15 to 2016–17), highlighting the strengths and weaknesses identified by both student and lecturer participants; and thirdly, to report future challenges to BDTs identified from the map of competences; such challenges include how to encourage students’ creativity, to provide answers or solutions to real problems facing institutions or companies, and to strengthen ties between the university and the professional environment, among others. Finally, as a result of reflections among teacher members of the Educational Innovation Group (GIE) EDUFIN, this analysis ends with a proposal to improve the learning experience with a strong focus on enhancing students’ competence and that, as significant educational experiences, can be replicated or adapted.

Keywords:

Higher education, professional orientation.