Abstract

One of the main concerns in achieving postgraduate studies in the management area is the dropouts, mainly due to their lack of training in project development; therefore, research is a strategic factor associated with the quality of academic programs. The objective of this work is to describe the experience designated as Master’s Degree Final Project aimed at the solution of a problem through the formulation of a research project in the postgraduate courses of the Program of Business Sciences and Environmental Management in the virtual modality of the Arturo Prat University of Chile. The method used was the review of both specialized literature and institutional documents. The main theoretical references are Restrepo (2007), Martínez and Sánchez (2018), Morales, Rincón and Romero (2005) and Pey, Durán and Jorquera (2012). The results show that in the virtual postgraduate courses of the Program studied, 160 degree exams were administered from 2017 to 2019, in which specific proposals are made that are applicable to specific needs. In addition, the timely graduation rates remain stable. Considering the enrollment of 300 students, the Master’s Degree program with the lowest timely graduation rate corresponds to 96.6% between 2015 and 2017, values above the average of the rest of the Institution’s programs. It is concluded that this tool, in addition to being a successful qualification experience, contributes to developing research capabilities, in tune with current trends in postgraduate training.