Curricular design and labour market demand: Comparing three Carlos III University of Madrid curricula

摘要

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role that the de-gree of curricular specialization in academic disciplines plays in connection with labour market demand for graduates in the respective areas. The curricula of three conventional social science disciplines for which degrees are awarded by the Carlos III University of Madrid: the general degree in Library Science, the Bachelor of Arts degree in Information Science and the Bachelor of Science degree in Economics are compared and analyzed in terms of the job offers received for their respective graduates from a series of industries. The results of the multivariate analysis conducted, based on the multidimensional indicators identified, reveal greater subject variability in the former two. In other words, the curricula for these two degrees are of a broader nature, whereas the curriculum for the degree in Economics is more specialized, with content covering a smaller number of areas. The outcome is a wider diversity of job offers for graduates in Economics.