Methodological proposal for the analysis of academic tracks Autonomous University of Carmen, Faculty of Chemistry, Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, Mexico

Abstract

Universities in Mexico face various challenges related to coverage, dropout, inequality, inclusion, and educational quality. Therefore, analyzing the academic trajectories of university students is essential to improving graduation efficiency. The objective of this research was to develop a methodology that identifies indicators of graduation efficiency, dropout factors, and subject-specific failure patterns that contribute to the analysis of university students’ academic trajectories. The study was approached from an observational, longitudinal, and retrospective perspective to analyze the academic trajectories of students enrolled in the Faculty of Chemistry during the 2021–2024 period. The analysis included three academic programs: Chemical Engineering (IQ), Petroleum Engineering (IP), and Geological Engineering (IG). The results showed that promotion, as an indicator of graduation efficiency, had the greatest increase and contribution to students’ academic trajectories. Likewise, the main causes of dropout in the Faculty’s academic programs were attributed to administrative processes and regulations. These regulation-related withdrawals are strongly linked to personal or socio-emotional factors, which represent areas of opportunity for the institution. Course delays pose a comprehensive risk to student trajectories, as there are courses with high failure rates in mathematics, such as Mathematics II–III and Statics–Dynamics, as well as in chemistry during the first two years, particularly Organic I and Analytical I.