A methodological approach for the selection of an undergraduate curriculum in Design based on AHP and PROMETHEE multicriteria techniques

This paper presents a new methodological approach for the selection of an undergraduate curriculum in Design. Unlike other current techniques for the selection of curricula based exclusively on disciplinary and academic factors, the proposal presented here also includes socio-economic aspects, employability, and the novelty of the disciplines. This innovative approach is in agreement with the new theories on higher education in this society of knowledge as well as it offers a holistic view of the curriculum. The proposed methodology, in turn, is cooperative, favouring interaction with other disciplines and thus enriching the curriculum as a whole. This methodology is based on the combined application of two discrete multicriteria decision techniques: Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)[1] and PROMETHEE [2]. It shows by means of an application that the hybrid method is very well suited as a decision-making tool for curricular selection. For model validation purposes, the methodology has been applied to the selection of a curriculum in Design for the Universidad Pontificia Javeriana at Cali (Colombia). This University is a private institution managed by the Society of Jesus.