Abstract
International organizations such as the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD, have pointed out that the region of Latin America has experienced in recent years lower levels of competitiveness in activities based on knowledge. Our levels of scientific productivity, training of human resources, investment in science and technology and applications for patents are low too. This problem is increased by the lack of interest in pursuing graduate studies in areas related to engineering, science and technology. Given the above problem, it was considered that marketing, specifically the relational marketing, might offer options to increase the interest in this type of professions, as well as to assist in the continuation of those who are studying them. The study was non-experimental, quantitative, descriptive and cross-sectional. The subjects were 290 undergraduate students just about to graduate from engineering colleges in Hidalgo. Results showed that 81 percent of respondents are interested in pursuing a master's degree in engineering, and the factors that influence their decision are: the belief that studying a master's degree will give them a higher status and the belief that studying a master's degree will give them greater financial solvency. With this information, a Model of Relationship Marketing was designed to attract students to this area of knowledge, and to decrease levels of dropout students among those who are already studying them.
