Effect on the Integrative Final Projects of the Environmental Engineering Specialization Associated with the Incorporation of the SDGs in Work Planning: A Case Analysis of the 2021–2024 Cohorts

Abstract

This study examines how the mandatory inclusion of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Work Plan for the Final Integrative Project—required to pass the Integrative Final Project Seminar of the Environmental Engineering Specialization at UTN–FRC—is subsequently reflected in the Final Integrative Projects (TFI), which have no directive requiring SDG incorporation. A total of 47 TFIs from the 2021–2024 cohorts were analyzed across three dimensions: mention, localization, and transcendence of the SDGs. Seventy-two percent of students incorporated SDGs into their final projects, although in most cases the integration was limited to annexed mentions placed in initial sections such as the Introduction and Development. Only a small number achieved central transcendence, associated with mentions distributed across the Development and Conclusions or present throughout the manuscript. The SDGs most frequently used were those directly related to environmental issues. Findings show that, although the mandatory inclusion of SDGs in the work plans generates initial visibility, it does not ensure deeper integration in the final project. The limitations of this bottom-up strategy are discussed, and it is proposed that it be complemented by top-down institutional guidelines, as well as by explicitly encouraging the incorporation of SDGs into the Conclusions section of the TFI to promote more substantive reflection on sustainability within postgraduate education.