University education today shows certain difficulties in promoting the human development of its students. The present work intends to rethink this problem based on the capabilities approach. In order to that purpose it analyze, first, the conceptual background and the principles proposed by the capabilities approach. Second, the educational potentialities of this approach are examined, in order to generate and promote human development. Finally, the viability of a curricular integration between the capabilities approach and the current competence approach is considered. It is concluded that the capabilities approach has a high educational potential capable of harmoniously complementing the current competence curriculum.