How and When Do Students Select Majors? Understanding the Decision-Making Process

• In Event: Roundtable Session 30
  In Roundtable Session: Pathways and Academic Experiences

Abstract

Students’ selection of a college major is a critical step toward degree completion. New completion-oriented college reforms aim to help students effectively select a major. Available research is minimally-useful in crafting these reforms because to date it has not examined the process by which students select their college majors. Grounded in social learning (Bandura, 1998) and career indecision (Xu & Tracey, 2014) frameworks and using a life-history approach, this study investigates the process of students’ major-related decision-making. Analyzing interview and survey data from 160 entering college students, we find that the major-selection process occurs within the intersection of interpersonal experiences and institutional resources. Though timing of decision-making varies, the process leading to the decision is similar for most students.

Authors

• Elizabeth Kopko, Community College Research Center

• Marisol Ramos, Teachers College, Columbia University

• John Fink, Community College Research Center

• Melinda Mechur Karp, Columbia University