Three-quarters of students enter college without a clear major or career plan. In efforts to make academic and career decisions that will lead to their success, half of students seek out assistance from their career services office before graduating, most often completing a career assessment. Results from these often-imperfect assessments are a…

There is a gender gap among females studying STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) majors and pursuing STEM careers. More males than females pursue these majors and careers. This study explored how high school counselors influence the choices of STEM majors for female students. The researcher explored the perspectives of seven…

Major declaration is a significant task for a college student, and the major selected typically indicates a student's intentions for pursuing a related career. However, few research studies have examined the impact of the timing of a student's major declaration in relation to their hopes for their future career. The purpose of this study was to…

Students on academic probation are among the most vulnerable populations within higher education. Research indicates that following a semester of academic difficulty, students experience diminished self-efficacy and a decline in academic motivation. Evidence from a growing body of career development literature indicates that career exploration…

Academic choice and exploration are essential aspects of undergraduate education in the United States, allowing students to select courses with minimal restrictions. However, students often face challenges in navigating the complex academic landscape, hindered by limited information, insufficient guidance, and an overwhelming number of choices.…

One way to engage in career exploration and gain expertise in a specific field is through a college education. Some studies have sought to discuss the external factors that play a role in a student's career decision making prior to and after entering college, but none of these studies discuss the role a social movement plays in a college student's…

The community college serves a diverse undergraduate student population and community. Since its inception over a century ago, the mission of the community college has been to provide access and to be inclusive by offering courses that support historically disadvantaged populations, university transfer students, developmental education courses to…

This qualitative study employed the concepts of validating and institutional agents to explore the roles that community college practitioners play in the retention of racially minoritized students in STEM programs. Grounded in Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, the conceptual framework was used to identify affirming practices leveraged by…

Access to social capital has an immense impact on socio-economic mobility and career attainment. All too often, students from underserved and marginalized communities struggle to find and mobilize social capital. This inequitable access to professional career networks is known as the network gap. Students in affluent communities are tapped into…

The purpose of this ex post facto research project was to examine the effect of career course length on student occupational engagement. To answer this question, Occupational Engagement Scale--Student (OES-S) scores for students enrolled in 16-week and 8-week long career courses were analyzed using t-tests and multiple regression. The study…

This qualitative case study utilizes the human capital theory to examine the influence of high impact career exploration and career-focused practices in a public, regional four-year institution. Literature shows that graduates who enter well-matched careers earn approximately 30 percent more than graduates who are not closely matched. In addition,…

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative case study is to provide a comprehensive understanding of what employers perceive their role to be in developing student learning and skills development. Employers who place and participate in an internship program for an undergraduate student will be interviewed to understand their perceptions and the…

This qualitative multi-case study delved into the perceptions of five immigrant and refugee high school students enrolled in an early childhood pathway program in a Midwest high school in the USA. The primary objectives were to explore how these aspiring teachers' Funds of Identity (FOI) influenced their perceptions of teaching in the USA,…

The purpose of this narrative research study was to explore the post-course perspectives of students who completed a life design career course and investigate what roles these experiences had upon the participants' post- course career narrative construction. Data was collected by interviewing nine undergraduate, domestic, students who had…

Few studies have been conducted on collaborations in higher education specifically between faculty and institutional career centers. Institutional career centers offer college students important services related to career development areas such as exploring careers and majors, identifying career goals, building resumes, assisting with job and…