Date of Award

Spring 2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Higher Education Policy and Student Affairs

Committee Chairperson

Jeff McLaughlin, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Jim Tweedy, Ed.D.

Committee Member

Heather Horowitz, Ed.D.

Committee Member

Jacqueline Hodes, Ed.D.

Abstract

The most significant decision in college a student can make is their choice of major. A popular opinion in order for students to persist and succeed in college is to declare as early as possible. However, research has found that many students entering higher education are not ready to make a commitment or unsure of their career aspirations. In this thesis, I will present a historical overview of the undecided student by addressing the characteristics such as self-efficacy and anxiety, provide a developmental aspect of indecision such as the lack of career identity, and introduce related theories such as the Career Decision Theory. Through addressing the best practices to help support undecided students, I will propose an intervention in which encourages students to explore their options in college. The Explorer’s Pilot program, which will be implemented to incoming first-year students, looks towards the discovery of participant's identity through a career self-assessment, brings understanding to what it means to be an exploring undecided student, and supports individuals through one-on-one advising with an academic advisor. This program intends to challenge students to disrupt the urgency to declare their major by first taking a look at what informs them and then opening their journey to career exploration.

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