Making Major Decisions

Abstract

Exploratory students enter college without a declared major but are actively searching for one that fits their values, interests, and skills. A first-year seminar (FYS) was created for exploratory students that provides them with guided support in their exploration process. This paper investigates the effect of an FYS for exploratory students on major declaration in the first year via their change in major certainty, using multiple logistic regression. Findings show change in major certainty is a significant predictor for major declaration within the first year. This study has implications for both policy and practice related to the exploratory population.

Keywords

• Higher education
• Major declaration
• First-year seminar
• High impact practice
• Exploratory Students
• Retention