Student-Athletes’ Decision-Making Process for Selecting an Academic Major

  • Gina S. Pearson

Student thesis: Master's ThesisMaster of Science (MS)

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how collegiate student-athletes experience the decision-making process for selecting their academic major at a midsize, Division I university in the Midwest. With four participants from four different sports, this study’s results centered around four research questions: what was most important to the student-athlete when selecting a major, what challenges they ran into, what role others played in their decision-making process, and how the student-athletes’ athletic identity manifested in their decision-making for their major.

Results of this study indicated that student-athletes value the practical application to a career that their major can provide for them and struggle with how their major can fit into their limited time as a student-athlete. In addition, family was influential to student-athletes in the decision-making process, but ultimately, participants demonstrated that they go through the development described in Baxter-Magolda’s theory of self-authorship during college and make their decision for themselves. Student-athletes were found to have differing ties to their athletic identity, which means that there is not a clear-cut answer as to which type of major a student-athlete may lean towards choosing. Recommendations for future research and recommendations for higher education professionals are provided.
Date of Award2023
Original languageAmerican English
Awarding Institution
  • Eastern Illinois University
SupervisorJon K. Coleman (Supervisor)

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

  • Education

Cite this

'