Major Decision: The Impact of Major Switching on Academic Outcomes in Community Colleges

Autor/inn/en	Liu, Vivian; Mishra, Soumya; Kopko, Elizabeth M.
Titel	Major Decision: The Impact of Major Switching on Academic Outcomes in Community Colleges
Quelle	In: Research in Higher Education, 62 (2021) 4, S.498-527 (30 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Liu, Vivian) ORCID (Mishra, Soumya)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0361-0365
DOI	10.1007/s11162-020-09608-6
Schlagwörter	Undergraduate Students; Majors (Students); Decision Making; Community Colleges; Two Year College Students; Student Certification; Graduation Rate; Bachelors Degrees; Outcomes of Education; Educational Policy + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Decision-making; Entscheidungsfindung; Community college; Community College; Schulzeugnis; 'Bachelor''s degrees'; Bachelor-Studiengang; Lernleistung; Schulerfolg; Politics of education; Bildungspolitik
Abstract	A third of the 2- and 4-year undergraduates beginning college in 2011-2012 changed their major in the first 3 years of enrollment. Yet, few studies have examined the effects of major switching on student outcomes, particularly in community colleges. Major switching can delay or impede college completion through excess credit accumulation, or it can increase the probability of completion due to a better academic match. Using state administrative data and propensity score matching, we find that major switching increases certificate completion rates but moderately decreases the probability of bachelor's degree completion in community colleges for students who started with a declared major. We suggest that instead of discouraging major switching, institutions should integrate switching into program planning. Policies like common course-sequencing, cross-discipline introductory courses and flexible application of credits can allow students to revise their interests and goals without losing much time, credits, or tuition dollars. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01