2. • Native Americans students
• Students of color
• Undecided/Undeclared students
• Non-religious students
3. • In this context students who have not yet declared a
major are referred to as undeclared
• Overwhelmingly, today’s college student report that the
primary purpose for attending college is to prepare for a
career
• In order to retain the undeclared student we need to be
able to help students uncover their potential and find their
“niche” – major/career
• People are most satisfied if there is some degree of fit
between their personality and their field of study & work
environment.
4. “Why go to college?”
Today’s student: “To
get a good job.”
Undeclared Student:
“But, I can’t decide
on a major?”
(runs risk of attrition)
Higher Ed.
professional: “I can
help you find a
major/career.”
Graduation!
5. • Apply student development theory
• John Holland’s Theory of Career Choice/Holland
Occupational Themes (RIASEC) also know as “The
Holland Codes”
• Holland’s theory of careers and vocational choice is
based upon 6 personality types.
• Each letter or code stands for a particular “type”
(RIASEC)
• The six personality types are: Realistic (R), Investigative
(I), Artistic (A), Social (S), Enterprising (E), and
Conventional (C), which are also the six basic types of
work environment.
6. • Likes to work with animals, tools, or machines
• Generally avoids social activities like teaching, healing,
and informing others.
• Has good skills in working with tools, mechanical or
electrical drawings, machines, or plants or animals.
• Some examples of Realistic work environments and
respective major include: police officer (criminal justice
major), fire fighter (fire science major), farmer/forester
(ecology /environmental science major).
7. • The Investigative type likes to study and solve math or
science problems.
• Generally avoids leading, selling, or persuading people.
• The Investigative type is good at understanding and
solving science and math problems.
• This type values science and sees self as precise,
scientific, and intellectual.
• Some examples of the Investigative work type along with
major include: chemist (chemistry major), mathematician
(math major), or biologist, dentist, physician, veterinarian,
pharmacist (biology major).
8. • Likes to do creative activities such as drama, crafts,
dance, music, or creative writing.
• Generally avoids highly ordered repetitive activities.
• Has good artistic abilities in creative writing, drama,
crafts, music or art.
• They see themselves as expressive, original, and
independent.
• Examples of Artistic work environments and their major
field of study include: dancer (dance major), book editor
(English/creative writing major), art teacher (art/education
major), musician (music major), graphic designer
(graphic design major), or actor (theatre major)
9. • Likes helping people; such as teaching, nursing,
administering first aid or providing information.
• Usually avoids using machines, or tools to achieve a
goal.
• This type is good at teaching, counseling, nursing, or
giving information; they see themselves as helpful,
friendly and trustworthy.
• Some examples of the Social work environment along
with their respective major are: counselor or social
worker (social work major), nurse (nursing major),
physical therapist (physical therapy major), occupational
therapist (occupational therapy major), teacher
(education major), librarian (library science major), or
athletic trainer (athletic training major).
10. • Likes to lead, persuade people, sell things/ideas.
• Generally good at leading people and selling things or
ideas. They value success in politics, leadership or
business.
• See themselves as energetic, ambitious, and sociable.
• Some examples of enterprising work environments
include: sales/marketing (business major with marketing
concentration), travel agent (business with hospitality
management concentration), lawyer (political science
major), manager (business with a management
concentration), or recreation/camp director (sport
management or leisure studies major).
11. • Likes to work numbers, records or machines in a set
orderly way
• Generally avoids ambiguous, unstructured activities.
• Good at working with records and numbers in a
systematic orderly way; they value success in business.
• See themselves as orderly, and good at following a set
path. Some examples of Conventional work
environments & major include: accountant (accounting
major), computer analyst (computer scientist), statistician
(mathematics major), financial analyst (business major
with a concentration in finance), or economist (business
major with a concentration in economics).
12. • Most Student have some interest in, and similarities to several
of the six groups.
• Students choose the top 3 areas that they are primarily
attracted to
• The three letters of their choices are called the “Holland
Code.”
• Example: a code of “CIE” would most resemble the
Conventional type, somewhat the Investigative Type, and a bit
less of the Enterprising Type. One of the recommendations for
this code would be a financial analyst.
• The types that are not in the code are the types the student
resembles least of all.
• Most people, and most jobs, are best represented by some
combination of two or three of the Holland interest areas.
Undeclared/Undecided College Students In this text we will be referring to undeclared/undecided students as simply undeclared. According to the Macmillan on-line dictionary an undeclared student can be defined as a student who has not yet chosen the main subject they want to study at a college or university. It is pretty easy to understand the definition of an undeclared student; the tricky part is why a student has a hard time deciding what to major in. We as student affairs professionals need to be able to help students uncover their potential and remove any obstacles they may face in trying to declare a major or, another words find their “niche.”
