Making a major decision: an exploration of why students enroll in fashion programmes

Abstract

Much like deciding where to go to college, for many students, deciding what to major in is a complex, multi-dimensional process wherein several different variables may influence the final decision. Understanding the motivations behind the decision to enroll in a particular major can shed light on the factors that attract potential students to a major. To understand the key aspects of the decision to major in fashion, in-depth interviews were conducted with 41 female students currently enrolled at two large US universities. Interpretation of issues that surfaced within the interviews revealed commonalities among participants' motivations for selecting the major and thoughts on the link between the major and future professional goals. Results point to the importance of understanding student perceptions of the opportunities provided by a degree in fashion and the implications these perceptions might have for fashion programmes.

Valores Pessoais, Atitudes E Intenção Empreendedora: Um Estudo Com Estudantes De Graduação Em Administração

“…Nesse processo, embora o interesse empreendedor entre estudantes possa impactar sua escolha pelo curso universitário, apenas o interesse não é suficiente para conduzir a uma intenção de carreira. Adicionalmente a ele, valores foram identificados como fatores importantes no processo de decisão de diferentes temáticas, incluindo decisões relacionadas à carreira e escolha do curso universitário (Brown, 2002;HODGES;KARPOVA, 2009). Rokeach (1973) define os valores humanos como metas desejáveis que apresentam uma importância variável e relativa e que servem como um guia para o indivíduo, sendo capazes de influenciar substancialmente as suas respostas afetivas e comportamentais.…”

Assessing Curriculum Designed to Foster Students’ Entrepreneurial Knowledge and Small Business Skills from a Global Perspective

“…Moreover, because many students in textile and apparel programs aspire to eventually own their own businesses (Hodges & Karpova, 2009), building the skills needed to create and maintain a successful enterprise must be an essential part of their undergraduate experience. Moreover, because many students in textile and apparel programs aspire to eventually own their own businesses (Hodges & Karpova, 2009), building the skills needed to create and maintain a successful enterprise must be an essential part of their undergraduate experience.…”

“…Given the high number of small textile and apparel firms, and the large percentage of small firms in general within the USA and abroad, it is likely that graduates will work for a small business or partner with small firms in the manufacturing process. Moreover, because many students in textile and apparel programs aspire to eventually own their own businesses (Hodges & Karpova, 2009), building the skills needed to create and maintain a successful enterprise must be an essential part of their undergraduate experience. This project offers several means of integrating opportunities designed to foster such skills for professional development and success.…”

Modeling Entrepreneurial Career Intentions among Undergraduates: An Examination of the Moderating Role of Entrepreneurial Knowledge and Skills

“…For individuals who choose to seek post‐secondary degrees, deciding upon a career path often begins with the selection of a college major (Grant, Battle & Heggoy, ). Much research exists that investigates the decision‐making process of college students when selecting a major (Callahan, ; Kim, Markham & Cangelosi, ; Mauldin, Crain & Mounce, ) including that of textiles and apparel (Hodges & Karpova, ; Morgan & Shim, ). The process involved in selecting a college major has been found to parallel that of other kinds of decision‐making, such as consumption decision‐making (Jayawardhena, ; Shim & Eastlick, ), necessitating an examination of values and attitudes as well as intentions (Hodges & Karpova, ; Malgwi, Howe & Burnaby, ; Shim & Morgan, ).…”