Factors Contributing to Business Students’ Choice of Major

The University of the Pacific is committed to helping students succeed by offering several undergraduate and graduate programs in nine schools and colleges. In 2013, 3,780 of the 5,749 total numbers of Pacific students are enrolled full-time on the Stockton campus. More than 80% of these students come from California, and over 80% of students receive financial assistance ( University of the Pacific: Fast Facts 2013â? ). Currently, well over 50% of Pacific students complete their courses and graduate from our university. One of the professional schools on the Stockton campus is the Eberhardt School of Business (ESB). Within this school, students can choose from ten different concentrations. To date, little historical information is available regarding precisely why business students choose a particular concentration. Thus, the purpose of this research study is to provide descriptive information about current ESB students broken down by concentration. I will examine the data to see if differences in concentration choice exist in such areas as enrollment (full vs. part-time), transfer students vs. entering freshmen, family education levels (i.e., first in the family to attend college), etc. Prior empirical research suggests that both environment and individual factors play a major role in determining a student’s choice of concentration (Lancellotti, Matthew, & Sunil Thomas, 2009). It is my hope that the present study will be followed up in the future by other undergraduate Pacific students. For example, a future study could explore such external and internal factors as family expectations of students, advice received by high school counselors, reputation of a particular major, self-efficacy, career aspirations, and importance of financial security on choice of business school concentration