Publication Date
2012-05-30
Availability
Open access
Embargo Period
2012-05-30
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Sociology (Arts and Sciences)
Date of Defense
2012-05-24
First Committee Member
Jomills H. Braddock II
Second Committee Member
Marvin P. Dawkins
Third Committee Member
Koren A. Bedeau
Abstract
Most research on educational plans has focused on high school students’ plans for college. Few studies have examined graduate or professional school plans among college students. This thesis uses the National Longitudinal Survey of Freshmen (NLSF) to examine: (1) racial and ethnic variations in graduate or professional school plans; and (2) the effect of race-ethnicity on graduate or professional school plans relative to other factors such as sex, SES, college type, parents’ aspirations, peer aspirations and students’ evaluation of college experiences. It also provides detailed analyses of the graduate or professional school plans of the Asian subgroups. Results indicate that race is not a significant predictor of college students’ plans for graduate or professional school. Peer aspirations negatively influence college students’ plans for graduate or professional school, and students’ evaluation of college experiences positively influences their plans. Analyses of the Asian subgroups indicate that there are no statistically significant differences between the subgroups. The results imply that faculty, student affairs personnel, graduate school administrators and all relevant departments should make joint efforts to enhance students’ self-esteem and their college experiences.
Keywords
Graduate School Plans; College Students; Race; Asian American
Recommended Citation
Gong, Lei, "College Students' Plans for Graduate or Professional School: a Comparison of Different Racial and Ethnic Groups" (2012). Open Access Theses. 350.
https://scholarlyrepository.miami.edu/oa_theses/350