| One of the primary motivations for an individual to earn a college degree is the desire to obtain a better job, as students perceive that by earning a college degree they will have both career and economic advantages that otherwise would not be available to them (McCalla-Wriggins, 2000; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005). Academic and career development activities have traditionally occurred outside the classroom. This study examines the impact of integrating academic and career development activities into the curriculum in business education as a for-credit course.; A mixed methods design (Creswell, 2003) was utilized to examine the impact of participating in an academic and career development course on the selection of students' majors and careers. This design involved obtaining and analyzing statistical data regarding academic and career certainty and indecision of students in a treatment and comparison group. Further data was obtained through the conduct of focus groups of students who completed the integrated academic and career development course.; This study found that students who participated in an integrated course experienced an increase in their certainty in regard to their academic and career selection upon completion of the course. Additionally, students who completed the integrated course experienced a decrease in their levels of indecision in regard to academic and career choice. Additional findings regarding the benefits students gained by participating in the integrated course were ascertained through the conduct of the focus groups.; Recommendations for student affairs professionals in the areas of academic and career advising were provided. Additionally, the design of the integrated course and the collaboration that transpired between the academic and student affairs divisions was presented. |
