The Career Course as a Factor in College Graduation

Conducting research and engaging in discussions with administrators and legislators can be important contributions toward alleviating the trend toward lower graduation rates among college students. This study used archival data obtained from the university registrar to examine how engagement in a credit-bearing undergraduate career course related to college graduation from a selective southern university. Results suggested that the course was one of four factors predicting graduation rates, including grade point average, changes in major, and withdrawals. The study also found that traditional measures, SAT scores and high school grades, did not effectively predict graduation rates. Implications for best practices in student services and future research are discussed.