Why Students Select the Civil Engineering Major

Abstract

Understanding why students select their intended major can help faculty to motivate and retain those students in a program of study. Ensuring that students remain motivated by their educational program greatly increases the likelihood that they will successfully complete the major.The study presented within this paper used a course-generated student essay that reflects on why students at a particular academic institution selected the civil engineering major. The essay assignment has been used over multiple course administrations during a five-year period. Essays were reviewed for reference to a series of nine specific motivations for selecting the academic Students at the United States Military Academy (West Point) select their academic major during the spring of their first year. They start coursework in their major during the fall semester of their second year. One of the first courses that students take when majoring in the civil engineering program is CE201, Introduction to Civil Engineering. CE201 is a required 1-credit hour course in the civil engineering curriculum. Other than students that transfer into the major late, all students take it as part of their first semester in the program. major. The collected data has been evaluated to look for trends in major selection reasoning, as well as differences between genders. This study will be of interest to faculty and administrators with a desire to understand the motivation behind their students' major selection. The results of this study have the potential to significantly impact the activities and areas of emphasis used during recruitment of students to the civil engineering major.