Mapping Major-Switching Activity Among Undergraduates

Indianapolis, IN

This project seeks to identify trends in major-switching activity among Indiana Wesleyan University's undergraduate students. Examining these trends can inform the question of what factors influence students as they change majors. The research includes students who changed primary majors at least once before graduation, not including those who changed from undeclared majors. Because major-switching is a common activity among the student body examined, patterns can be identified in the data that indicate trends in students' major-switching decisions. By mapping major-switching activity within as well as between schools and divisions of the university, the study highlights which paths of major-switching are most common to the undergraduate student body. Information on the most commonly left majors, the most commonly joined majors, and the prevalence of intra-divisional versus extra-divisional major-switching is also helpful for identifying broader trends.