Eastern Illinois University The Keep Masters Theses Student Theses & Publications 2019 Factors Students Consider in the Decision Making Process for Graduate Education Kiley Sturm Eastern Illinois University This research is a product of the graduate program in College Student Affairs at Eastern Illinois University. Find out more about the program. Recommended Citation Sturm, Kiley, "Factors Students Consider in the Decision Making Process for Graduate Education" (2019). Masters Theses. 4315. https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/4315 This is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Theses & Publications at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 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Factors Students Consider in the Decision Making Process for Graduate Education (TITLE) BY Kiley Sturm THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF Master of Science in College Student Affairs IN THE GRADUATE SCHOOL, EASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY CHARLESTON, ILLINOIS 2019 YEAR I HEREBY RECOMMEND THAT THIS THESIS BE ACCEPTED AS FULFILLING THIS PART OF THE GRADUATE DEGREE CITED ABOVE 12-rs-r� ( - tS - I� DATE DEPARTMENT/SCHOOL CHAIR DATE OR CHAIR'S DESIGNEE 12---1 J-Ji DATE THESIS COMMITTEE MEMBER DATE \1.-\�--l'O DATE THESIS COMMITTEE MEMBER DATE Running head: DECISION MAKING PROCESS Factors Students Consider in the Decision Making Process for Graduate Education Kiley Sturm Eastern Illinois University DECISION MAKING PROCESS 11 Abstract Using a qualitative methodology, the researcher studied the factors students consider in the decision making process for graduate education. Through conducting two focus groups that contained a total of thirteen participants. the researcher identified the factors that were the most significant to their decision making during the decision making process for pursuing graduate education, applying to institutions, and the selection and enrollment at their institution. The researcher also identified reasons affecting the students' decision of when to pursue graduate education and how their undergraduate experience impacted the decision making process. DECISION MAKING PROCESS 111 DEDICATION I would like to dedicate my thesis to my fiance, parents, sister, and brother-in-law. To my future husband, David Rotchford, it is impossible for me to put into words how much you mean to me and how much credit you deserve for this thesis. While you may not have done the study or the writing, the minutes you spent listening and the knowledge you have of the research I conducted is extremely impressive. Thank you for always being there even when you were unsure of what the thesis process included. Thank you for encouraging me to chase my dreams even though it resulted in us transitioning our relationship to long distance. Thank you for always being up for a trip to EIU so we could spend the weekend together. I cannot wait for June 22"d, 2019 and all the days we will share in our life together. I love you more, always! To David, Greg, Angie, Lindsey, and Tom, thank you for being the best family I could ever imagine being part of. I am so lucky to have all of you by my side and will always cherish the memories from the weekends when all of us were together at EIU. I am appreciative of the traits you have instilled in me or shown to me through our experiences individually and/or together. This thesis is better because I had all of you as such positive role models. Thank you for all the love and support you have provided through the thesis process. Your love and support gave me the confidence to return to graduate school and you all have been along for every step of my graduate experience. DECISION MAKING PROCESS iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis would not have been completed without the guidance and assistance from various individuals. The first person who deserves recognition is my Thesis Chair and Assistant Professor in Counseling and Student Development, Dr. Jon Coleman. Thank you for advising me on the steps you thought were best throughout the thesis process while still allowing me the freedom to make my thesis experience what I desired it to be. The knowledge you have shared and the thesis process as a whole have made me into a researcher that I was not confident I could be in the beginning. My confidence has grown significantly because of your guidance and I will forever be grateful for having you as my Thesis Chair. The next individuals who deserve recognition are my Thesis Committee Members. These individuals are Dr. Ryan Hendrickson, Dean of the Graduate School and Dr. Mona Davenport, Executive Director of the Office of Inclusion and Academic Engagement. Thank you for providing me with feedback during my thesis proposal and defense. This thesis is stronger because of the time you took to review it and the feedback you provided. Finally, I would like to recognize the graduate students who agreed to be participants in the focus groups. Thank you to the extremely busy graduate students who gave some of their precious time to this study. Without your willingness to meet late in the evening, this thesis would not have been possible or would have had to use a different methodology. DECISION MAKING PROCESS v Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................... ................ ii DEDICATION ................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... iv CHAPTER I ........................................................................................................................ I lntroduction ............................. ............................... ............................................................. I Purpose of the Study ........................................................................ ........ ....................... 2 Research Question(s) ............................................................................................ ........... 2 Significance of the Study ........................... ................ ..................................................... 3 Limitations of the Study .......................................................................................... ..... ... 4 Definition of Terms ...... ... .............................. .. ...... ... ..... ................................................. 5 Summary ........................................................................................................................