Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2012, Higher Education

This study attempts to show a relationship between being spiritual and choosing a college major. Using one public research institution, this quantitative, longitudinal study used secondary data from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program from the years 2000–2011. The survey included items that asked students about their spiritual preference, their confidence in choosing a major, philosophy of life, and participation in community service. Results indicated direct effects from choosing a major and being involved in community service. The study also showed direct effects of choosing a major and developing a meaningful philosophy of life. The strongest finding in this study was the gap in students changing their major (90% of college students from this institution say that they will change their major).

Committee: David Meabon Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Alan Cureton Ph.D. (Committee Member); Mary Edwards Ph.D. (Committee Member); Malinda Matney Ph.D. (Committee Member); Toni Sondergeld Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Higher Education