Assessment of Academic, Personal, and Career Development of Alumni from Southeast Missouri State University

Abstract

A survey containing institutional and program-specific items examined psychology and other graduates' evaluations of their undergraduate education (1983–1985) at Southeast Missouri State University. Psychology respondents resembled respondents from other majors in their social and personal interests, but differed from other respondents in their educational and career attitudes. Psychology respondents were more likely to be enrolled in graduate coursework than were other respondents and indicated greater agreement that preparation for this coursework was important to them, in contrast, they expressed less agreement than other respondents that career preparation was important. Also, psychology respondents who did not pursue graduate education expressed some dissatisfaction with the career advising and preparation offered in their major. These findings reaffirm the need for psychology departments to develop flexible curricula to meet the diverse needs and interests of their majors and to provide better career advising to majors.