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A Top Fashion Program and the Traditional College Experience: A Narrative Study of Fashion Merchandising Students’ College Choice

Golden, Heather A
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5408-1406
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1587591534226398

Abstract Details

2020, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, Higher Education Administration.
Deciding which college to attend can be a complex process for students. The purpose of this narrative study was to hear the stories of fashion merchandising students and their college choice process when choosing to attend a large, suburban or rural, Midwest, public institution instead of a specialized college of fashion. Rational choice theory is the theoretical framework for this study. I interviewed 16 current college students enrolled in fashion merchandising at two public universities in the Midwest. The participants knew they wanted to study fashion merchandising before enrolling in college. Two semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data for this qualitative study. By using a creative nonfiction style, I restoried the data to present a narrative that describes the college choice process for the participants. Participants shared the most significant factors in their college choice process: availability of academic options, campus environment, cost, information from influential people, opportunity to study in New York or abroad, proximity to home, rankings, and a desire for a traditional college experience. I concluded the paper by answering the research questions, discussing significant findings, presenting implications for practice, and providing implications for future research.
Maureen Wilson, Ph.D. (Advisor)
Christina Lunceford, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Conor McLaughlin, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Michael Geusz, Ph.D. (Other)
204 p.
Higher Education Administration
College Choice; Creative Nonfiction; Fashion Merchandising; Higher Education; Narrative Inquiry; Rational Choice Theory

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Golden, H. A. (2020). A Top Fashion Program and the Traditional College Experience: A Narrative Study of Fashion Merchandising Students’ College Choice [Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1587591534226398

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Golden, Heather. A Top Fashion Program and the Traditional College Experience: A Narrative Study of Fashion Merchandising Students’ College Choice. 2020. Bowling Green State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1587591534226398.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Golden, Heather. "A Top Fashion Program and the Traditional College Experience: A Narrative Study of Fashion Merchandising Students’ College Choice." Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1587591534226398

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

bgsu1587591534226398
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© 2020, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.