Reboot: Revisiting factors influencing female selection of the CIS major

A concern among many universities, this study reflects and continues research on the changing attitude and intent of selecting a Computer Information Systems major. Focusing on the gender gap for selection of major for women in this field, studies indicate instrumental beliefs and subjective norms can influence behavior and indicate how selection is influenced in undergraduate major selection. Experiential beliefs, overall image, job accessibility, and educational cost (workload) have been shown to influence academic path selection. Salient referents including family, friend, professors, and advisors have also been shown to indicate intent on selection of an academic major. The combination of these factors with respect to intent may be changing over time, and this study reconstructs survey questions and analyzes the difference in responses between the original research and this study. Comparison of student responses have indicated factors that females utilize to select undergraduate majors could be moving. All salient referents, personal image, genuine interest, overall attitudes toward the CIS major, and the intent of females to ultimately choose a CIS major showed significant differences between the studies. With these findings, this study discusses and recommends additional research to find what additional factors may be a work when selection of an undergraduate major by females is being completed.