Abstract:
The purpose of this study was two-fold. First, to study the effects of internal factors: occupational interests, characteristic of gender, academic achievement towards career decision making both in traditional and nontraditional occupations of female college students. Second, to study the effects of external factors: the influences of father, mother, peer, and family's economic status towards career decision making both in traditional and nontraditional occupations of female college students. Two hundred and seventy-five female college students, studying in third and fourth years, were selected to be the sampling subjects. The area of traditional occupations is:nursing, arts, pre-elementary education, library science, and accounting. The area of nontraditional occupations are: agricultural science, engineering, physical education, political science, and law. Questionnaires were distributed among two hundred and seventy-five sampling subjects, asking about occupational interests, academic achievement, the influences of father, mother, peer, and family's economic status. The data were analyzed by using percentage, Chi-square test, and Cramer's V.The result of the study revealed that, in external factors, the mother had influence in career decision making both in traditional and nontraditional occupation at the significant level of .05 However, the relations between mother's influence and career decision making both in traditional and nontraditional occupation were moderate. (V .2740) The result of the study also revealed that the characteristic gender of female college students had influence in career decision making both in traditional and nontraditional occupation at the significant level of .05 but the relation between characteristic gender of female college students and career decision making both in traditional and nontraditional occupation were moderate. (V = .307 15)