Career Counseling and Career Thoughts Among Undergraduate Engineering Students: Implications for Black Men in STEM

ABSTRACT

Emerging adults face complex career decisions that can contribute to dysfunctional career thoughts, particularly in STEM fields. These challenges may be amplified for Black male students in STEM because of underrepresentation, limited mentoring, and contextual barriers to career development. This study examined career thoughts among 86 undergraduate engineering students who completed at least four sessions of a cognitive information processing (CIP)‐based career counseling intervention through the Academic Wellness and Career Consultations (AWCC) program. Career thoughts were assessed using the Career Thoughts Inventory (CTI) before and after participation. Descriptive findings indicated reductions in dysfunctional career thoughts following the intervention, while postintervention analyses identified differences by academic classification and race. Black male students reported significantly higher external conflict than students from other groups, including White and Asian students. Although causal conclusions cannot be drawn without a control group, these findings suggest that theory‐informed career counseling may support career development among undergraduate engineering students and have implications for Black men pursuing STEM careers.