Longitudinal Study on Career Maturity in Social Sciences Students at Regional National Universities: Focus on students who entered without a specific purpose or career goal

Compared to students who major in a different subject in Japan, a large proportion of students in the social sciences department enter a university without any purpose or motivation. It was therefore necessary to research different types of career development support that could be provided through career education. A longitudinal quantitative survey on first- and third-year university students was conducted to elucidate the difference in career maturity between “students who entered without a specific purpose or career goal” and “students who entered with a sense of purpose.” There was a significant difference in career maturity between the two groups. Even though they are students who entered “without a specific purpose or career goal,” they can increase their career maturity if they are committed to internships, project activities, community activities, building friendships, and expanding relationships.