Chapter 26: Using Career Development Theory and Practice to Meet the Needs of Master’S Students

The career development needs of master’s level students are diverse and broad. In an era of increasing enrollment in master’s level programs (Bell, 2010; Kim, 2005), what are the career development needs of this population of students and how are educational institutions and career services staff meeting these needs? There is not a great amount of research on the career development needs of master’s level students (Conrad, Duren, & Haworth, 1998; Luzzo, 2000; Walsh & Tucker, 2011). This chapter will introduce some of the common career development concerns of master’s level graduate students, highlight strategies to address those needs, and offer a context of career development theory within which master’s students and career counselors can work together to address and resolve career development questions.