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Male Graduate Students at a “Women’s College”: Examining the Roles of Academic Motivation, Support, Connection, and Masculinity Ideology

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Abstract

Despite recent statistics indicating that men lag behind women in higher education enrollment and degree attainment, little research has focused on male graduate students. The current study examined 110 male graduate students at a female-concentrated university located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. This study hypothesized that university connection, perceptions of academic supports, and academic motivation related to male graduate students’ intentions to stay at and graduate from the university. The study further hypothesized that masculinity ideology would moderate the relationship between university connection, perceptions of academic supports, and academic motivation and their intentions to stay at and graduate from the university. Data from multiple regression analysis found that academic motivation and university connection were significant predictors of intentions to stay at the university. Moderation analysis indicated that traditional masculinity ideology was a positive moderator between support and intentions to stay. Implications of the findings for future research and helping male graduate students succeed are discussed.

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  1. Counseling Psychology Program, Chatham University, Woodland Road, Pittsburgh, PA, 15232, USA

    Anthony Isacco & Jennifer Q. Morse

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  1. Anthony Isacco
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  2. Jennifer Q. Morse
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Correspondence to Anthony Isacco.

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Isacco, A., Morse, J.Q. Male Graduate Students at a “Women’s College”: Examining the Roles of Academic Motivation, Support, Connection, and Masculinity Ideology. Sex Roles 72, 321–334 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-015-0447-3

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