Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between Sedlacek's (2004b) student noncognitive variables (positive self-concept, realistic self-appraisal, successfully handling the system, preference for long-term goals, leadership experience, presence of a strong support person, community service, and knowledge of the field) and the field of study to the academic success of international graduate students, as measured by the cumulative grade point average and expected time to degree completion. Methodology. Participants from two universities (one private, one public) in Northern California (n=325) responded to a thirty-six-question survey: a modified version of Sedlacek's Non-Cognitive Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and regression analysis procedures were run comparing the respondents in the sample and identifying relationships among the variables. Findings. The GRE was not found to predict respondent GPA, time to degree completion, or number of authored publications. The analysis showed a relationship between the noncognitive scores and the degree level, GPA, and time to degree, but failed to establish its significance. Participants from the two universities were statistically different in one noncognitive dimension: ability to handle discrimination. When noncognitive scores were used as predictors of GPA, field of study was a moderator variable, where a strong relationship was found for education and law and a weak relationship was found for engineering. The student's ability to recognize and handle discrimination was strongly correlated to his or her degree of involvement in the community. Conclusion. The findings emphasize the academic discipline as a variable in studies on graduate students, where discipline moderates the predictive value of noncognitive abilities on achievement. The strong correlation between the student's ability to handle discrimination and the student's community involvement shed perspective on the extent to which international student involvement in professional or extracurricular activities could facilitate a positive adjustment experience by way of providing opportunities to recognize prejudice and be involved in handling institutional practices that may be indifferent to his or her needs as an international student. Recommendations. Further research to study noncognitive constructs in relation to the international student adjustment processes. Replication of this study in other institutional contexts and with larger samples. Further exploration of new outcome metrics of graduate achievement.