Academic Catalogs

COUN G104: Career and Life Planning

Course Outline of Record
Item Value
Eff Term Fall 2026
Curriculum Committee Approval Date 03/04/2025
Top Code 493010 - Career Guidance and Orientation
Units 3 Total Units (Lecture Units 3)
Hours 54 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 54)
Total Outside of Class Hours 108
Total Student Learning Hours 162
Course Credit Status Credit: Degree Applicable (D)
Material Fee No
Basic Skills Not Basic Skills (N)
Repeatable No
Open Entry/Open Exit No
Grading Policy Standard Letter (S), 
  • Pass/No Pass (B)
Local General Education (GE)
  • Area 7E Lifelong Understanding and Self-Development (GE)
California State University General Education Breadth (CSU GE-Breadth)
  • CSU E1 Lifelong Understanding (E1)

Course Description

This course examines psychological, sociological, and physiological theories within career and life planning. Emphasis will be placed on student development including values, needs and goals, motivation, skill development, and gender and cultural issues in the workplace. The historical view of careers, current career trends, and employment outlook will be studied. Various methods of researching academic and career opportunities will be explored. Transfer Credit: CSU; UC: Credit Limitations: COLL G100, COUN G104, COUN G105, COUN G115, COUN G150, COUN G151, COUN G152, COUN G153, COUN G154, COUN G155, COUN G156 and COUN G205 combined: maximum credit, 3 units.

Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)

  1. Analyze personality or occupational theories as it relates to career and student development.
  2. Examine values as they relate to career exploration.
  3. Identify career options and related educational requirements.

Course Objectives

  • Examine major psychological, sociological, and physiological theories as they relate to career and life planning.
  • Identify life stages as they relate to career theories.
  • Evaluate personal values and motivators.
  • Complete personality and occupational inventories and analyze results.
  • Research, assess, and identify a career pathway based on student analysis of inventories.
  • Apply goal setting techniques incorporating personal, educational, and professional goals.
  • Analyze current and projected labor market information and career trends.

Lecture Content

  1. Introduction to career and life planning
    1. Historical view of careers
    2. Theoretical foundations for career exploration
    3. Career theories
  2. Psychological foundations of human behavior
    1. Human behavioral needs
    2. Motivation
    3. Values
    4. Emotional Intelligence
  3. Personality and occupational interests
    1. Career assessments
    2. Self analysis and understanding
    3. Decision making and goal setting framework
      1. Short and long term goals
    4. Integration of values, needs, inventories, and goals
  4. World of work
    1. Gender and age attitudes
    2. Social and workplace roles, cultural diversity, and stereotypes
    3. Economic and career trends
  5. Stress management and personal wellness
    1. Cognitive theories of stress
    2. Healthy work environments
    3. Budgeting
  6. Career research
    1. Educational options for career goals
    2. Computerized research for informed choices
      1. Occupational Profile: requirements, training, comparison of options
  7. Employment
    1. Job searching
    2. Job skills
    3. Resume and cover letter
    4. Networking

Method(s) of Instruction

  • Lecture (02)
  • DE Live Online Lecture (02S)
  • DE Online Lecture (02X)

Instructional Techniques

-

Reading Assignments

A. Assigned textbook reading. B. Occupational Outlook Handbook, www.bls.gov/ooh. C. Career research databases.

Writing Assignments

A. Reflective journals. B. Career theory analysis. C. Career research paper.

Out-of-class Assignments

A. Evaluation of personal values and how they relate to various careers. B. Identification of degree programs related to personal and occupational inventories. C. Decision making tools and techniques to understand what motivates people toward decision-making. D. Effective goal setting activities and overcoming obstacles.

Study Non-Contact Hours Recommended

108

Methods of Student Evaluation

  • Midterm Exam
  • Final Exam
  • Short Quizzes
  • Written Assignments
  • Essay Examinations
  • Objective Examinations
  • Report
  • Projects (Individual/Group)
  • Problem Solving Exercises
  • Oral Presentations
  • Skills Demonstration

Demonstration of Critical Thinking

Analyze value systems and influences on education and career choice. Evaluate results of personality and career inventories. Compare and contrast personality and career inventory results related to self-concept. Investigate careers via computerized and hardbound resources. Write written research paper on career(s).

Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration

Written research project Reflective journals Written reports on information gathered

Resources Subscreen

  • Open Education Resource: Alcala, C., Diamond, N., Dickerson, K., & Fong, N.. COUN G104: Career & Life Planning, 2 ed.. (2025).
  • Other: . . ().
  • Other: . . ().

Eligible Discipline(s)

  • Counseling: Master’s degree in counseling, rehabilitation counseling, clinical psychology, counseling psychology, guidance counseling, educational counseling, social work, or career development, marriage and family therapy, or marriage, family and child counseling, OR the equivalent. (NOTE: A bachelor’s degree in one of the above listed degrees and a license as a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) is an alternative qualification for this discipline.) Master's degree required. Title 5, section 53410.1