The present study aimed to develop and validate an academic–career empowerment package for ninth‑grade students with an emphasis on career pathways and academic major selection. This study was conducted using a qualitative approach and the thematic analysis method. The research population consisted of all domestic scientific articles and scholarly sources published in the field of students’ academic and career guidance between 2009 and 2026. Due to the limited number of relevant sources, the research sample was considered equal to the population. The process of collecting and reviewing sources continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. The obtained data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The results of the data analysis led to the extraction of four main themes: “academic–career self‑awareness”, including recognition of academic interests, abilities, talents, and personal values and goals; “cognitive decision‑making skills”, including awareness of academic options, processing academic information, and academic planning; “motivational and psychological resources”, including academic self‑efficacy, achievement motivation, and emotional regulation in decision‑making; and “environmental and social factors”, including the roles of family, school, peers, and socio‑economic conditions. Based on these findings, an academic–career empowerment package for students was developed using relevant theoretical foundations and practical techniques derived from counseling and psychological approaches. To examine the validity of the proposed model, the opinions of ten experts in counseling and educational psychology were obtained, and the results indicated that the developed model had acceptable validity and practical applicability. The findings suggest that strengthening individual, motivational, and environmental factors can facilitate more informed decision‑making among .