Mass Communication Enrollments Research Articles

2021 Survey of Journalism & Mass Communication Enrollments

In contrast to 2018, the 2021 Survey of Journalism & Mass Communication Enrollments showed a decrease in undergraduate student enrollment in journalism and mass communication programs as well as decreases in the percentage of minority undergraduate and graduate students enrolled. In addition, it showed an increase in the percentage of programs reporting decreases in their operating budgets and increases in hiring freezes for faculty and staff. These findings, which undoubtedly were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, reflect overall trends in student enrollment and finances at colleges and universities nationwide. However, on a more positive note, the 2021 survey also showed increases in graduate student enrollment as well as continued growth in the percentage of programs offering online degrees and the percentage of students enrolled in journalism sequences.

2018 Survey of Journalism & Mass Communication Enrollments

In contrast to previous years, enrollments in journalism and mass communication programs in the United States were relatively stable from 2015 to 2018. Although strategic communication sequences remained the most popular, the percentage of undergraduates enrolled in journalism sequences increased since the previous survey, whereas the percentage enrolled in strategic communication sequences decreased slightly. In addition, the demographic composition of journalism and mass communication programs is changing, as the survey found an increase in the percentage of minority students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs. The 2018 survey also revealed growth in online offerings, both at the undergraduate and master’s level.

2015 Survey of Journalism and Mass Communication Enrollments: Challenges and Opportunities for a Changing and Diversifying Field

As with previous years, enrollments in journalism and mass communication programs in the United States have continued to decline. In 2015, such decline among undergraduate student enrollments was particularly prevalent in journalism sequences; in contrast, undergraduate enrollments in strategic communication sequences have seen some growth since 2013. Findings also reveal potential for journalism and mass communication programs regarding the growth and emergence of online degree programs and online course offerings, the development of the competencies and skills desired by employers, and other opportunities for the professional development of today’s practically minded students.

2013 Annual Survey of Journalism Mass Communication Enrollments

Enrollments in journalism and mass communication programs in the United States in the fall of 2013 were down from a year earlier for the third year in a row. Enrollments dropped at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels, and the number of freshmen and sophomores were down dramatically from a year earlier. Enrollments in the journalism specialty have dropped, and enrollments in advertising and public relations also have stagnated. While the overall field of communication also seems to be slowing in terms of growth, the subfield of journalism and mass communication has been particularly hard hit.

2012 Annual Survey of Journalism and Mass Communication Enrollments

Enrollments in journalism and mass communication programs in the United States have declined over the last two years, reversing a pattern of growth that has sustained the field for twenty years. It is a decline at a time of continued growth in enrollments at universities generally. It is a decline at a time when enrollments have been growing in the instructional field of communication of which journalism and mass communication is a part. The data indicate the decline, based on degrees granted, which is a reflection of enrollments. Communication has been growing consistently, but the journalism and mass communication subfield has been flat and is now declining as the 2012 Annual Survey of Journalism and Mass Communication Enrollments demonstrates.

2011 Annual Survey of Journalism and Mass Communication Enrollments

Enrollments in journalism and mass communication programs declined in the autumn of 2011, compared to a year earlier. Enrollments were down slightly at the senior and junior levels and substantially at the freshman level. Enrollment increased at the sophomore level. The majority of administrators say they have made curricular changes in the past two years in response to changes taking place in the communication landscape. Much of that change is focused on revisions to what had been the journalistic core. The field has become more diverse racially and ethnically, coming close to matching the characteristics of the overall population.

2010 Annual Survey of Journalism & Mass Communication Enrollments: Enrollments Grow, Reversing Stagnation of Recent Years

Undergraduate enrollments in U.S. journalism and mass communication programs increased by 2.0% in the autumn of 2010, a reverse in a two-year slowdown, but perhaps temporary. Graduate level enrollments increased 6.3% in doctoral programs and a dramatic 13.4% in master's programs. JMC programs sent a record number of bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree recipients into the job market. Enrollment in the journalism specialization declined again, but it remains the largest in the field with about a quarter of students. Undergraduate enrollment of racial/ethnic minorities hit a new high point of 36.3%. Nine in ten of program administrators said they are dealing with big challenges, most commonly budgets/financing.

Enrollments Decline Slightly and the Student Body Becomes More Diverse

Journalism and mass communication enrollments declined slightly in 2009, following a year of very modest growth. The pattern of enrollments suggests that growth in the near future is likely to be modest. Within the subfields of journalism and mass communication education, enrollments are relatively stable. The data suggest, however, that student interest is shifting away from the more professionally focused fields of journalism and mass communication toward the broad field of communication. Journalism and mass communication programs continue to reflect the industrial divisions of the past, the data show, and while instruction in skills for the Web is now common, few programs are providing students with opportunities to learn entrepreneurial skills or how to work with mobile delivery systems. The good news is that the student body is becoming more diverse and more reflective of the overall society.

2006 Enrollment Report: Enrollments Level Off; Online Instruction Now Routine

Journalism and mass communication enrollments increased only slightly in 2006, and the increase was brought about by the addition of new programs, rather than growth at existing programs. The slowdown in enrollments is not unprecedented, and enrollments have declined in the recent past. Growth in enrollments at the entry level in 2006 and the expectation that university enrollments will increase generally in the next five to ten years suggests the likelihood of continued growth in journalism and mass communication enrollments in the next few years. The curricula of journalism and mass communication programs have changed in response to changes in the technologies used by the communication occupations. While fewer students are enrolled in the four traditional areas of advertising, journalism, public relations, and telecommunications than in the past, journalism continues to attract the largest number of students.

2005 Enrollment Report: Enrollment Growth Continues, but at Reduced Rate

Journalism and mass communication enrollments increased in the fall of 2005, but the 2005–2006 academic year was the second in a row in which rate of growth was modest. Growth in the size of the freshman class and the expectation of growth in enrollments generally suggest that enrollments in the field will continue to increase in coming years. The data also suggest that the field of journalism and mass communication is not keeping up with general trends in growth in graduate enrollments. An examination of faculty retirement projections suggests little disruption in the next ten years, but more may lie beyond that period. Journalism and mass communication draws on two separate suppliers of faculty—the communication occupations and doctoral programs. Evidence is that this pattern will continue in the future.

Annual Enrollment Report: Growth in Number of Students Studying Journalism and Mass Communication Slows

Undergraduate enrollments in journalism and mass communication programs in the United States continued to grow in academic year 20012002 in comparison with a year earlier. An estimated 171,941 undergraduate students were studying journalism across the country, up 2.2% from academic year 2000-2001. The percentage of growth at 2.2% is considerably lower than the 12% growth rate of the previous year. In 2001-2002, the number of freshmen enrolled in journalism and mass communication programs actually declined 1.6% from a year earlier, signaling a potential slowing of growth in the upcoming years. The number of students enrolled in graduate studies in journalism and mass communication declined again in academic year 2001-2002 compared with a year earlier. The number of students enrolled in master's degree programs in journalism and mass communication dropped 2.6% in the autumn of 2001 compared with a year earlier, and doctoral program enrollment dropped 16.2%. These are among the key findings of the 2001 Annual Survey of Journalism Fr Mass Communication Enrollments.1 In addition, the survey showed: * The number of bachelor's degrees granted in academic year 2000-2001 was 38,432; very close to the 38,294 undergraduate degrees granted a year before, while the number of graduate degrees granted declined 3.7%. * The percentage of students in journalism and mass communication programs who are women grew again in 20012002, resulting in the highest percentages at the bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels, probably since the end of World War II. * The percentage of African-- American students enrolled in undergraduate journalism and mass communication programs was 12.2 in the autumn of 2001, while the percentage of Hispanic students was 6.7. * Nearly one in 10 of those enrolled in master's degree programs in journalism and mass communication in the autumn of 2001 was African-- American, while the percentage of Hispanic students in master's degree programs in 2001 was 4.1. * Nearly one in 10 of those enrolled in doctoral programs in journalism and mass communication was African-- American. Hispanic enrollment was 2.2%. Methodology The methods used in the Annual Survey of Journalism & Mass Communication Enrollments have remained unchanged since 1988. Schools listed in either the Journalism Fr Mass Comm unica tion Directory, published by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, or The Journalist's Road to Success: A Career Guide, formerly published and printed by the Dow Jones Newspaper Fund, Inc., and now available on the web, are included in the population.2 All degree-granting senior colleges and universities with courses organized under the labels of journalism and mass communication are invited to be listed in the AEJMC Directory. To be included in the Guide, the college or university must offer at least 10 courses in news-- editorial journalism, and those courses must include core courses, such as an introduction to the mass media and press law and ethics, as well as basic skills courses, such as reporting and editing. Since 1992, the two journalism programs listed in the AEJMC Directory in Puerto Rico have been included in the population. A combination of these two directories produced 466 listings in 2001. In October 2001, a questionnaire was mailed to the administrator of each of these programs. A second mailing of this same questionnaire was sent to the non-responding schools in December. A third mailing was sent to the nonresponding schools in January 2002. In February, the administrators were sent a fourth mailing. The administrators of the programs that had not responded by the beginning of April were contacted by telephone and asked to answer as many of the questions over the telephone as possible. The questionnaire asked the administrators to provide information on total enrollment in the autumn of 2001, enrollment by year in school, enrollment by sequence of study, enrollment by gender, and enrollment by racial or ethnic group. …

Annual Enrollment Report Number of Students Studying Journalism and Mass Communication at All-Time High

Undergraduate enrollments in journalism and mass communication programs around the country increased dramatically in the autumn of 2000. Total enrollments were up by 12.0%; same unit enrollments were up 8.5%. The number of students enrolled in journalism and mass communication programs was the largest it has ever been. The undergraduate enrollment growth in journalism and mass communication is mirrored in undergraduate enrollment growth across the university. The projection is for continued growth in undergraduate enrollments nationally, and all indications are that journalism and mass communication enrollments also will continue to increase. Graduate enrollments in journalism and mass communication also grew in the autumn of 2000 after several years of stagnation, but the growth in graduate enrollments resulted from the opening of new programs rather than growth within existing programs. Total enrollments were up 4.3% for master's programs and 26.1% for doctoral programs, but same unit enrollments declined at the master's level (-- 1.4%) and were up at the much smaller doctoral programs by 9.8%. Graduate enrollments have shown little growth nationally in recent years, reflecting, most likely, the inducements of a strong economy to remain in the labor force. An estimated 38,311 students earned bachelor's degrees from journalism and mass communication programs in the academic year ending in the summer of 2000, representing an increase of 8.4% from a year earlier. Same unit growth was 7.7%. An additional 3,300 master's degree recipients earned journalism and mass communication degrees in academic year 1999-2000, up 9.9% from a year earlier. These same programs granted an estimated 217 doctoral degrees, up 19.9% from a year earlier. Same unit change was 1.1% at the master's level and 7.8% at the doctoral level. These are among the key findings of the 2000 Annual Survey of Journalism fr Mass Communication Enrollments. In addition, the survey showed: * The percentage of undergraduates who are women increased just slightly in 2000, resulting in the highest percentage for women since at least 1988. Women also were a larger percentage of those enrolled in master's programs than ever before and continue to be the majority of those enrolled in doctoral programs. * One in ten of those enrolled in undergraduate journalism and mass communication programs across the country is African-American, and one in ten is Hispanic. The percentage of enrolled undergraduates who are African-American dropped from a year earlier and is at the lowest point since 1991. The percentage of enrolled undergraduates who are Hispanic has grown dramatically since 1988 and was the highest it has been since at least that year. * An estimated one in four of the bachelor's degrees granted by journalism and mass communication programs in the 1999-2000 academic year was earned by a minority, representing 9,575 individuals. The survey also found that only about four in ten of the journalism and mass communication programs report enrollments by race, suggesting many administrators are not closely monitoring these figures. Half report enrollments by gender. Methodology The methods used in the Annual Survey of Journalism & Mass Communication Enrollments have remained unchanged since 1988. Schools listed in either the Journalism Fr Mass Communication Directory published by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication or The Journalist's Road to Success, A Career and Scholarship Guide, published by The Dow Jones Newspaper Fund Inc., are included in the population of surveyed schools. All degree-granting senior colleges and universities with courses organized under the labels of journalism and mass communication are invited to be listed in the AEJMC Directory. To be included in the Guide, the college or university must offer at least ten courses in news-editorial journalism, and those courses must include core courses, such as an introduction to the mass media and press law and ethics, as well as basic skills courses, such as reporting and editing. …

Undergrad Enrollments Level Off, Graduate Education Declines

Undergraduate enrollments in journalism and mass communication programs in the United States increased slightly in the autumn of 1999 in comparison with a year earlier. At the beginning of the 1999-2000 academic year, an estimated 150,250 students were studying journalism across the country, up 0.7 percent from a year earlier. The small growth in undergraduate enrollment followed three years of very dramatic growth. In 1998, enrollments were 5.8 percent higher than a year earlier. The data suggest a softening of enrollment, consistent with the national projections for the next several years. The number of students studying for a master's degree in journalism and mass communication programs across the country dropped a dramatic 9.7 percent in the autumn of 1999 compared with a year earlier. Enrollments in journalism and mass communication master's programs had declined a year earlier by 1.7 percent. The number of students studying for a doctorate in journalism and mass communication programs in the autumn of 1999 also declined from a year earlier. The number, an estimated 1,123, is the smallest recorded since 1995. The enrollment patterns continue to make journalism and mass communication education an increasingly undergraduate curriculum; the ratio of graduate to undergraduate students is the lowest it has been since 1990. Consistent with the pattern of enrollment growth in recent years, the number of bachelor's degrees granted in academic year 1998-99 increased by 5.8 percent over a year earlier, while the number of graduate degrees declined 16.9 percent. The percentages of female students remained relatively consistent in 1999 compared with a year earlier; the percentages classified as members of racial or ethnic minorities also held relatively constant. These are some of the key findings of the 1999 Annual Survey of Journalism &Mass Communication Enrollments, conducted in the James M. Cox Jr. Center for International Mass Communication Training and Research, a unit of the Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia.1 Important findings * The number of programs reporting the race/ethnicity and gender characteristics of students continued to decline. Only 38 percent of the programs reported enrollments by race and ethnicity in 1999, and only 51 percent reported enrollments by gender. * Faculty hiring and faculty size have stabilized. Only 60 new positions opened in the field for academic year 1999-2000. * Only about half of all those hired on the faculty have a doctorate. At the same time, most hiring is done at the assistant professor level, and nearly two-thirds of those hired at the assistant professor level have a doctorate. * About one in four of those hired come directly from graduate school, and most of those come from doctoral programs. * Administrators anticipate hiring faculty predominantly in print and broadcast journalism and public relations in the next three years. Method The methods used in the Annual Survey of Journalism Fr Mass Communication Enrollments have remained unchanged since 1988. Schools listed in either the Journalism Fr Mass Communication Directory published by the AEJMC or The Journalist's Road to Success, A Career and Scholarship Guide, published by The Dow Jones Newspaper Fund Inc., are included in the population of surveyed schools. A combination of these two directories produced 464 listings in 1999. In October 1999, a questionnaire was mailed to the administrator of each of these programs. A second mailing of this same questionnaire was sent to the non-responding schools in December, a third mailing was sent in January, and a fourth mailing was sent in February. The administrators of the programs that had not responded by the beginning of April were contacted by telephone. The questionnaire asked the administrators to provide information on total enrollments in the autumn of 1999, enrollment by year in school, enrollment by sequence of study, enrollment by gender, and enrollment by racial or ethnic group. …

Annual Survey of Enrollment and Degrees Awarded

Total enrollment nationally in the field of journalism and mass communication has stabilized at 141,167 students, up only one-half of 1 percent over last year's figure. This number is down about 14,000 from the peak the programs reached in 1989, nearly 155,300. Much of the reduction seems to have been due to planned reductions, or in response to budget reductions, or both. The size of the combined freshman and sophomore classes increased in the autumn of 1995 versus a year earlier, however, indicating that some growth in enrollments can be expected in the next few years as the baby boom echo spreads Through the universities.(1) The stability in the level of overall enrollments masks continued growth in enrollments in graduate programs in journalism and mass communication, which have slowly increased their share of total enrollments from 8 percent in 1993 to 8.3 percent in 1994 and 8.4 percent in 1985. These are some of the key findings of the Annual Survey of Journalism and Mass Communication Enrollments. Other findings are: * M.A. enrollment is up 485 to 10,934, an increase of 4.6 percent. * Ph.D. enrollments have declined to 957 from an all-time high of 1,239 a year earlier. This represents a decline of 22.8 percent. * Undergraduate ranks continue to be dominated by women, as 59.7 percent of undergraduates are women, and 63 percent of M.A. students are women. * here is a widening gender gap in doctoral degrees, with women declining from 50.5 percent last year to 38.1 percent. This represents a significant setback in terms of the long-term goal of recruiting female faculty. * There also was a setback in terms of diversification of the undergraduate student body in journalism and mass communication programs. Whites in the autumn of 1996 made up 75.4 percent of the undergraduates --up from 72.9 percent in 1994 and 1993, but down from 82.8 percent in 1989. The percentage of whites among M.A. students is 66.2 percent, down from 72.1 in 1994 and 68.6 percent in 1993. Among doctoral students, the percent white is 50.2 percent, down from 73.1 in 1994 and from 64.0 percent in 1993. * Undergraduate degrees granted in public relations and advertising by journalism and mass communication programs continued to decline. * Graduate programs are experiencing an unprecedented influx of international students, such that international students made up 12.9 percent of master's and 33.7 percent of doctoral enrollments in 1995. METHOD The School of Journalism at Ohio State University has conducted the annual survey of journalism and mass communication enrollments every year since 1968.(2) The survey methods were revised in 1988 and have remained basically unchanged since. Schools listed in either the Journalism and Mass Communication Directory published by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication or The Journalist's Road to Success, A Career and Scholarship Guide, published by the Dow Jones Newspaper Fund Inc., are included in the population of surveyed schools. All degree-granting senior colleges and universities with courses organized under the labels of journalism and mass communication are invited to be listed in the AEJMC Directory. To be included in the Guide, the college or university must offer at least 10 courses in news-editorial journalism, and those courses must include core courses, such as an introduction to the mass media and press law and ethics, as well as basic skills courses, such as reporting and editing. A combination of these two directories produced 42 7 active programs in 1995.3 Combination of the two directories resulted in 431 operational programs in 1994, 430 operational programs in 1993, 420 in 1992, 414 in 1991, 404 in 1990, 395 in 1989, and 394 schools in 1988. In October 1995, a questionnaire was mailed to the administrator of each of these programs. Subsequent mailings of this same questionnaire were sent to non-responding schools in December, January, and April. …

Graduate Degrees Increase 23%, but Bachelor Numbers Decline

Total enrollments in journalism and mass communication programs in the autumn of 1994 were less than a percentage point higher than a year earlier, providing continuing evidence that enrollments in these programs has stabilized. The size of the freshman class at journalism and mass communication programs increased in the autumn of 1994 versus a year earlier, however, indicating that some growth in enrollments can be expected in the next few years. The stability in the level of overall enrollments masks continued growth in enrollments in graduate programs in journalism and mass communication. Growth in graduate enrollments in journalism and mass communication continues to outpace growth in graduate enrollments generally at U.S. universities. These are some of the key findings of the Annual Survey of journalism and Mass Communication Enrollments, conducted at Ohio State University. Other findings are: * The number of undergraduate degrees granted by U.S. journalism and mass communication programs declined just under five percentage points in 1993-94 versus 1992-93. The number of graduate degrees, however, increased 23.1 percent. * The percentage of undergraduate journalism and mass communication students specializing in advertising and public relations declined in 1994 from a year earlier; the percentage specializing in print and broadcast journalism held steady from a year earlier. * The percentage of undergraduate and master's students who are women held constant in 1994 versus a year earlier, but the percentage of doctoral students who are women increased again. Half of the students studying for a doctoral degree in journalism and mass communication now are women. * The percentage of students studying for undergraduate degrees in journalism and mass communication who are minorities held steady in 1994 versus a year earlier; the percentage of graduate students who are minorities declined slightly. Method The School of Journalism at Ohio State University has conducted the annual survey of enrollments every year since 1968. The survey methods were revised in 1988 and have remained basically unchanged since. Schools listed in either the Journalism & Mass Communication Directory published by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication or The Journalist's Road to Success, A Career and Scholarship Guide, published by The Dow Jones Newspaper Fund Inc., are included in the population of surveyed schools. All degree-granting senior colleges and universities with courses organized under the labels of journalism and mass communication are invited to be listed in the AEJMC Directory. To be included in the Guide, the college or university must offer at least 10 courses in news-editorial journalism, which must include core courses, such as an introduction to the mass media, and press law and ethics, as well as basic skills courses, such as reporting and editing. For the first time in 1992, the two journalism programs listed in the AEJMC Directory in Puerto Rico were included in the population definition. A combination of these two directories produced 431 active programs in 1994.(1) Combination of the two directories resulted in 430 operational programs in 1993, 420 in 1992, 414 in 1991, 404 in 1990, 395 in 1989, and 394 schools in 1988. In October 1994, a questionnaire was mailed to the administrator of each of these programs. Subsequent mailings of this same questionnaire were sent to non-responding schools in December, January, and February. Non-responding schools were subsequently contacted by telephone and asked to complete the questionnaire over the telephone. The questionnaire asked the administrator to provide information on total enrollments in the autumn of 1994, enrollment by year in school, by sequence of study, by gender, and by racial or ethnic group. In addition, administrators were asked to indicate the number and type of degrees granted in the 1993-94 academic year, degrees granted by sequence of study, by gender, by racial group, and by term within the academic year. …

Undergrad Enrollments Decline; Programs Feel Budget Squeeze

Undergraduate enrollments declined in the autumn of 1993, as they did in 1992. Smaller freshman through junior classes from previous years suggest this downsizing of the undergraduate enrollment will continue. Graduate enrollment continued to increase, however, as did the number of graduate degrees awarded.The reduced enrollment may not mean that journalism and mass communication education is less appealing to students. Rather, it appears to reflect the effects of enrollment control policies, budget reductions, and a lagging job market. New to the annual survey this year is a major section providing baseline data on institutional structures, resources, and policies affecting enrollment.Against this background, the field is developing a more substantial graduate education mission. M.A. enrollments increased for the third straight year. Doctoral enrollments are also regaining strength.Within undergraduate programs, the number of students enrolled in print and broadcast journalism increased--the trend is toward increased enrollment in these traditional areas of journalism studies.Women continue to outnumber men at the bachelor's and master's levels, and the gap between men and women at the doctoral level is decreasing.The proportion of students who are African-American or Hispanic increased in 1993.Researchers at the School of Journalism of Ohio State University have conducted the Annual Survey of Journalism & Mass Communication Enrollments every year since 1968. The survey methods were revised in 1988 and have remained basically unchanged since.Schools listed in either the Journalism Mass Communication Directory published by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication or the Journalism Career and Scholarship Guide, published by The Dow Jones Newspaper Fund, are included in the population of surveyed schools.All degree-granting senior colleges and universities with courses organized under the labels of journalism and mass communication are invited to be listed in the AEJMC Directory. To be included in the Guide, the college or university must offer at least 10 courses in news-editorial journalism, and those courses must include core courses, such as an introduction to the mass media and press law and ethics, as well as basic skills courses, such as reporting and editing.In 1992, the two journalism programs listed in the AEJMC Directory in Puerto Rico were included in the population definition for the first time. Combining these two directories produced 440 entries in 1993, though 10 programs subsequently were excluded because no active or separate program existed at the university.(1) The two directories listed 420 operational units in 1992, 414 in 1991, 404 in 1990, 395 in 1989, and 394 schools in 1988.(2)In October 1993, a questionnaire was mailed to the administrator of each of these programs. Subsequent mailings of this same questionnaire were sent to non-responding schools in December, January, and March. Non-responding schools were subsequently contacted by telephone and asked to complete the questionnaire over the telephone or by mail.The questionnaire asked the administrator to provide information on total enrollments in the autumn of 1993: by year in school, by sequence of study, by gender, and by racial or ethnic group. In addition, administrators were asked to indicate the number and type of degree granted in the 1992-93 academic year: by sequence of study, by gender, by racial group, and by term within the academic year. The questionnaire also asked about faculty size.For the first time in 1993, questions were included in the survey instrument on the status of the journalism and mass communication programs within the university. Administrators were asked about course close-outs, budgets, faculty growth, and discussion of expansion or reduction of programs.Data were obtained for all but two of the 430 schools in the population. …