J-program enrollment is flat p.4

By: Dorothy Giobbe STUDENT ENROLLMENT NUMBERS in journalism and mass communication programs flattened out or dropped at the undergrad and Ph.D. level in 1995, while enrollment at the master's level significantly grew, a recently released survey reports.
From the autumn of 1994 to 1995, total student enrollment in journalism and mass communications programs increased by one-half of one percent, from 140,486 in 1994 to 141,167 in 1995. Some 91.6% of those students are seeking a bachelor's degree.
In 1995, enrollment in undergraduate journalism and mass communications held steady over 1994 at just over 129,000 students. Master's degree enrollment rose 4.6%, to a record 10,934. Enrollment in Ph.D. programs, meanwhile, dropped almost 23% in 1995 to 957.
The results are some of the key findings of the Annual Survey of Journalism & Mass Communication Enrollments, conducted by the Ohio State University School of Journalism.
The survey found that journalism specialties within journalism and mass communications programs remain the most popular course of study in terms of student enrollment, as well as degrees granted. Undergraduate degrees granted in public relations and advertising through journalism/mass communications programs continued to fall.
The survey also found the following:
u Women continue to outnumber men in undergraduate and master's enrollments at 59.7% of undergraduate students and 63% of master's students. However, Ph.D. enrollments for women declined to 48.6% for 1995, versus 51.4% for 1994.
u Minority enrollment at the undergraduate level fell slightly, although at the master's and Ph.D. level, minority enrollment increased.
u Graduate programs experienced an increase in the number of international students in 1995, at 12.9% of master's and 33.7% of Ph.D. programs.