1996 Annual Survey of Journalism and Mass Communication Enrollments
By
Lee B. Becker and Gerald M. Kosicki
Abstract
Undergraduate enrollments increased by almost 7% in the autumn of 1996 over a year earlier,
spurred in part by a large increase (5%) in the number of journalism and mass communication
programs.
Graduate enrollments declined from fall 1995 to fall 1996 by 4%.
The total number of degrees granted by journalism and mass communication programs at both the
graduate and undergraduate level increased in academic year 1995-96 over the 1994-95 academic
year. At the graduate level, the increase was a dramatic 31%.
These are among the key findings of the Annual Survey of Journalism & Mass Communication
Enrollments, conducted every year since 1968.
The annual enrollment survey also documents, contrary to recent characterizations elsewhere, that
traditional journalism sequences remain at the heart of the journalism and mass communication
programs. In fact, 86% of journalism and mass communication programs offer traditional journalism
sequences. Even among the programs offering such general programs as mass communication and
media studies, basic journalism is almost always available.
The annual survey also shows that women continue to dominate enrollments at the bachelor’s and
master’s level in journalism and mass communication programs. Men continue to outnumber women at
the doctoral level.
Journalism and mass communication undergraduate programs became more diverse in 1996 in
comparison with a year earlier and are at their most diverse level, probably ever.
The copyrighted full text of the 1996 Enrollment Report is available here.
The PDF version of the supplementary charts is available here.