DEGREES CONFERRED: A HISTORICAL STUDY

Transcription

1 DEGREES CONFERRED: A HISTORICAL STUDY The Office of Institutional Research (OIR) is responsible for reporting the number of students who graduate from JMU by academic level and discipline to SCHEV (State Council of Higher Education for Virginia) and the federal government (IPEDS). OIR has reported these data for 40 years. The purpose of this Research Note is to share with the JMU community the graduation trends observed since in undergraduate, graduate, STEM and healthcare disciplines. James Madison University conferred 4,886 degrees during the academic year. Of these 4,027, or 82 percent, were awarded to undergraduates. Eight hundred fifty-nine ( percent), were postgraduate degrees. Total degrees conferred increased by 42 percent since while annual full-time equivalent students (FTES) increased by 57 percent from to Over the past 30 years, the rate of growth of degrees conferred (Bachelor s, Master s, Educational Specialist and Doctoral) followed a predictable, linear pattern of growth. The patterns of growth in Bachelor s degrees mirror the changes in the number of enrolled new freshmen. An increase in freshmen in one year will be followed by an increase in graduates four and five years in the future. JMU has maintained a six-year graduation rate of 80+ percent for more than 25 years. The growth in postbaccalaureate degrees in the last few years is noteworthy, with the number of degrees increasing by 185 percent from 301 in to 859 in Graduate degrees, which accounted for nine percent of total degrees in now account for 17 percent. The increase in graduate degrees can be attributed partially to increases in new and innovative health-related majors and to the requirement that many students who wish to be endorsed to teach obtain a Master s degree. Finally, the number of professional and research doctorates awarded grew from four in to 24 in Table 1 Degrees Conferred Historical Data Graduate Degrees Academic Professional Research Year Bachelor s Percent Master s Ed Spec Doctoral Doctoral Percent Total , % % 3, , % % 3, , % % 3, , % % 3, , % % 4, , % % 4, , % % 4, , % % 4, , % % 4, , % % 4, , % % 4, , % % 4, , % % 4,886 Change 893 (8.8%) 544 (6) % 1,451 James Madison University Vol. 28 No. 2, November 2014

2 CHANGES IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF DEGREES There have been significant changes in the distribution of degrees conferred since the early 2000s, but these changes are typically small from year to year. It is only when change is viewed over many years that one begins to glimpse how significantly JMU has changed in disciplines offered and student degree preferences. Table 2 displays the number of baccalaureate degrees awarded by discipline cluster since The federal government and SCHEV use the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes for counting graduates in major discipline areas. Each academic major at JMU has a six-digit code (see the Statistical Summaries). The two-digit codes are used to count graduates at a higher content level. Publications by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) often report changes in degrees conferred by two-digit discipline clusters. The distribution of graduates by discipline cluster has changed in several disciplines since Bachelor s degrees in the following discipline clusters have decreased numerically and proportionally (10 percent or more): Computer and Information Sciences (CIP code 09) and Interdisciplinary Studies (CIP code 30). There are several majors that have experienced significant percentage growth (10 percent or more). Table 2 Undergraduate Degrees (1 st and 2 nd Majors) Conferred by CIP Code Discipline 09 Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs (SMAD, Communication Studies) 11 Computer and Information Sciences (Computer Science, IT) Change Percent Change % (39%) 14 Engineering Foreign Languages, Literatures and Linguistics 19 Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences (Dietetics) 22 Legal Professions and Studies (Justice Studies) 23 English Language and Literature Letters (English, WRTC) 24 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Individualized Studies, IDLS) % % (9%) % 26 Biological and Biomedical Sciences % James Madison University Page 2

3 Discipline Change Percent Change 27 Mathematics and Statistics % 30 Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies (ISAT, Intelligence Analysis) 31 Parks, Recreation, Leisure, and Fitness Studies (Kinesiology, Recreation, Sport & Rec Management) (47%) % 38 Philosophy and Religious Studies % 40 Physical Sciences (Chemistry, Earth Science, Physics, Geology) % 42 Psychology % 44 Public Administration and Social Service Professions (PUAD, Social Work) 45 Social Sciences (Anthropology, Economics, Geographic Science, IDSS, International Affairs, Political Science, Sociology) 50 Visual and Performing Arts (Art History, Graphic Design, Interior Architecture, Studio, Music, Theatre, Theatre & Dance) 51 Health Professions and Related Clinical Services (Communication Sciences, Health Services, Athletic Training, Health Sciences, Nursing 52 Business (Accounting, Economics (BBA), Finance, Hospitality & Tourism, International Business, Management, Marketing, Operations Management, Quantitative Finance) % (5%) % % % 54 History % Totals 3,296 3,731 4,294 4,269 4, % James Madison University Page 3

4 Post-baccalaureate Table 3 shows how the Post-baccalaureate (Master s Educational Specialists, Doctoral) degrees in each discipline cluster have changed since The requirement that most students who desire to be certified to teach earn a Master s is responsible for a large proportion of the growth in graduate programs. Table 3 Graduate Degrees Conferred by CIP Code Discipline Change Since Computer and Information Sciences (37) 13 Education, including IDLS English Language and Literature Letters Biological and Biomedical Sciences Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies (ISAT, Intelligence Analysis) 31 Parks, Recreation, Leisure, and Fitness Studies 42 Psychology Public Administration and Social Service Professions (PUAD, Social Work) 45 Social Sciences (IDSS, Anthropology, Economics, Geography, International Affairs, Political Science, Sociology) 50 Visual and Performing Arts Health Professions and Related Clinical Services 52 Business History Total STEM and Health Graduates JMU has responded aggressively to national and state needs for graduates in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) as well as healthcare. Shortages of well-trained graduates in STEM and healthcare result in reduced economic competitiveness and gaps in care for all individuals, especially the growing elderly population in the U.S. Tables 4 and 5 display information about the number of STEM and healthcare graduates since In the number of STEM graduates had reached 714, but five years later the number of STEM graduates had declined significantly to 541 (-24 percent) primarily due to significant declines in enrollment in computer and technology-related disciplines (Computer Information Systems, Computer Science and ISAT). The declines in these majors mirrored national trends following the bursting of the dot.com bubble in the major stock markets between 1999 and Students fled these majors James Madison University Page 4

5 believing that there would be few or no jobs awaiting them upon graduation. This did not prove to be true. JMU s response to these changes included the revamping of the disciplines that suffered major declines as well as the introduction of new and innovative majors like biotechnology, engineering, and intelligence analysis. JMU introduced science and technology specialties into the Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies (IDLS) curriculum that prepares teachers to teach STEM-related disciplines in K-12 schools. The result of all these efforts is increased major offerings for JMU students that relate to the evolving needs for highly trained individuals. Table 4 STEM Graduates Major CIP Change Bachelor s Biology Biotechnology Chemistry Computer Information Systems (44) Computer Science (64) Earth Science Engineering Geographic Science Geology Integrated Science & (111) Technology Intelligence Analysis Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies Mathematics Physics Statistics Total Bachelor s Master's Biology (M.S.) Computer Science (M.S.) (37) Integrated Science & Technology (M.S. - Malta) Integrated Science & Technology (M.S.) Mathematics (M.Ed.) Total Master s (19) Total STEM James Madison University Page 5

6 Health Graduates The number of graduates in healthcare disciplines more than doubled between and This change was primarily due to increases in Communication Sciences and Disorders, Health Sciences, and Nursing. JMU also introduced several popular healthcare majors like Health Care Administration, Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant studies. Nursing and Health Sciences are two of the most popular majors for new freshmen and transfer students. It should be noted that the declines in several STEM majors (Computer Science, Computer Information Systems, ISAT) were related to the so-called Dot Com crisis at the beginning of the century. Nationwide the number of degree-seeking students in these disciplines declined because students and parents were concerned about the supposed decline in jobs for graduates in these fields. While JMU s graduates in these fields declined for several years, they have rebounded nicely in the last few years. JMU also added STEM majors like Geographic Science, Engineering and Intelligence Analysis into which students have enrolled in high numbers. Table 5 Health Graduates Major CIP Change Bachelor's Athletic Training Communication Sciences & Disorders Health Sciences Health Services Administration Nursing Total Bachelor's Graduate Audiology, Clinical (Au.D.) Communication Sciences & Disorders (Ph.D.) Health Sciences (14) Nurse Practitioner (M.S.N.) Nursing (M.S.N.) Occupational Therapy (M.O.T.) Physician Assistant Studies (M.P.A.S.) Speech Language Pathology (5) Clinical (M.S.) Speech Language Pathology Clinical DLVE-SLP (M.S.) Total Graduate Total Health Total STEM-Health 1, ,486 1,548 1, James Madison University Page 6

7 The full listing of JMU s academic programs can be viewed in the online Statistical Summaries at: The degree programs and conferred data are displayed in Tables 3-1 through 3-6. Questions about this Research Note should be directed to the Office of Institutional Research at [email protected]. James Madison University Page 7