LUBBOCK, TX:  Advertising and public relations education reached an annual all-time high in degrees granted last year while student enrollment declined, according to data compiled from the 2003 edition of the directory, Where shall I go to study advertising and public relations?  The number of degrees granted rose to 13,225 (up from 12,390), the largest number  in the past decade, while the number of students decreased to 41,982 from 42,659.

The 39th edition of the directory is compiled and edited by Billy I. Ross, Louisiana State University, and Keith F. Johnson, Lubbock, TX.  Annually it reports on the status of advertising and public relations education in the United States.  There were 187 schools listed in the directory, down from 197 the previous year, a decrease of five percent.  The schools reported 269 advertising and/or public relations programs, down from 287, a decrease of six percent.

Eleven different categories are reported, and the current edition revealed four with increasesóthe total degrees granted, the number of bachelor's degrees (12,343 from 11,499), the number of master's students (2,100 from 1,908) and doctorate students (189 from 156).  There were decreases in master's degrees (848 from 850); doctorate degrees (34 from 41), undergraduate students (39,693 from 40,595); and fulltime faculty (875, from 900).

In addition to Louisiana State University and Texas Tech University, other sponsors of the research  include the American Association of Advertising Agencies, American Advertising Federation, Direct Marketing Association, American Academy of Advertising, Lubbock (TX) Advertising Federation, The Houston Chronicle and the Advertising Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

The directory reports on advertising, public relations and joint advertising/public relations programs.  Many schools have both advertising and public relations programs and others have a single, joint advertising/public relations program.  This year, as in recent years, joint advertising/public relations programs have shown the most growth.  However, it is still the smallest of the three.  Advertising and public relations programs continue to dominate with figures that are comparable to each other.

Other noted changes in the current directory included increases in the cost of tuition & fees, and higher entrance requirements to the University and to the program.

Schools leaders in many categories included Michigan State University and the University of Texas in advertising; the University of Florida and California State University-Fullerton in public relations; and the University of South Carolina and Pennsylvania State University in joint advertising/public relations programs.

Information on each school listed in the directory includes type of program, accreditation, degrees offered, financial assistance, entrance requirements, tuition & fees, student organizations, the number of students and faculty and a person to contact.  This information can also be found on the web site <www.mcom.ttu.edu/wsig>, which is maintained at the Texas Tech University School of Mass Communications.

Advertising

The total number of degrees in advertising rose to 5,251 bachelor's, 414 master's and 26 doctorates. Enrollment declined by 726 to 16,494.  Undergraduate students dropped to 15,088, and master's to 984, yet the number of doctorate students increased to 119 from 103.  The number of fulltime faculty also declined to 341 from 369.  Only 92 programs reported, down from 101.

Michigan State University reported the largest total student enrollment, 1,079, and the largest number of undergraduate students, 973.  It also granted the most bachelor's degrees, 289.  Roosevelt University (IL) reported the largest number of master's students, 167, while Roosevelt and the University of Texas at Austin granted the largest number of master's degrees, 58.  The University of Illinois reported the largest number of doctorate students, 50, while the University of Alabama reported the largest number of doctorate degrees granted, five.  Texas also reported the largest fulltime faculty, 20.

Public Relations

Public Relations granted the largest number of degrees of the three programs, 5,446, the largest one-year amount of PR degrees granted in a decade: bachelor's 5,191, master's 248 and doctorates, seven.  Undergraduate enrollment dropped to 17,027.  The number of graduate students dropped to 565, with doctoral enrollment increasing to 62.  Fulltime faculty members decreased to 357, which may be due to the number of reporting programs declining to 129 from 143.

Total PR student enrollment at the University of Florida was the largest with 861 students and the largest undergraduate enrollment at 821.  Boston University recorded the largest master's enrollment with 59 and the University of Maryland had the largest number of doctorate students, 20.

California State University/Fullerton granted the largest number of degrees, 251, and the most bachelor's, 247, while Boston University granted the most master's degrees, 38.  The University of Tennessee and the University of Southern Mississippi each granted two doctorate degrees.  The schools reporting the largest fulltime faculty included Miami (OH) University, 12, and the University of Florida, 10.

Advertising/Public Relations

With exception of doctorate degrees (one from both years), all other reported categories showed increases over the previous year and were the highest annual reports in the last decade.  The largest increases came from the number of master's students, 538 from 224, and the total number of graduate students, 546 from 230.   Each more than doubled from the previous year.

Growth has continued in the advertising/public relations programs with an increase of five in the past year, 48 from 43, and over the past decade the number has more than doubled, 48 from 23.  Nearly all other measures increased at about the same pace.  The total number of degrees granted rose to 2,538:  bachelor's degrees rose to 2,351, and master's degrees to 186.  The total number of students reported was 8,794.  Doctorate students increased to eight.  The number of fulltime faculty increased to 177.

The University of South Carolina dominated most of the categories including undergraduate enrollment, 917; total student enrollment, 970; the number of doctorate students, eight; doctorate degrees granted, one; and fulltime faculty, 14.  Pennsylvania State University led with the number of bachelor's degrees and total degrees (220).  Northwestern University granted the most master's degrees, 85, and Emerson University had the largest number of master's students, 289.