School of Journalism Student Retention and Graduation Report - 2023

2023 Student Retention and Graduation Report view here.

2022 Student Retention and Graduation Report view here

University of Arizona School of Journalism Undergraduate Program

Report Card — 2023

Introductory note:

Self-assessment is paramount for improvement. It’s also an essential element to remaining one of the 100 or so undergraduate journalism programs in the nation accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications. On these pages we provide some quantifiable measurements of school performance and what we are doing to achieve our goal of educating our undergraduate journalism students to serve Arizona, society at large, and the world. We also have provided all our 2017-18 re-accreditation and academic program review information online, including site-team reports since 1964, when the undergraduate journalism program was first accredited.

The school adopted its first assessment plan in 1999. We have continued to update our assessment plan since its inception. The goal is to figure out whether students are leaving the program prepared for the workplace and competent in the school’s 12 core student learning outcomes, which are based on ACEJMC’s 12 Professional Values and Competencies. Students, parents, and the public must know that their tax and tuition dollars are making a difference. The school employs quantitative and qualitative assessment indicators, both direct and indirect, of student learning (see the assessment plan). Below are some of the indicators of the school’s performance. If you have any questions or suggestions, please let us know!

Jessica Retis, Director, University of Arizona School of Journalism jessicaretis@arizona.edu

Pate McMichael, Associate Director, University of Arizona School of Journalism patemcmichael@arizona.edu

August 15, 2023

1. Enrollment continues to decline

Undergraduate enrollment has gradually declined over the past 15 years from a high of 600 students to the current 295 students. This decline may relate to changes in the media ecosystem over that period of time. We have adjusted to these changes by bringing class sizes in line with faculty numbers, and as a result, students are given more attention. The school is large enough to support resources for students, yet small enough that students receive individualized attention by world-class faculty. It should be noted that, although enrollment has declined, it is still higher than it was in academic year 2000-2001.

Year Majors
2000-01 341
2001-02 388
2002-03 463
2003-04 499
2004-05 563
2005-06 643
2006-07 680
2007-08 665
2008-09 653
2009-10 608
2010-11 558
2011-12 544
2012-13 498
2013-14 485
2014-15 497
2015-16 448
2016-17 471
2017-18 414
2018-19 372
2019-20 374
2020-21

359

2021-22

357

2022-23 295
   

 

2. Retention rates – most students stay

Retention is an indicator of whether incoming first-year undergraduate journalism students tend to stay with the major or switch to another major by their second year. In fall 2021, 83 percent of 20120-21 first-year students returned to the program. Our analysis indicates that some of our entering majors move to other majors by their

sophomore year. As a result, we have revised our undergraduate curriculum to provide students with more flexibility in their programs in turn affording them the opportunity to explore and grow within the major. We have also instituted two new programs – a bilingual journalism program and a program in studies of global media-each with undergraduate and graduate student contingents.

Fall Term Freshmen Returned
2nd Year
UA return rate
2001 63 83% 76%
2002 91 78% 77%
2003 75 79% 79%
2004 101 83% 79%
2005 102 74% 79%
2006 96 75% 80%
2007 82 76% 79%
2008 96 82% 78%
2009 104 72% 77%
2010 110 77% 77%
2011 110 77% 80%
2012 82 80% 78%
2013 74 78% 81%
2014 86 81% 80%
2015 67 78% 80%
2016 51 86% 83%
2017 57 72% 81%
2018 76 72% 84%
2019 61 82% 86%
2020 55 76% 84%
2021 69 83%  
 

**Data not available until 2024

3. Graduation rate strong despite pandemic

Below are the percentages of freshmen journalism students who graduate within four years and within six years, compared to graduation rates for the University of Arizona as a whole. The 4th year graduation rate dipped to 44% for fourth-year graduates who started in 2017, a cohort whose education encompassed several pandemic years. The journalism school 6th year graduation rate of 66% for the same 2017 cohort exceeded the UA 6th year average graduation rate of 64%. This suggests that the 2017 cohort of journalism freshmen rebounded somewhat from pandemic setbacks.

Fall Term Freshmen Graduated 4th Year UA 4th Year Average Graduated 6th Year UA 6th Year Average
2001 63 37% 34% 56% 56%
2002 91 35% 32% 59% 57%
2003 75 29% 32% 56% 58%
2004 101 41% 34% 56% 60%
2005 102 39% 36% 65% 61%
2006 96 44% 35% 64% 61%
2007 82 42% 40% 54% 61%
2008 96 47% 40% 54% 60%
2009 104 40% 43% 64% 61%
2010 110 49% 42% 59% 60%
2011 111 47% 45% 62% 63%
2012 82 50% 48% 57% 55%
2013 74 55% 48% 63% 65%
2014 86 56% 49% 64% 65%
2015 67 61% 50% 50% 66%
2016 51 58% 54% 54%

64%

2017 57 44% 50% 68%  
2018 57 46% 50%