College Survey

In the summer of 2009, alumni of the College of Communication and Information were asked to participate in an online survey.  A total of 1,225 responded.  Below is some of what we learned from those alumni. Additional topics will be added monthly.

Demographics

First, the demographics:  Respondents ranged in age from 21 to 86 with an average age of 42.1.  Slightly more respondents were female (57.2%) than male (40.7%) and one reported as transgendered.  Data were also collected about sexual orientation: 71.7% of respondents reported that they were heterosexual, 2.3% gay or lesbian, .8% bisexual, and 4.6% chose not to answer this question.  This question was added after the survey had been launched; therefore, 20.6% of respondents did not see it.  Respondents were allowed to select multiple ethnic identifies.  The majority (90.5%) identified as Caucasian, 3.8% African American, 1.2% Native American, .8% Asian/Pacific Islander, .6% Hispanic, and 1.1% Other.

Respondents reported graduation years ranging from 1948 to 2009.  Average year of graduation was 1992.  Of students who earned a bachelor’s degree, 52.2% began in CCI as freshmen, 19.8% transferred from another university, and 27.6% transferred from another major at UT.  Responses were reported based on the highest degree earned by alumni:  BS in Advertising=202, BA in Communication Studies=108, BS in Journalism and Electronic Media=396, BS in Public Relations=175, MS in Information Sciences=164, MS in Communication and Information=112, PhD in Communication and Information=34, Missing degree and/or major=34.

Degree Relevancy

Alumni of CCI programs find their degree programs to be relevant both for their first jobs and their current jobs.  On a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being very relevant) CCI degrees earned a grade of 4.18 for relevance to graduates’ first job.  But the really good news is that the value of that degree holds up over time.  The grade for relevance to the current job is 4.00.  The theory and research that underpin graduate education actually increase with value over time.  The highest grade of all was for doctoral graduates who report a relevance score of 4.63 for their current job.

Those relevant programs also led fairly quickly to employment.  About two-thirds of survey respondents reported getting a job in the field for which they had studied within six months of graduation.  The two degrees that led to jobs most quickly were the MS in Information Sciences and the Ph.D.
              
Degrees from CCI offer more than a first job. They also offer a foundation for multi-faceted careers.  On average, survey participants have worked in three or more communication-related fields.  The top five career fields for these respondents were:  public relations, management, advertising, journalism, and sales/customer service.  While starting salaries are most often less than $35,000, about half of the participants reported that their current salaries are $50,000 or more.

Stayed tuned for more.