After a three year hiatus, the annual graduation survey is back and the results are encouraging.  While only 220 departments responded of the 831 contacted (about the same number as usual), the number of undergraduates reported receiving Baccalaureate degrees was up by more than 10% (the highest ever in our survey) and the number of Doctorate degrees reported increased by almost 20% (the second highest ever).  However the number of Masters degrees reported was down over 40% (the lowest ever).

 Especially encouraging are the reports of tremendous increases in minority graduates at both the baccalaureate and doctoral levels.  This year more Native American, Hispanic, and Black students received degrees than any time in the nine previous surveys.

Congratulations should go to the Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology at Whitman College and the Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics at Oregon State University at the undergraduate level and to the University of Washington at the doctorate level for the number of Native Americans receiving degrees.

The Biology & Biochemistry Department at the University of Houston, The Chemistry Department at Spelman College, and the Department of Chemistry at Tennessee State University deserve special notice for the number of Black baccalaureate degrees awarded and Spelman College for the number of doctoral graduates.

The Biology and Biochemistry Department at the University of Houston was by far the leading producer of Hispanic baccalaureate degrees and the Biological Sciences Department of Louisiana State University was the major producer of Hispanic PhDs.

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Arizona State University led the way in graduating those identifying themselves as Pacific Islanders.

There has also been a change at the faculty level.  While the average size of the tenured faculty reported has not changed in the five year’s since the data was last reported (15.8 in 2003, 15.9 in 2008), the percentage of women in these tenured positions has increased from 22% to 35%.

Click here to see a list of schools known to offer degrees in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, or Chemistry with a Biochemistry option.  If your school offers such a degree and is not on the list, please contact me us at education@asbmb.org.