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Executive Summary
After analyzing the data from the Major Survey of students at Winona State
University, we found that the percentage of first generation students
compared to not first generation students at Winona State is nearly 50/50.
37 of the 50 students surveyed were incoming freshman when they declared
Winona State while 13 of the 50 were transfer students. 34 of the 50
students interviewed were college-aged, as that they were 20-22 years old.
68% of students interviewed said that graduate school was in their future
plans. The majority of these students chose the Communication Studies
major because they thought the major would give them transferable skills
and they realized that it was a broad field that would give them many
opportunities. Mass Communication and Spanish were the two most common
minors of these Communication Studies students.
Our three key findings were as follows:
1) Most students declared Communication Studies as their major because it
is a broad field with many opportunities. Gaining marketable or transferrable
skills was also another big factor.
2) Most students with a Communications major had either a Mass
Communications minor or Spanish language minor. These minors are not
surprising as they go hand and hand with communication.
3) Most students heard about the major through friends that were already
declared Communication Studies majors. Having Communication Studies
professors, taking classes in the department, and the WSU Catalog were also
reasons for choosing the CMST department.
Analysis
This survey of 50 Communication Studies students at Winona State. Of the
students surveyed, 37 were freshmen when they arrived at Winona State
while the other 13 were transfer students. 23 of the 50 were first generation
students, and 27 were not first generation students. 34 out of the 50
students surveyed were between the ages of 20 to 22 years old (the total
range was 18 to 37). Though this age range yields the majority of people in
this major, there were six students between the ages of 23 to 26 surveyed.
Numbers may indicate the flexibility of Communication Studies. Because this
major does not require a lengthy application for the program or early
commitment (by comparison to nursing or education), there is more room for
those who have general education credits and want to find a fitting major.
The age range of 20 to 22 usually indicates at least sophomore level.
When asked about graduate school, 31 of the respondents said that graduate
school was more than likely in their plans. Most of them plan to go into some
other field besides Communication Studies such as law. The other 19
respondents said that graduate school was not in their plans.
When the students were asked why they chose this major, a majority of them
stated that they wanted to major in a broad field that was applicable to many
things. Eleven students found Communication Studies as a major that could