Professor Stephen offered a brief overview of the Program's history. In its thirty years, the program has conferred 300 degrees. Numbers of applicants and matriculants have declined since a high point reached five years ago. However, the number of enrollees seems to have stabilized at 9 - 9.5 FTEs over the past two years. The Program's financial aid allocation from the Graduate School is relatively generous.
Most graduates go on to federal employment, others to private businesses or research institutions.
Twenty percent are international students sponsored by their respective governments, and they return to their in-country employment. Additionally, current discussions are ongoing with the Census Bureau to provide graduate classes for their employees. In 1997-1998, the program was reviewed as part of the Social Science Cohort review. The external reviewers recommended that the Department should retain its integral identity, but that it should also be aligned with a larger academic unit. Since the review, one faculty member position has been shifted from Demography to a distinguished professorship housed in the Graduate School.