This graph, "Sociology Degrees Awarded by Level" shows the fluctuations in Bachelors, Masters and Doctorate degrees awarded between 1966 and 2006. Across degree levels, there was a period of high growth in the number of sociology degrees awarded from the late 1960s to the mid 1970s. By the late 1980s, the discipline once again witnessed trends of increases in degrees awarded. While Bachelors degrees, which have experienced the most dramatic fluctuations during this period, continued to increase, graduate sociology degrees have remained fairly stable. Despite ups and downs and year-to-year fluctuations, the number of sociologists receiving degrees has grown substantially since 1966.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Completions,1995-2004 (Washington, DC: NCES, 2006). Retrieved from http://caspar.nsf.gov (October 26, 2008).
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