Sharp increase in graduates with master's degrees in arts and social sciences

During the 1995-96 academic year in Norway, the number of graduates receiving a Master of Arts degree jumped 28 per cent compared to the previous year, while there was an 18 per cent increase in master's degrees in social sciences. The number of students graduating from law school was also extremely high. In all, around 5,800 candidates completed their postgraduate studies that year.

Norwegian universities awarded 642 Master of Art degrees and 669 master's degrees in social sciences during the 1995-96 academic year. Nine hundred and twenty-two students graduated from law school and 1,321 Master of Engineering degrees were awarded. Seven hundred and eighty-three graduates earned master's degrees in mathematics and natural sciences, about the same number as the previous academic year. A substantially higher number of professional degrees in agricultural economics and dentistry were awarded.

Women accounted for fully 63 per cent of the Master of Arts degrees and 59 per cent of the master's degrees in social sciences. Around 53 per cent of the law school graduates were women, while there was still a relatively high percentage of men--58 per cent--among those receiving master's degrees in mathematics and natural sciences. Only 23 percent of the graduate engineers completing their studies during the 1995-96 academic year were women. Just as many men as women graduated from medical school, while three in five dentistry degrees were earned by women. Women were also clearly in the majority among those receiving a degree in agricultural economics. Women made up only one-third of the candidates completing their doctorates that year.

New Statistics

Education statistics. Completed education at universities and scientific colleges, spring 1996.
Statistics are published every year in the Weekly Bulletin of Statistics. More information: Aud Melgaard Holøien, tel. +47 62 88 52 70, e-mail: aum@ssb.no and Tor Jørgensen, tel. +47 62 88 52 69, e-mail: tjg@ssb.no.

Weekly Bulletin issue no. 36, 1997