The criticism came as an International Conference for Journalism and Communications started at Shanghai International Studies University yesterday.

There are 661 journalism and communications degree programs across the country with a total of 130,000 students enrolled. About 33,000 graduate each year.

Total press card holders - government-licensed media workers - number about 150,000, said He Zihua, director of the China Association of Journalism and Communications Education.

Earlier research by the association indicated that existing media outlets do not have large-scale recruitment plans. It also said that there are no new, large media institutes scheduled to start within the next three to five years.

"With a large supply and sluggish demand, journalism programs are facing a graduate surplus and students will likely struggle to find a job," He said.

Despite this about 100 new journalism programs have been established annually at universities in the past two years. The development speed is almost 10 times that from 1995 to 1999, the Ministry of Education reported.

Joe Foote, dean of University of Oklahoma's Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communications, said it will not only bring a surplus of graduates, but also pressing needs for curricular materials, research outlets and support from the professional community.

Since most new journalism programs were derived from Chinese language and literature departments, a limited number of teachers have a solid educational background and work experience in journalism. Some universities even started a program without a single journalism professional, scholars said.

The journalism association's He said: "Brilliant career prospects for journalism majors is often used to retain students from choosing other majors such as literature and philosophy."

By Yan Zhen