Top Universities to Pursue PhD in Mass Communication & Journalism
Mass Communication and Journalism has become very popular among students in recent years. Many students aspire to make a career in the academic field by pursuing a PhD in Mass Communication and Journalism. The article below provides information about the top universities for PhD in Mass Communication and Journalism.
Mass Communication and Journalism is one of the best subjects under which students can specialise in various fields. This stream is not limited to any one subject, rather it leads to many career paths. It is one of the fastest growing disciplines not only in India but in the world and has promising career opportunities. One of the major reasons for the popularity of Mass Communication and Journalism is the flexibility in this field that gives students the freedom to pursue careers in various disciplines. The major specialisations under this broad subject include Public Relations, Advertising, Event Management, Radio Jockey, Films & TV, Journalism, Corporate Communication, Electronic Media, Print Media. Filmmaking etc. Apart from making a career in any of these fields, candidates can also pursue higher education in Mass Communication and Journalism. If you are looking to get into academia and are considering pursuing a PhD in Mass Communication and Journalism, here are the top universities in the field.
Top Universities Offering PhD in Mass Communication and Journalism
PhD in Mass Communication and Journalism is a research degree course, with a course duration of between 3-6 years depending on the area of research. The focus of this course is to equip the candidates with teaching skills along with conducting research on the chosen subject. Tabulated below are the colleges with their ranks, known for their expertise in the Mass Communication and Journalism programme:
Eligibility Criteria for PhD Programme
Candidates can pursue PhD in Mass Communication and Journalism after completing their postgraduation. General eligibility criteria followed by a majority of colleges/institutes or universities to enrol students are given below:
-
Candidates should have completed their post-graduation in Mass Communication and Journalism with a minimum of 55% marks from a recognised board.
-
To secure an admission, the candidates should pass the entrance tests. Candidates who are shortlisted on the basis of the entrance test will be required to submit a portfolio and a research proposal and a bibliography.
Note: The eligibility mentioned above for pursuing PhD in Mass Communication and Journalism might vary depending on the policy of the university or college in which a candidate is applying for admission.
Entrance Exams For PhD Programme
In India, common entrance examinations are conducted to award PhD degrees to the candidates, on the basis of which many universities give admission. Apart from this, many colleges also conduct their own separate entrance exams. The entrance examinations are given below in brief:
NET/JRF: It is a national level examination conducted for admission to PhD by University Grants Comission (UGC). Candidates who clear NET-JRF (Junior Research Fellow) get an opportunity to pursue PhD with stipend. Whereas those who opt for NET alone are eligible to apply in universities as professors. Although, most universities prefer NET-JRF qualified candidates.
SET: SET exam is a state-level examination conducted by states to provide opportunities to the students in the field of research. Candidates who qualify SET become eligible to apply for research or become a professor in any recognised university in the state.
The separate entrance exams conducted by the universities are:
JMI Entrance Exam: The Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) University conducts the Jamia Millia Islamia entrance test to shortlist candidates for admission in various UG, PG, Diploma, Advanced Diploma, MPhil, PhD and certificate courses such as Engineering, Architecture & Planning, Hospitality & Travel, Animation, Mass Communication, Humanities & Social Sciences, Commerce as well as Teaching & Education.
AMU Entrance Exam: AMU entrance exam is conducted by Aligarh Muslim University for the selection of candidates for admission in various courses.
Syllabus For PhD in Mass Communication and Journalism
There is no defined semester in a PhD program. The candidates conduct research in their chosen subject out of core, elective and practical subjects. The following are some of the common core, elective and practical subjects of Mass Communication and Journalism:
| Core Subjects | |
|---|---|
| Research Methodology 1 | Research Methodology 2 |
| Communication Theory | Research Writing and Ethics |
| Elective Subjects | |
| Journalism Studies | Specialised and Analytical Journalism |
| Advertising and Public Relations research | Communication and Development Issues |
| Analyzing media, Messages, and audience | Hindi Cinema Studies |
| Issues in Media Economy | Media, Youth, and Participatory Government |
Career Opportunities after Phd in Mass Communication and Journalism
Mass Communication and Journalism open up an array of avenues for a student. There are so many interesting and sought-after careers one can take up after pursuing PhD in this subject. Some of the examples are as follows:
Academics: Academia has always been a favourite choice after completing the PhD studies. The job profile under this is similar to what the person did in their PhD. It involves teaching, giving lectures, preparing slides, doing research, managing administration, representing the college in few occasions and attending seminars and lectures.
Consultant: Management consulting firms are mostly looking for people who can have an aerial view of the problems. As a PhD holder has a strong background and is specifically trained to troubleshooting difficult problems, more preference is given to them.
Government sector: If you are someone who wants to serve the country, then go for jobs offered in the Government sector. You could be working at one of the ministries, where you will have to understand the complex problems and help in making informed choices. There are many other opportunities and multiples positions available with state and central government.
Product Manager: Talking about the profile of Product Managers (PMs), they are responsible for managing the entire life-cycle of an innovative product. They supervise and oversee the development and management of a product after it launches. He/ she needs to analyse the product’s market performance as well as determine ways to boost a product’s commercial success while simultaneously determining how to phase out or terminate the older versions.
Entrepreneurship: From the last ten years, the relationship between academia and start-ups has only grown stronger. In the present-day scenario, everyone wants to have their own identity in the market, and people with a PhD degree want to exhaust their learning in the best way possible. For this, most of the degree holders opt for starting up their own business.
Read More:
Important Soft Skills For PhD Programme
There are a few skills and characteristics that you must possess while preparing yourself for the dream job. Given below are the same-
Communication Skills: It is important for presentations, lectures or seminars.
Creative thinking: PhD students are known for their out-of-the-box thinking and ideas to solve a given situation and design unique strategies to overcome problems.
Management ability: it is important to have the ability to organize the tasks as per their priority.
Problem-solving skills: During PhD, numerous problems occur, hence a student should know how to define a problem, determine the cause of it, and then selecting alternatives for a solution; and implementing a solution for it.
