Journalism courses and career prospects

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Updated on Nov 9, 2021 17:39 IST

Do you want to make a career in the field of media but wondering which Journalism course is better? Read on to know the details of various Journalism courses and you can have an idea, which one is right for you.

If you love to read and write, and are interested in current affairs and media industry, you can make a career in Journalism. This field is no longer confined to Print or Electronic Media but is also gaining popularity in digital mode due to the increasing proliferation of internet and technology. Today many news apps and websites are bringing news to the people in just one click. With the rise of new mediums, the demand for skilled professionals in this field is also increasing as it covers all work profiles related to Print Media, Electronic Media, New Media, Radio Production, Film Production and TV Production. Several Diploma, Undergraduate, Postgraduate and PG Diploma courses have been designed to meet this demand. Candidates can pursue these courses immediately after class 12th or after completing graduation. These courses are being explained in detail here.

Journalism Courses

Various Journalism courses exist in our country depending on the objective of the course and the university offering the programme. Generally UG level Journalism courses are of 1-3 years duration, whereas PG level courses are of 1-2 years. Students can take Journalism and Mass Communication courses in Hindi, English and many other regional languages. Since these courses are focused on different job profiles, students should know about the respective institute and course before opting for any programme. Some of the popular Journalism courses are listed below:

Level	Programme	Duration
Undergraduate degree	Bachelor of Journalism	Three-years
	Bachelor of Journalism and Mass Communication (BJMC)	Three-years
	BA in Mass Media	Three-years
	BA (Hons) Hindi Journalism and Mass Communication	Three-years
	BA in Film, Television and New Media Production	Three-years
	Bachelor in Sports Journalism	Three-years
	BA in Convergent Journalism	Three-years
	BA in Journalism and Communication Studies	Three-years
	BSc in Mass Communication, Journalism and Advertising	Three-years
	BSc in Mass Communication and Journalism	Three-years
	Bachelor of Media Science	Three-years
Postgraduate degree	Master of Journalism and Mass Communication (MJMC)	Two-years
	MA in Entertainment, Media and Advertisement	Two-years
	MA in Multimedia	Two-years
	MA in Journalism	Two-years
	Masters in Communication	Two-years
	MSc in Television and Film Production	Two-years
PG Diploma courses	PG Diploma Course in Journalism (English)	One-year
	PG Diploma Course in Journalism (Hindi)	One-year
	PG Diploma Course in Advertising and Public Relations	One-year
	PG Diploma Course Radio & TV Journalism	One-year
	PG Diploma Course in Journalism (Odia/Urdu/Marathi/Malayalam)	One-year
	PG Diploma in Journalism	One-year
	PG Diploma in Print and Broadcast Journalism	One-year
	PG Diploma in Acting	One-year
	PG Diploma in Direction and Screenplay Writing	Three-years
	PG Diploma in Editing	Three-years
	PG Diploma in Sound Recording and Sound Design	Three-years
	Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication	Two-years
	PG Diploma in Producing for Film & Television	Three-years
	PG Diploma in Art Direction & Production Design	Three-years
	PG Diploma in Animation Cinema	Three-years

Eligibility Criteria for Journalism courses

The eligibility criteria for Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Diploma courses in Journalism and Mass Communication vary on institute and the programme. Students have to fulfill the following eligibility criteria to take admission in these courses:

Undergraduate courses: Candidates who have passed class 12 with minimum 50% marks in any stream (Science, Humanities or Commerce) can apply for undergraduate courses.

Postgraduate or PG Diploma courses: Candidates are required to have a Bachelor's degree in any stream from a recognized institute or university with a minimum of 50% marks.

Popular Entrance Exams for Journalism courses

Some institutes admit candidates to Journalism courses on the basis of merit only, while many institutes and universities conduct entrance examinations to admit candidates. Here are listed the top Mass Communication entrance exams. If you are planning to pursue a full time course or a Diploma course in this field, it is important to know about the exams conducted by popular colleges and universities:

JMI Entrance Exam: JMI Entrance Exam exam is conducted by Jamia Millia Islamia based in New Delhi once in a year in offline mode. It is the most popular institute among candidates seeking admission in Journalism and Mass Communication.
IIMC Entrance Exam: The Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) conducts the IIMC entrance exam to admit candidates to PG Diploma courses offered by the institute. This entrance exam is conducted once in a year.
FTII JET: Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute conduct a Joint Entrance Test (JET) to admit students to various PG Diploma courses. FTII JET is a national level entrance exam which is conducted once in a year.
MASCOM: Manorama School of Communication conducts the MASCOM to offer admission to the candidates in PG Diploma courses.
ACJ Entrance Exam: Asian College of Journalism conducts the ACJ entrance exam to admit candidates to the courses offered by the college.
DCJ Mumbai Entrance Exam: The Department of Communication and Journalism, on behalf of the University of Mumbai conducts the DCJ Entrance Exam to admit candidates to the various courses offered by the University. DCJ entrance exam is conducted in offline mode.
AUCET: Andhra University, Visakhapatnam conducts Andhra University Common Entrance Test (AUCET) to admit students to various Undergraduate and Postgraduate programmes.
SET Exam: SET Mass Communication is the entrance test for the Undergraduate program at Symbiosis Center for Media and Communication (SCMC).
CAP Test: CAP Test is conducted by Amrita School of Communication (ASCOM), Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham which offers admission to candidates in BA, MA and PGD courses in Mass Communication. CAP test is conducted once in a year in offline mode.

Career Prospects

After completing the Journalism course, you will be equipped with the intricacies of various forms of Mass Media such as Reporting, Broadcast Production, Radio Production etc. You can specialize in various fields like, Public Relations, TV Production, News Production, Film Production, Photojournalism, Sports Journalism, Advertising etc. after doing Undergraduate course in Journalism. Apart from this, you can also make a career as:

News Reporter
TV Correspondent/Special Reporter
Feature Writer
Editor
Columnist
Copywriter
Photojournalist
Cartoonist
Radio Jockey
Public Relations Associate

FAQs for Journalism Courses

Q. What is a Journalism course all about?

A. Journalism course deals with various aspects of news writing and reporting. The candidates are explained about the importance of research while writing news. In addition, editing and presenting information in the best possible way is also one of the major aspects taught in Journalism curriculum.

Q. Which Journalism course should I pursue at Undergraduate level?

A. Some of the popular Journalism courses you can follow at UG level are:

Bachelor of Journalism and Mass Communication (BJMC)
Bachelor of Jounalism
BA in Mass Media
BA in Film, Television and New Media Production
BSc in Journalism & Mass Communication

Q. What is the eligibility criteria for Undergraduate Journalism courses?

A. It is important to pass class 12 with minimum 50 per cent marks to get admission in an undergraduate Journalism course.

Q. What are the popular Journalism colleges in India?

A. There are many popular colleges in India, which offer undergradute and postgraduate programmes in Journalism such as: Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Mudra Institute of Communications (MICA), Amity University, Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR) etc.

Q. What skills are necessary to build a career in Journalism?

A. In order to pursue a Journalism course aspirants need to have a nose for news and also be motivated enough to work long hours. Some other key skills are flair for writing, good communication skills, confidence, intellectual bent of mind etc.

Q. Is it important to pursue masters in Journalism after an undergraduate course?

A. If you pursue a masters in Journalism, you will be able to gain advanced theoretical and practical knowledge in various media professions such as Journalism, Advertising, Event Management, Public Relations etc. In addition, a masters course also serves as a foundation for those who wish to conduct research in this field.

Q. What are the important masters courses in Journalism?

A. Some popular PG level courses are: Master's in Journalism and Mass Communication, MA in Entertainment, Media and Advertisement, MA in Journalism, PG Diploma in Journalism (Hindi), PG Diploma in Print and Broadcast Journalism etc.

Q. What is the minimum eligibility criteria for masters in Journalism courses?

A. The minimum eligibility criteria for masters in Journalism course is graduation in any discipline from a recognized college/university with 50 per cent marks.

Q. What is the admission process for Journalism courses?

A. Some colleges/universities conduct entrance exams to offer admission in Journalism courses at UG and PG level, while some enroll candidates on the basis of merit.

Q. What are the important entrance examinations for Journalism courses?

A. The important entrance exams are: JMI Entrance Exam, IIMC Entrance Exam, FTII JET, MASCOM etc.

Q. What are the job profiles and top recruiters after pursuing Journalism?

A. After completing a Journalism course, an aspirant can work as Desk Writer, Reporter, Journalist etc. Whereas the top recruiters for Journalism candidates are: Hindustan Times, Times Group, The Hindu, Network 18, India Today Group, BBC, NDTV, All India Radio, Doordarshan etc.

About the Author

Ritika Srivastava