Journalism Admissions in India 2016

What is Journalism?

Journalism is all about gathering, assessing, processing, creating, presenting and disseminating news and information to audience. Journalism uses various channels in print media, broadcasting and digital media to distribute news and information accumulated through multiple resources. Technological advancements have also increased the number of means for distributing news. They now include webcasts, blogs, social media, podcast and e-mail.

Earlier, the field was confined just to reporting the news and events in newspapers. However, the area widened with time and now incorporates a broad spectrum and is now termed as journalism and mass communication.

Journalism Courses at UG Level       

Those who have flair for writing and aspire to become journalists can take up this stream after higher secondary education. Prestigious colleges and universities throughout India offer three-year Bachelor of Journalism and Mass Communication courses.

Journalism Eligibility Criteria

• Higher secondary in any stream from a recognized state or central board of education.
• Minimum pass percentage is 50 percent in aggregate for general and 45% for reserved categories.
• Candidates should have passed higher secondary exam with English as one of the subjects.

The eligibility criteria and other requirements may vary as per the norms and standards colleges/universities offering this course have set.   

Journalism Admission Process

While performance in higher secondary exam remains the primary criterion, some top-level institutes also conduct Common Entrance Test (CET) before allocating seats for journalism and mass communication courses at undergraduate level.

Examination:

For BJMC, there is no specific common entrance test Instead, some colleges and universities have their own pattern of test, syllabus and specific requirements to fill up the seats for BJMC course.College specific exam tests:

Common Entrance Test for Journalism (IPU): GGSIPU conducts Common Entrance Test for Journalism (CETJ) for Bachelor’s degree courses in Journalism and Mass Communication. The test paper contains 150 objective type questions in all and 600 marks in total.Colleges in Delhi NCR affiliated to the GGSIPU and offering BJMC courses accept admissions based on the  merit in CETJ.

Symbiosis Entrance Test (SET): Pune, Maharashtra based Symbiosis International University has two rounds that candidates have to clear to take admission in BJMC course. The first round is SET that includes objective type questions, whereas the second round consists of writing ability test and PI.

Asian College of Journalism (ACJ) Entrance Test:  After the careful assessment of applications, shortlisted candidates at ACJ are required to take an entrance test. The examination for journalism courses is conducted in two parts: the first part is aimed to test the applicant’s English language skills, whereas the second part checks the awareness of current affairs, general knowledge, analytical thinking, problem solving skills and writing ability. Based on the cut off list, candidates are invited for an interview at the college.

Counselling, Personal Interview and Seat Allocation – Candidates who score well in the entrance test get a call from the respective college/university for counselling. Some institutes offering journalism & mass communication courses interview candidates for checking their abilities in different domains and knowing their preferences to allocate seats accordingly.

Duration, Delivery Type & Fee Structure

Fields, Syllabus and Job Prospects

BJMC undergraduate level course gives students ample knowledge of print and electronic journalism. Courseware is designed in a way to provide thorough knowledge of intricacies involved in both fields during the bachelor’s degree course in journalism and mass communication.

Print Journalism

The oldest form of journalism, print journalism involves the newspaper, journal, magazines, digests and text print media agencies.

• Syllabus – During the course, candidates study Reporting and Writing for Print, Tools of Journalism, Advanced Newspaper Writing, Magazine Writing, Convergence across Media, Ethical and Legal Issues in Journalism, Liberal Arts, Critical Thinking in Journalism and English.
• Job Prospects –A candidate can work as a Writer, Feature Writer, Leader Writer, Columnist, Critic, Reporter, Correspondent/Special Reporter, Associate Editor, Sub-editor, Editor and Proof Reader.

Electronic Journalism

Electronic journalism or media today involves TV, internet, radio and web journalism (blogs, online news websites and social media). Increasing involvement of social media, internet and technology in the field has widened the sphere of journalism considerably.

• Syllabus – Core courses in that field of electronic media include Reporting and Writing for Multimedia, Advanced Online/Multimedia, Tools of Multimedia, Convergence across Media, Liberal Arts, Critical Thinking in Journalism, Ethical and Legal Issues in Journalism, Electronic Multimedia and English.
• Job prospects -  Candidates can work as Reporters, Production Workers, Researchers, Floor Managers, Sound Technicians, Public Relations Officers, Media Managers, Corporate Communication Officers, Television and Film Production Officers.

Journalism Courses at PG Level

Those who want to explore the realms of journalism further can opt for one-year post graduation diploma in journalism and mass communication or go for two years full time degree course.

Eligibility Criteria:

1. A minimum of 45% marks in aggregate.
2. Some colleges/universities also consider those with less that 45% marks but relevant experience in the field.
3. Minimum pass percentage also varies from 45% to 60%.
4. Maximum age limit is 28 years but extendable for those with relevant experience.
5. Students appearing in final year exam in any stream can also apply.     

Admission Process

Hundreds of colleges and universities in India offer admission for various journalism courses. College/university specific exams that are held from time to time are listed below.

College/University Specific Exams:

Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) Journalism Entrance Exam – An internationally renowned learning centre under the Ministry of I&B in India, IIMC conducts journalism entrance exam for screening candidates for admission in Post-Graduation Diploma course in Advertising and Public Relations, Radio & Television Journalism and so on.

Jamia Milia Islamia University Entrance Test – The JMI University offers one-year post-graduation diploma and two-year degree courses in journalism and mass communication. It conducts an entrance exam followed by an interview and for some specific courses, GD.

Xavier Institute of Communication Entrance Test – For Post-Graduation Diploma in Broadcast Journalism in Xavier School of Communication, candidates need to crack the entrance test followed by an interview.

Symbiosis Institute of Media & Communication (SIMC) Entrance Test – SIMC remains one of the coveted institutes for candidates to pursue Masters in Arts (Mass Communication) Course. Candidates need to appear for online entrance test followed by panel interview.

Duration, Delivery Type & Fee Structure        

One-Year Diploma Courses and Specialisations after Graduation - The range of popular journalism courses after graduation include post-graduation diploma in English/Hindi, Advertising & Public Relations, Radio & TV Journalism, PG Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication, Print Journalism, Print and Broadcasting, Journalism and Media Management, Radio Journalism and many more.

Specialisation, Syllabus and Job Prospects for Degree Course

For those who want to know the most sought after specialisations in journalism for master’s degree course, the following information will surely be of great help.

Masters of Mass Communication (Advertising & Journalism)   

A postgraduate degree course, Masters of Mass Communication in Advertising and Journalism is a combination of advertising, reporting, copy writing, communication research and print media.

• Syllabus: During this course, aspirants study a number of subjects that include Media and Society, Professional Writing, Public Relations, Principles of Business Law, Multimedia Technology, Managing Communication Resource, Media Planning and so on.
• Jobs Prospects: Aspirants can become Business Writers, Script Writers, Screenplay Writers, Web content Writers, PR Managers, TV Anchors/Editors, Print Journalist, etc.

Masters of Arts in Media & Communication    

It is a post-graduation degree course acquainting aspirants with sociological, economic and cultural aspects of media.

• Syllabus: The courseware includes Media and Communication Theories, Approaches to Social Research, Sociology Dissertation, Media Information Markets, Political Communication, International Communications and Conflict, Globalization and City, Analysing Media Discourses, Media, Violence and Culture to mention a few.
• Job Prospects:Candidates become eligible for various high profile jobs such as Communication Leaders, Research and Business Analyst, Visual Communical Designer, Social Media Marketing Managers, etc.

MA in Photojournalism

A particular form of journalism, MA Photojournalism is a postgraduate mass communication course. It involves in collecting, editing as well as presenting of new material for broadcasting or publication and creates images to narrate a news story.

• Syllabus: During master’s degree in photojournalism, aspirants study Photo Journalism, Digital Photography, Professional Photo Journalism, Education in Photography, Camera Typology and Operations, Photo Journalism Ethics, Photography Equipment & Handling and Case Studies of Photo Journalism to mention a few.
• Job Prospects: Candidates can work as Photojournalists, Documentation Executive, Copy Editor & Content Writers, Communications Coach, etc.

Is Journalism for me? 

• Passion for writing
• Knowledge of Current Affair at National & International Level
• In-depth Knowledge of Cultural & Current Affair
• Communication skills
• Investigative Mind
• Proficiency in English Language
• Alertness