Education and Career Forum

I have completed my engg degree in I got into a company as a content writer in May and have been working there since. In the final year itself I had decided that I would be going for a journalism or Mass comm degree, but now am in doubt. I want to know what benefits can a mass comm degree offer and what would be better to go for MA or BA for I've done my grad and have an exp of almost one yr. Plz provide me with the exam details of some good colleges. Thank you.

Originally Posted by sunnysuman

I have completed my engg degree in I got into a company as a content writer in May and have been working there since. In the final year itself I had decided that I would be going for a journalism or Mass comm degree, but now am in doubt. I want to know what benefits can a mass comm degree offer and what would be better to go for MA or BA for I've done my grad and have an exp of almost one yr. Plz provide me with the exam details of some good colleges. Thank you.

Hi sunny,
You are a different thinker than any one i find it clearly.
I will provide all the details about mass communication ok...



SCOPE OF MASS COMMUNICATION:

Why should one go for a course in media and communication when one has endless list of courses to choose from? What is there in it that makes it different from others? These are the questions that are often asked.

A decade back, mass communication classes used to had only a handful number of students but now scenario has changed immensely. The vast job opportunities thrown by it in different areas like Newspapers, journals, advertising firms, radio, production houses, publication houses and Television are enough to fascinate any student towards taking up this course vis-à-vis others. Apart from number of jobs, the challenge, creative satisfaction and good remuneration package that these jobs are some of the other factors for the students to move towards it. Plus, if one wants name and fame this is the best field. By taking up professions like Radio Jockeys or Anchors one can shot to fame instantly.

Mass communication course encompasses various streams. From advertising to Journalism to Public Relations, a student can opt for any field he likes.

HISTORY OF MASS COMMUNICATION IN INDIA



Mass communication has evolved into a specialized field today. Till few years back, the course in Mass Communication was not an eligibility to join any media. A person with an English Honors degree or Economics Honors degree with an interest in current affairs was easily accorded the position of a journalist or sub-editor in a newspaper. If somebody has an artistic bent of media and a graduate, the road to a advertisement agency used to be easy for him/her. But scene has undergone a sea change today. Students with Journalism and Mass Communication degree are given preference over a simple graduate. The first institute to provide a formal education in the field of mass communication is the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC).Located in the JNU campus, it was set up by the government in 1965. In 1966 it was made an autonomous Institution under the ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Today it has number of courses relating to different Medias.

After IIMC, the institute where most of the students were seen making a beeline for a course in media is AJ Kidwai Mass communication Research Centre (AJK MCRC). A centre under Jamia Milia University, it was set up in 80s with the collaboration of York University in Toronto to provide education at master’s level. Most of the country’s finest producers, directors and Journalist are the product of AJK MCRC and IIMC.


MASS COMMUNICATION CAREERS:


Why should one go for a course in media and communication when one has endless list of courses to choose from? What is there in it that makes it different from others? These are the questions that are often asked.

A decade back, mass communication classes used to had only a handful number of students but now scenario has changed immensely. The vast job opportunities thrown by it in different areas like Newspapers, journals, advertising firms, radio, production houses, publication houses and Television are enough to fascinate any student towards taking up this course vis-à-vis others. Apart from number of jobs, the challenge, creative satisfaction and good remuneration package that these jobs are some of the other factors for the students to move towards it. Plus, if one wants name and fame this is the best field. By taking up professions like Radio Jockeys or Anchors one can shot to fame instantly.

Mass communication course encompasses various streams. From advertising to Journalism to Public Relations, a student can opt for any field he likes.

Mass Communication Careers


A student who takes up Mass Communication has number of career options before him. He/she can opt as a Copy writer if he wants to go into Advertising, a Journalist if he has a nose for news and Public Relations officer if he wants to be the image builder of the company. After completing their course in mass communication one can work as a copywriter, advertising professional, journalist, news anchor and a PR Officer. Though the nature of their work varies widely, most of them have to work in tight deadlines.

'News' for instance cannot be taken lightly and put off for another day as it would become stale and won’t sell. A journalist has to rush whenever any news breaks in. He has a 24-hour job. A copywriter too has to meet the deadlines. Anybody planning to enter this field must prepare himself to work in odd hours. Like other fields where the working hours are generally found to be between 9am and 5pm, in the media field one has to work in shifts. Though there are some positions in the media where one is required to contribute fixed eight hours of work during the day time, but such jobs are very few. In a nutshell, the field of media is quite interesting and rewarding but at the same time it demands lots of time, energy and hard work from one. So if you have the passion to defeat deadlines and ready to work as it comes to you at any time of the day, you are the right person this industry is looking for. Various mass communication related careers and the nature of their work are described below:

Journalist :

Journalist’s work is basically to collect the news and file it at the end of the day. But gathering news is not easy as it seems. In order to get the news, a Journalist has to win the confidence of the people. His day starts with going to the office and then checking with his sources about the happenings around. If he has some news, he goes to the field to cover it. After the news is collected, a journalist is required to come back to the office and write it for the reader. A journalist usually gets free at 9 in the evening (every organization has own timings) but he can be again sent to field in case any news breaks out.

Television and online journalism has taken off in the last 5 years only while radio is still a popular source of news in remote-villages. A student who wants to be a journalist should have a keen interest in current affairs. He should have an inquisitive mind and should have the ability of going along well with the people. Patience is another quality which is looked after in a good Journalist.

Click here to read more on career in Journalism

Advertising:


Advertising is the tool for informing and influencing the general public to purchase products or services through visual or oral messages.

Advertising:


Advertising is the tool for informing and influencing the general public to purchase products or services through visual or oral messages.

The basic idea of advertising is to create awareness in the minds of potential customers.Some of the normally used media for advertising are: TV, radio, websites, newspapers, magazines, bill-boards, hoardings etc.

With the globalization of Indian economy along with the arrival of more and more MNCs to India, a lucrative career option for professional proficient in advertising & marketing of products has surely surfaced in a big way.

Click here to learn more on advertising.

News Anchor:


A News reader or News Anchor is the face of a TV news channel. A person holding the position of News Anchor faces a big responsibility. One mistake on the part of News Anchor can land News Channel in trouble. So a News Reader has to be very alert. After coming to the office, a News Anchor has to see what the latest news is. He should go through the script which he has to read in the bulletin.

Copy Writer :


The professional working as a Copywriter is usually employed in an advertising firm or advertising department of a newspaper or Television. The work of a copywriter involves writing slogans, punch lines and jingles for his/her an advertising clients. The text should be such that a customer gets easily fascinated by it and make up his mind to purchase the product. Advertisement campaign often involves very strict deadlines and late working shifts.

Click here to learn more on advertising and copy writing.

Media Planner:



The advertising firm prepares the advertisement but the task of putting it in the different kinds of Media (print, radio, television) is handled by Media Planner. While selecting the media, a Media planner first of all understands the target audience the advertiser is trying to reach. He then researches the magazines the audience likes to read and the type of TV programmes it watches. A media planner also decides the timings of advertisements. After carrying out these tasks, Media Planner has to book advertising space with media owners. He has to work in a specific budget.

Click here to learn more on media planning and advertising.

TV Producer :


A television producer's work involves coordinating all aspects of production. From idea development to casting actors to oversee technical crew, a television producer has to do everything. The responsibility of smooth running of a particular programme depends on him. A television producer has to work under lot of pressure. But usually television producers are problem solvers. Despite heavy work pressure, they are able to deliver good results.

Camera Person :


A programme or a movie cannot be shot without a Camera person. A camera person plays an important role in making of any show or programme. The working hours of a Camera Person depends on the programme with which he/she is associated with. There are no fixed working hours for a camera person. The camera persons employed in news channel have to go with the Reporters for shooting. Thought they are allotted a particular shift but like Journalist they can anytime be asked to go to the field for covering the news.

Public Relations Officer (PRO) :


Image is very important for any organization. Here comes in the picture the role of the Public Relation Officer, popularly known as PRO. His task is to bring the organization’s accomplishment before the public through newspapers and television. A PRO either works in a Public relation department of a company or in a PR agency. In the PR agency, a PRO has to handle different clients simultaneously but a person donning the hat of a PRO for a particular company has to oversee the task of that company only.

For details about Public Relations Officer, click here

Copy Editor :


Most of the people holding the designation of ‘Copy Editor’ work in publication houses, which are engaged in publication of different books. A copy editor mainly review, rewrite, and edit the work of the writers. Sometimes they do the original writing also. A senior copy editor even plans the content of the books and oversees the production of the publications. The working hours of a copy editor varies from organization to organization . Some publication houses have regular office hours in which editors have to work between 9am and 5pm. In some of other publication houses, an Editor has to work in shifts.

For careers in publishing, click here

Film-making :


All of us love films and often discuss about them but are little aware about a career in film-making. Making films through various films recording medium is known as film making. This is a separate stream that has obtained position under Mass Communication course. It is highly interesting field but at the same time challenging also. World over various types of films are made like documentaries, promotional films, newsreels, feature films, TV commercials and music videos. All films make use of different technologies.

A film basically goes through five stages- Development, pre-Production, Production, Post Production and distribution. A film maker is the captain of the ship, who has to be involved in everything. He has to work in close co-ordination with all the members of the team and take out the best from every one. There are lots of employment opportunities in the area of film-making. Making of a film requires many professionals to work together. In the film, a director, scriptwriter, editor, cameraman has to coordinate.

There are various other careers that one can pursue after studying Mass Communication. To learn more about Mass Communication related careers.


Top Mass Communication Institutes in India




Mass Communication is one of the most sought after courses in India today. The demand for Mass Communication courses has led to the opening of several Mass Communication institutes all over India. These institutes offer specialized courses in various fields of mass communication including advertising, journalism, and marketing. The list of top Mass Communication Institutes offering Bachelor's or diploma programs are listed below:

1 IIMC, New Delhi
2 Symbiosis Institute of Mass Communication, Pune
3 Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad
4 AJ Kidwai Mass Comm Research Centre, Jamia, New Delhi
5 Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media, Bangalore
6 Xavier Institute of Communication, Mumbai
7 Asian College of Journalism, Chennai
8 Film and Television Institute of India, Pune
9 Manorama School of Communication, Kottayam
10 Times School of Journalism, New Delhi
11 Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi
12 Institute of Mass Communication Film & Television Studies, Kolkata
13 Academy for Photographic Excellence (APEx), New Delhi
14 Academy of Broadcasting, Chandigarh
15 Advertising Club - Anna Salai, Tamil Nadu
16 Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh
17 Amity School of Journalism and Communication, New Delhi
18 ARENA Animation – Andheri, Mumbai
19 Asian Academy of Film & Television, Noida
20 BHU - Department of Journalism & Mass Communication, Varanasi
21 Bharati Vidya Bhavan’s Sardar Patel College of Communication & Management, New Delhi
22 Birla Institute of Technology, Noida
23 Chennai Christian College, Chennai
24
Convergence Institute of Media, Mgmt. and Information Tech. Studies, Bangalore

25
Delhi College of Arts & Commerce, New Delhi

26 EMPI Institute of Advertising & Communication, New Delhi
27 Fergusson College, Pune
28 Goa University - Taleigao Plateau, Goa
29 Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar
30 Indian Institute for Development in Education and Advanced Studies, Navrangpura
31 Industrial Design Centre – Powai, Mumbai
32 Institute of Advance Studies in Education, Bareilly
33 Institute of Multimedia and Animation (IMA) - Palarivattom, Kerala
34 International Institute of Event Management (IEM), Mumbai
35 Jamia Millia Islamia (A Central University), New Delhi
36 Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
37 K.C. College of Management Studies, Mumbai
38 Kashi Vidyapeeth, Varanasi
39 Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra
40 Lovely Professional University - Phagwara, Punjab
41 Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai
42 Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak
43 Manipal Institute of Communication, Manipal
44 MassCoMedia Pvt Ltd, Noida
45 Media Village – Changanassery, Kerala
46 Mumbai University, Mumbai
47 Nagarjuna University – Guntur, Andhra Pradesh
48 Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai
49 National Institute for Media Studies, Ahmedabad
50 National Institute of Advertising, New Delhi



Mass Communication Institutes in India
Delhi Haryana
Himachal Pradesh
Jammu Kashmir
Punjab
Rajasthan
Uttaranchal
Chandigarh
Andhra Pradesh
Hyderabad
Tamilnadu
Chennai
Karnataka
Bangalore
Kerala
Pondicherry
Bihar
Orissa
Kolkata
West Bengal
Ahmedabad
Gujarat
Mumbai
Maharashtra
Pune
Assam
Tripura
Meghalaya
Chhattisgarh
Jharkhand

Arunachal Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh



Bachelor's Program in Mass Communication in India


The undergraduate program in mass communication is of three year term and comprises of six semesters. Students after completing 10+2 in any stream with at least 50 percent marks are eligible to opt for this course. But selection is not done on the basis of marks a student has obtained at 10+2 level. A student in order to grab a seat in his favourite university or institute has to go through an entrance test and an interview. The number of universities offering course at undergraduate level has increased in the recent past. And its no wonder that more and more students are also keen to go for a bachelor’s in mass communication instead of enrolling in masters. The course at undergraduate level provides a firm background in social and behavioral sciences. Some of the universities also include in their first two semesters the subjects like Indian History, Politics and Economics.

A student is also familiarized with the Constitution of India by including a separate subject on it. He is not just taught theory part, but efforts are also made to provide him enough practical exposure. At the end of the course, students go through four weeks internship in various news channels, production houses and advertising firms.

There are number of Universities in India which offer Bachelors in Mass Communication. Some of the well-known and reputed universities are - Delhi University, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and MakhanLal Chathurvedi National University.

Eligibility

A student who wishes to enroll himself/herself in Bachelors of Mass Communication must make sure that he/she meets the eligibility criteria of Institutes and Universities which offers course at undergraduate level. Age and Educational Qualifications are the two most important things which are taken into consideration while setting eligibility criteria.

Age : For gaining admission to any undergraduate degree in Mass Communication from any University or Institute, a student should be 17 years of age at the time of admission or should complete 17 years before 1st October of the year in which admission is sought.

Education Qualification : To be eligible for pursuing Mass Communication or any stream of it, a student’s successful completion of 10+2 from Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) or any other examination recognised as equivalent to it is must. The minimum marks for gaining admission are 45 percent. However, most of the universities insist on 1st division in aggregate of 3 main subjects and 1 elective subject in XIIth standard. Some colleges also want their student to be fluent in English language and expect at least 75 marks in the subject.

Note : Every institute and university has its own eligibility criteria. Students are advised to check out with each college separately.

Related Links

Careers in Mass Communication
Mass Communication Institutes in India
Masters in Mass Communication
PG Diploma in Mass Communication


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