Bachelor of Arts in Journalism & Mass Communication Eligibility, Top Colleges, Syllabus, Duration, Salary

BA in Journalism & Mass Communication is a 3-year undergraduate course divided into 6 semesters. The course is offered as B.A.J.M. in the Sikkim Manipal University.

Some institutes abbreviate this course as ty, which also stands for the aforesaid. The course has been designed to offer enrolled students:

• Basic journalistic skills in various mass media, to expose students to recent developments in media issues and media research.
• Professional familiarity with the various technologies involved in mass media like computer applications, respective software and hardware applied in print, radio, television, internet and such forms of media.

Some of the institutes that offer the course in India are listed here:

• Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media (IIJNM), Bangalore
• Symbiosis Institute of Journalism & Mass Communication (SIMC), Pune
• Indian Institute of Journalism & Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi
• Mudra Institute of Communications (MICA), Ahmedabad
• Asian College of Journalism, Chennai             
• Xavier Institute of Communication (XIC), Mumbai.

Some of the top entrance tests conducted for admission to the course in India are:

• Asian College of Journalism Entrance Exam
• Indian Institute of Journalism & Mass Communication Entrance Exam
• International School of Business and Media Entrance Exam
• Jamia Milia Islamia Entrance Exam
• Manipal Institute of Communication Entrance Exam.

The basic eligibility criterion for pursuing the course is a 10+2 or equivalent qualification in any stream, from a recognized educational Board, with a minimum aggregate score of 50%.

Admission to the course is based on the candidate’s performance in a relevant entrance exam, or merit obtained in the last qualifying exam.

The average tuition fee charged for the course in India ranges between INR 2,000 to 5 lacs for a span of 3 years.

Successful graduates of the course can expect anything between INR 4 to 10 lacs as annual salary in the industry, increasing with experience and skillset.

Such graduates are hired in capacities such as:

• Feature Writer, Columnist, Fashion Photographer.
• News Analyst, Public Relations Officer, Radio Jockey (RJ).
• Special Correspondent, Video Jockey (VJ), TV Correspondent.
• Staff or Freelance Writer, Correspondent, Illustrator, Photojournalist, Journalist, etc.

BA in Journalism & Mass Communication: Course Highlights

Listed below are some of the major highlights of the course.

BA in Journalism & Mass Communication: What is it About?

Journalism is the correspondence of information between the news and the general population. Journalism is fundamentally founded upon standards of truth, autonomy, and transparency. Mass communication tools such as radio, TV, portable, web-based social networking fall within the purview of mass communication.

A journalist or writer covers relevant information or data related to business, culture, governmental issues, financial matters, history, amusement, and games, etc.

The program is best suited for eligible candidates with interest in, and aptitude for investigation and reporting of happenings, issues, trends, and stories around the world to a vast audience through mediums like newspapers, magazine, television, internet, etc.

Such candidates would ideally possess the ability to think analytically, and write across platforms, including web writing and copy editing.

The course has been designed to train enrolled students in skills of editing, writing, photographing, etc. Such professionals are typically employed with newspapers, periodicals and magazines, central information services, press information bureaus, websites, AIR and TV channels.

Successful grauates of the course can also take up job positions involving writing for multimedia and the web, such as writing news and other articles. They must have the requisite skills for writing precise news stories adaptive to contexts and settings.

Top Institutes offering BA in Journalism & Mass Communication

Listed below are some of the top institutes in India that offer the course.

Eligibility for BA in Journalism & Mass Communication

Listed below are the minimum criteria which candidates interested in pursuing the course are required to fulfil, in order to be eligible to apply for the course.

• Successful completion of the 10+2 level of education in any stream, completed from a recognized university.
• A minimum aggregate score of 50% (45% for SC/ST candidates) at the 10+2 level.

BA in Journalism & Mass Communication: Admission Process

Most institutes offering the course admit students based on performance in a relevant entrance test, often followed by a round of personal interview, wherein their general aptitude for the course is tested. Admission process generally varies across colleges.

A few institutes also provide direct admission based on the candidate’s performance at the 10+2 level.

Institutes such as the following conduct entrance tests for admission to the course:

• IIMC- Indian Institute of Journalism and Mass Communication
• MICA- Mudra Institute of Communications.

Listed below are some of the top entrance exams conducted in the country for admission to the course.

• Asian College of Journalism Entrance Exam
• Indian Institute of Journalism & Mass Communication Entrance Exam
• International School of Business and Media Entrance Exam
• Jamia Milia Islamia Entrance Exam
• Manipal Institute of Communication Entrance Exam
• Symbiosis institute of Journalism & Mass Communication Entrance Exam
• Xavier Institute of Communications Entrance Exam
• Mudra Institute of Communication Entrance Exam
• Andhra University Common Entrance Test
• Symbiosis National Aptitude Test.

BA in Journalism & Mass Communication: Syllabus and Course Description

A semester-wise breakup of the course’s syllabus is tabulated here.

BA in Journalism & Mass Communication: Career Prospects

For creative, expressive extroverts, Journalism & Mass Communication is the field best suited. The proliferation of media into the society now, through mediums such as television, newspaper, radio, advertising, PR etc., is greatly improving the program’s popularity.

Some of the popular professional avenues open to successful graduates of the course are listed below with the corresponding salaries offered for the respective positions.

1. A candidate who secures a minimum of 45% marks in the aggregate at the H.S. (10+2) or in an equivalent examination shall be eligible for admission to the B.A. Degree course of studies provided he/she passed in English having full marks not being less than 100.
2. However, candidates belonging to the SC or ST communities taking up Major Course of Study must have obtained a minimum of 40% marks in the aggregate or 40% marks in the subject or related subjects at the previous qualifying examinations, as the case may be.

Selection is based on the Merit and Test conducted by the University.