With the increased connectivity and events, there is a constant need for journalists who can share the ground report with the public. Journalism is also referred to as the fourth pillar of democracy. If you compare today’s journalism with decade-old journalism, then you will find that the techniques and technology have evolved drastically. Today, there is a lot of stress on social and digital media. In such a case, the benchmark keeps on getting higher than ever. If you are interested in pursuing a career in Journalism, then you should get the best possible education as that is the only way to prepare yourself for the industry.
After getting many queries from the students interested in Journalism, we decided to pen down the list of top journalism courses that you can choose after 12th in India. We have also listed a short description of these courses. Go ahead and check them out now.
Here are some of the top trending courses after the 12th that can help you specialise in journalism. Go through them, and you will be able to find something that interests you.
Let us begin the list by talking about the most popular diploma program in Mass Communication. The duration of this program is two years, and it teaches you the required skills to enter the mass communication industry. The primary purpose of the course is to teach the students about research and the use of technology. A student must do the homework before publishing the article since we deal with the pandemic of fake news. To maintain credibility, the course teaches the student about verifying the source of information. Overall, it is an excellent course for 12th pass students willing to join the Journalism domain.
Bachelor of Media Science, also known as BMSc, is a course that is open for all streams. The course teaches you about journalism in newspaper, radio and TV. The course also tells you how the dynamics of reporting industry are. Apart from this, you are taught about the various instruments used in the industry. After the course, most people end up with a field job, and you can get a chance to be a reporter on the field. You need to have a lot of flexibility and respect for deadlines, and you also need to be a good team player to succeed in this field. The duration of this program is three years.
If you are looking for an honours course in BA, you can certainly go ahead with Bachelor of Arts Honours in Mass Communication & Journalism. This program is a three year program, and the admission is provided based on a merit basis. In the program, you learn about the mass media delivery techniques, and it teaches you about the right way to deliver the news to the mass audience. You get a lot of assignments during the course based on which you are evaluated. This program also teaches you about photography and editing skills that you would need to succeed in Journalism.
You will never be able to deny that we live in a society where convergent journalism is practised a lot. In such a case, some universities have come up with a dedicated BA program in convergent journalism. If you do not know about it, let us tell you that convergent journalism talks about tailoring the story to fit a particular type of medium/media. You will be taught about fitting a story in broadcast, website, blog, microblogs and even in print form. The duration of this course varies from one institute to another. Some institutes provide a six-month course, while some institutes provide three year program.
A large population in India still depends on Hindi as a primary mode of communication. Now, there are chances that the media house primarily works in Hindi, and there are chances that the media house adopts convergent journalism to translate the stories in Hindi. The market is too large to be ignored, and hence this gives rise to a requirement of students who have a degree in Hindi Journalism. You will be glad to know that many colleges offer the degree in Hindi Journalism, and the main criteria of the admission in this course are also based on merit. The total duration of this bachelor program is three years.
If you are looking for a plain vanilla course that teaches you about journalism, you can also go for a BA in Journalism. The students who plan to opt for this course should have good communication skills. During the course, you are taught about journalism, editing skills, presentation and you are also taught about the laws around the media and the Indian constitution. Lastly, development psychology is also a part of this course. The total duration of this bachelor program is three years, and by the end of the course, you will learn a lot about story-telling skills and other essential things.
One of the most popular courses in Journalism is BA in Journalism & Mass Communication. The cut-off for this three year program usually skyrockets, and you will find some universities that have cut-off as high as 99%. In such a case, if you are eligible for this program, then take the admission without any doubt. This program is comprehensive, and it teaches you about media advertising, print journalism and even digital form of communications. The course is modified and updated in a way to suit the requirements of every mode of communication. During the course, you also develop a robust analytical approach along with critical thinking and communication skills. The total duration of this program is also three years.
If you would like to specialise in the mass media practices in journalism, then you should opt for BA in Mass Communication. The course will help you with the understanding of media platforms that are popular in today’s age. You will also learn about the importance of mass media in forming an opinion and getting a public opinion. Here, you will learn about the mediums like magazines, television, newspaper and even films. All these are the main ways to deliver information to the public on a mass scale. The duration of this course is five years, and the admissions are granted on a merit basis.
Apart from the regular BA and B.Sc. course, you can opt for the BJ course, also known as Bachelor of Journalism. You can pursue this course directly after the 12th, and you are taught about research, writing, reporting, editing, compiling and presenting the information to the audience. You are also taught about the electronic and written media in this course, and admission to BJ is based on a merit basis. Overall, it is a good option for the students looking for a specialisation in Journalism,
Bachelor of Mass Communication is also referred to as BMC, and this is yet another popular three year program for those who would like to pursue a career in Journalism. Along with the editing and writing skills, you are also taught about the different means to deliver the information via mass communication channels. Apart from this, you are taught about manipulation of the public & persuasion techniques too. After the course, you can take up a job in Journalism, TV, Film Making, Public Relations and even Event Management Companies. The admission process with this program varies, and you will come across universities that conduct an entrance test for offering admission.
We have seen a lot of science students coming forward and opting for Journalism courses. If you are also a science student but if you would like to make a career in Journalism, then you can avoid the BA program and instead get into a B.Sc. program. The program has the same duration, and the course content is also similar to the BA. Mass Communication & Journalism program. What makes it different from in B.Sc. Mass Communication & Journalism, you are also taught about computer applications, networking and other technology-related components.
Some of the courses focus on journalism & mass communication; however, some students might only learn about mass communication. For such students, the appropriate course would be B.Sc. in Mass Communication. The course helps you in polishing the skills required for the mass communication industry. Apart from this, you are also taught the correct way to research the information before publishing it for a large audience. You should be very dynamic, and you should have good communication skills if you wish to pursue this course. The duration of this B.Sc. program is also three years.
We have talked about the B.Sc. in Mass Communication & Journalism, but we understand that some students only aim for the advertising industry. If you have similar goals as a science student, you can opt for a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication, Advertising & Journalism. Apart from the regular Journalism stuff, you are taught about the advertising industry too. You are taught about using social media and other high-tech tools in the production of advertising campaigns, which prepares you to enter the advertising agencies across the globe. The total duration of B.Sc. in Mass Communication, Advertising & Journalism is three years.
There is a lot that happens in the newsroom. It is much like well-oiled machinery that needs to work in sync all the time for the broadcast to happen. You need to have a set of skills to work in that high pressure broadcast room. Diploma in Broadcast Journalism is one such course that can help you in learning those basic skills in just 12 months. It teaches you about how to cover the breaking news and all the technology behind the delivery of these sensational items to the public. You have to go through the theory and practical classes to complete this diploma program.
Business Journalism & Corporate Communication is a field that has somehow not got enough attention. There is no bachelor program in this field, but you certainly have an opportunity to go for a diploma level program. This program was first started in 2004, and since then, it has been an integral part of the corporates across the country. The program focuses on a business’s PR activities, and hence it teaches you about PR, Advertising, and corporate communication & business journalism. The duration of this diploma program is one year.
There are two such diploma programs that we would like to talk about on this point. The first one is a Diploma in Journalism & Mass Communication, while the other one is a Diploma in Journalism. Both are pretty similar, and they are nothing but the fast-tracked version of the bachelor program. The total duration of these two courses is two years, and you can choose the one according to your interest. The admission is usually provided on a merit basis. The job titles you can get after completing these diploma programs are news reporter, scriptwriter, media researcher, proofreader, creative visualiser. Media planner and even content developer.
Final Verdict
We have covered all the major diploma and bachelor level courses for the students who are willing to opt for Journalism as their career domain. We hope that this information would help you make the right choice in your career direction. If you are looking for more information about journalism courses after the 12th in India, you can leave a comment. We will request our experts to respond shortly.
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