Finding A College For Mass Comm

IIT-JEE, CLAT, CAT... what about Mass Comm.? A respectable degree in Mass Communications, at least at the undergrad level, is pretty hard to find. While my friends are busy appearing for entrance tests left, right and center, I'm sitting at home and devoting all my time to writing. (Well, playing video games actually, but that's for inspiration!) But it doesn't take long to start wondering where I'll end up a two months from now. It's been a boring month, with almost everyone I know giving entrance tests and others busy discussing DU Colleges. And now that the frenzy of CETs and JEEs is over, my social media feeds are abuzz with results - with a few sorrowful sighs and some other cheerful cries. What about me?! Here's how I go about college hunting.

Looking for the perfect Mass Comm. program is pretty confusing – is the degree recognized? Is the college “good”? Is there more focus on Journalism? Acting? Directing? Placements? Aaargh! And with the recent scrapping of the CJET and CATE – whatever your take on it maybe – life’s definitely not becoming easier. Yes, there are a few lazy ones like me who see this as one less exam to prepare for; there are a few others I know, who’re not too happy with the cut off lists deciding their fate.  

The first question that came to my mind was “What?”
Mass Comm. is like an umbrella with a lot of different fields under it. You may want to become a movie-producer. A successful copywriter. Or maybe a star anchor on a news channel. Mass Comm. will help you in all of that, and more! And a bachelor’s degree program will be the foundation for you. But you may also do an honors course in English and then get into these fields. So it’s important to decide what it is that you’re looking for so as to simplify the searching process. It’s important to note that some people prefer the Institution and focus less on the course. That’s another approach that can be used – especially if you feel the ‘tag’ of a good university is important. Though, on a more personal level, I am more focused on the degree and what it has to offer. Aiming for the field of Filmmaking, it’s more important to know how stuff works and get hands-on experience. I am hence looking for places that offer a decent exposure to Film Studies and not just Journalism.

That led me to the question “Where”? 
From what I’ve heard, Delhi University usually offers a great Bachelor of Arts Degree with an honours in Journalism. The CJET is now history, so if your percentage in the Boards results is good enough for the cutoff, in you go! There's DCAC and Maharaja Agrasen among others. But what about those who messed up their Boards? And those who’re hoping for Advertising or Film? There are a few Mass Comm. degrees, but the options are severely restricted - mostly in Hindi. So that leaves us with GGSIPU (Indraprastha University or IP in short). IP offers a great program under the BJMC (Bachelor of Journalism and Mass Communications) degree. The entrance test is done and the results are out. But here again, the seats aren’t too many. Under IP, you’re looking at colleges like Tecnia, Madhubala Institute, JIMS and so on.

Finally, there’s the private players. Amity School of Communication, offers a pretty interesting BJMC degree and claim to provide awesome placements along with a pretty amazing campus. There’s also an attractive Scholarship Program for the toppers! But since it’s technically in Noida, it’s not an option for those looking for a ‘Delhi Degree’ as the degree is awarded by Amity University, Uttar Pradesh. In fact, there are a number of universities coming up on the Noida – Greater Noida side; as well as Gurgaon that offer BJMC courses. So if you’re not too afraid to experiment with a new place, your options are definitely more! Similarly, there are a number of academies offering affiliated degrees – with excellent infrastructure and hands on training. Check out the HTcampus.com page for info on these.

Hence, all in all, while the task may seem daunting, you still have great options, my friends. My own list includes Amity, IP and DU. I’ve got into Amity and IP (I got a rank 4, yay!). I’ll have to wait, just like a lot of you, for DU as I keep my fingers crossed for the Boards results. So good luck! And hurry, the earlier you act, the better!