Master of Arts | M.A.

Journalism and Mass Communication

  • Course Overview
  • Why Choose This Course?
  • Curriculum
  • Fee Structure
  • FAQs

The Master of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication is a postgraduate program with a duration of two years designed to provide advanced academic understanding of journalism, media systems, and communication processes. The course emphasizes critical analysis, media ethics, communication theories, and the evolving role of media in society.

The program covers the specialization of Journalism and Mass Communication and integrates practical exposure through media labs, newsroom simulations, research projects, fieldwork, and internships. It is structured to enhance professional competencies and ensure industry relevance across print, broadcast, digital, and strategic communication domains.

Job Opportunities
Graduates of this program can pursue diverse career paths, including:
Journalist – Collects, analyzes, and reports news across print, broadcast, and digital platforms.
News Editor – Oversees content selection, editing, and newsroom operations.
Media Researcher – Conducts research on media trends, audiences, and communication impact.
Public Relations Executive – Manages organizational communication and public image strategies.
Content Strategist – Plans and develops content for digital and multimedia platforms.
Broadcast Producer – Coordinates production of television and radio programs.
Digital Media Manager – Handles online media channels, analytics, and audience engagement.
Corporate Communication Officer – Manages internal and external corporate communications.
Academic Assistant – Supports teaching and research activities in media and communication studies.

Focused Industries
The demand for skilled journalism and mass communication professionals continues across India and globally due to the expansion of digital media, information services, and strategic communication roles in public and private sectors.

  • Media and Broadcasting – News channels, radio networks

  • Digital Media – Online news portals, content platforms

  • Advertising and Marketing – Creative agencies, brand consultancies

  • Public Relations – Corporate and public sector organizations

  • Education and Research – Universities, research institutions

  • Corporate Communications – Multinational and domestic enterprises

Market Leader Companies
Indian Companies: Times Group, Network18, Zee Media, NDTV, Hindustan Times, Indian Express
International Companies: BBC, CNN, Reuters, Bloomberg, The New York Times, Al Jazeera

Future Forecast -
The journalism and mass communication sector is undergoing continuous transformation driven by digital platforms, data-driven storytelling, and evolving audience engagement models. The field offers long-term career sustainability through adaptability to new media technologies, research-oriented roles, and interdisciplinary communication practices.

Why Choose
This program offers a balanced blend of theoretical depth and practical exposure, enabling students to critically understand media systems while developing professional communication skills.

It supports academic progression, research orientation, and diverse career pathways across journalism, media management, and communication-related domains.

๐ŸŒŸ Why Choose M.A. (Master of Arts)?

The Master of Arts (M.A.) is one of the most versatile postgraduate degrees, offering the depth of knowledge, analytical thinking, and communication skills needed across government, academia, journalism, counseling, international relations, and more.

Unlike technical degrees that focus on tools or platforms, the M.A. is about nurturing your intellect, values, and understanding of the world — helping you create meaningful impact in society, culture, education, or governance.

๐ŸŽ“ “The M.A. doesn’t just teach you about the world — it empowers you to change it.”


๐Ÿงญ Career Progression Map

      Bachelor’s Degree (Any Discipline)
                    โ”‚
                    โ–ผ
           ๐ŸŽ“ Master of Arts (M.A.)
                    โ”‚
    โ”Œโ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”ฌโ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”ฌโ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”
    โ–ผ               โ–ผ               โ–ผ               โ–ผ
๐Ÿ“š PhD / UGC-NET   ๐Ÿ› Govt Services  ๐Ÿง  Counseling   ๐Ÿ“ฐ Media/Comms
    โ”‚               โ”‚               โ”‚               โ”‚
    โ–ผ               โ–ผ               โ–ผ               โ–ผ
๐Ÿ‘ฉ‍๐Ÿซ Prof / Researcher ๐ŸŽ–๏ธ IAS/PCS Officer ๐Ÿ’ฌ Psychologist  ๐Ÿ—ž๏ธ Editor/Strategist


 

๐ŸŽฏ Skill Wheel – What You’ll Gain

Domain Core Skills Developed
๐Ÿง  Critical Thinking Questioning norms, ideation, logical reasoning
โœ๏ธ Writing & Communication Structured essays, arguments, publishing
๐Ÿ“Š Research & Analysis Data interpretation, fieldwork, surveys
๐ŸŒ Cultural Understanding Global awareness, diversity, context sensitivity
๐Ÿ› Policy & Governance Public systems, institutions, decision-making
๐ŸŽ™๏ธ Public Speaking Debates, seminars, storytelling

โœ… These skills are valued in UPSC, media houses, NGOs, schools, universities, and policy think tanks.


๐ŸŒฟ Specialization Tree (Pick Your Stream)


           M.A. Program
                โ”‚
 โ”Œโ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”ฌโ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”ฌโ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”
 โ–ผ            โ–ผ            โ–ผ            โ–ผ
English     Psychology   Political     History
                           Science


 
Stream Sample Focus Areas Career Trajectories
๐Ÿ“š English Lit. Literary Criticism, Postcolonial, Film Lit Editor, Educator, Content Lead
๐Ÿง  Psychology Clinical, Developmental, Counseling School Counselor, HR, NGO Mental Health
๐Ÿ› Political Sci. Indian Polity, International Relations UPSC, Policy Analyst, Embassy Attache
๐Ÿ“œ History Medieval, Modern, World Civilizations Museum Curator, Historian, Educator
๐ŸŒ Sociology Gender, Urban Studies, Inequality Development Sector, Research Fellow
๐Ÿ“ˆ Economics Micro/Macro, Econometrics, Policy Analyst, Consultant, Economist

๐Ÿ’ผ Real-World Job Examples

๐ŸŽฏ Role ๐Ÿ’ผ Sector ๐Ÿ’ฐ Avg Salary (INR)
๐Ÿ‘ฉ‍๐Ÿซ Assistant Professor (UGC-NET) Higher Education โ‚น5 – โ‚น10 LPA
๐Ÿง  School Psychologist K–12 Education / NGOs โ‚น4 – โ‚น8 LPA
๐Ÿ› Policy Researcher Think Tanks / Govt Projects โ‚น6 – โ‚น12 LPA
๐Ÿ“ฐ Content Strategist / Editor Media / Publishing โ‚น5 – โ‚น9 LPA
๐ŸŽ–๏ธ Civil Services (UPSC, PSC) Government Admin Services โ‚น8 – โ‚น15 LPA
๐ŸŒ Social Impact Consultant UN, World Bank, NGOs โ‚น6 – โ‚น12 LPA

๐Ÿ“ˆ Why the M.A. is a Smart, Future-Focused Choice

  • โœ… NET & PhD Ready – Build a path toward research and teaching

  • ๐Ÿ› UPSC & Civil Services Prep – Covers Indian polity, economics, society

  • ๐Ÿ’ผ Social Impact Careers – NGOs, policy think tanks, education reform

  • ๐Ÿง  Mental Health Relevance – Psychology opens doors in wellness & counseling

  • ๐Ÿ“ฐ Creative + Strategic Roles – Content creation, editorial, communications

  • ๐ŸŒ Globally Valued – Offers pathways into diplomacy, development, and academia


๐Ÿš€ ScholarIQ’s Edge for M.A. Students

Tool/Feature What It Delivers
๐Ÿงญ Career Discovery Match your stream with 10+ real-world roles
๐Ÿ“˜ Visual Syllabus Guide Semester flow + specialization suggestions
๐ŸŽฏ Civil Services Toolkit Free resources for UPSC, PCS, NET
๐Ÿ’ฌ Virtual Mentors Prep support for academia, media, or counseling
๐Ÿ“ˆ Skill Gap Dashboard Learn what’s trending in careers you aim for
๐Ÿ’ผ Portfolio Builder Help creating writing, research, and LOR assets


 

๐Ÿ“˜ Semester-Wise Syllabus for M.A. (Master of Arts)

โณ Program Duration: 2 Years | ๐Ÿ“š Total Semesters: 4
๐ŸŽ“ Credit Load: 80–96 | ๐Ÿ“„ Core + Electives + Research Project

Most universities offer streams like English, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, History, Hindi, Economics, etc. The structure below is universal, while electives & topics vary by specialization.


๐Ÿง  Year 1: Conceptual Foundations & Core Theories

๐Ÿ“… Semester 1 ๐Ÿ“… Semester 2
Core Paper 1 – Introduction to Discipline Core Paper 3 – Theoretical Frameworks
Core Paper 2 – Methodology & Approaches Core Paper 4 – Social / Cultural Perspectives
Elective I – Discipline Adjacent Topic Elective II – Applied Concepts
Open Elective (Interdisciplinary Course) Seminar Presentation / Group Project
Research Methodology Basics / Fieldwork Internal Assessment + Mid-Term Paper

๐Ÿ” Example: M.A. in English Literature

๐Ÿ“… Semester 1 ๐Ÿ“… Semester 2
History of English Literature Indian Literature in English
Literary Criticism & Theory American / World Literature
Poetry: Chaucer to Modern Modern Drama / Fiction
Elective I (Film & Literature / Translation) Elective II (Postcolonial / Diaspora Lit)

๐Ÿ› Example: M.A. in Political Science

๐Ÿ“… Semester 1 ๐Ÿ“… Semester 2
Western Political Thought Indian Political Thought
Theories of State and Sovereignty Comparative Politics
Indian Constitution and Institutions International Relations
Elective I (Public Admin / Policy Studies) Elective II (Gender & Politics / Environment)

๐ŸŽฏ Year 2: Specialization, Research & Career Integration

๐Ÿ“… Semester 3 ๐Ÿ“… Semester 4
Advanced Paper I (Based on Specialization) Research Dissertation / Viva
Advanced Paper II Elective IV – Interdisciplinary/Industry Linked
Elective III Seminar / Colloquium / Peer Review
Fieldwork / Internship (Psychology/Sociology) Skill-Based Workshop (Digital Tools/Report)

๐Ÿงช Elective Samples by Stream

Stream Elective Topics
๐Ÿง  Psychology Abnormal Psychology, Counseling, Psychometry
๐Ÿ“š English Lit. Gender Studies, Postcolonialism, Literary Adaptation
๐Ÿ› Political Science Diplomacy, Global Governance, Election Studies
๐Ÿ“œ History Art & Architecture, Environmental History, Heritage Studies
๐ŸŒ Sociology Urban Sociology, Marginalized Communities, Religion & Society
๐Ÿ“ˆ Economics Behavioral Econ, Development Policy, International Trade

๐Ÿงฐ Add-On Skill Workshops (By ScholarIQ Recommendation)

  • ๐Ÿ“‘ Academic Writing & LaTeX Formatting

  • ๐Ÿ’ฌ Communication for Research & Policy

  • ๐Ÿงช Qualitative & Quantitative Research Tools (SPSS, NVivo)

  • ๐ŸŽ™๏ธ Seminar Presentation & Abstract Submission Skills

  • ๐Ÿ’ผ UPSC/Government Exam Integration Modules (Optional Track)



 

The program has a duration of two years divided into four semesters.

Candidates must have completed graduation from a recognized institution.

Yes, the curriculum includes practical exposure through labs, projects, internships, and fieldwork.

Graduates can work in journalism, digital media, public relations, broadcasting, research, and corporate communication roles.

Yes, the program builds strong foundations in media theory and research, supporting academic and research-oriented career paths.