Journalism attracts students who are curious, like asking questions and want to explain the world to others. The stream decision is flexible: most journalism and mass communication degrees accept students from Humanities, Commerce and Science. What matters more is what you do with the next few years.
Which stream helps most
| Stream | What carries over |
|---|---|
| Humanities | Reading, essay writing, history, political science and sociology: the background to most news |
| Commerce | Economics and business knowledge, which is valuable in business and financial journalism |
| Science | Understanding of research and data, useful in science, health and data journalism |
Humanities is the most common route because it trains reading, writing and argument every day. If you choose it, plan your two years deliberately, because Humanities rewards self-direction.
The route after Class 12
- An undergraduate degree in journalism and mass communication, or in a subject such as English, political science or economics followed by a journalism diploma or master’s.
- Admission is through each university’s process. Many central universities use CUET, and some institutions run their own tests and interviews.
- Internships with newspapers, channels, digital outlets or communications teams during the degree.
What the work is actually like
Journalism is research, interviewing, checking facts and writing to deadline, often at odd hours. It now spans print, television, radio, podcasts, digital video and social media. Related careers include communications, public relations, content strategy, documentary and editing. The common skill is turning information into something clear and accurate that people want to read or watch.
Start building a portfolio now
- Write for your school magazine or start a simple blog about a subject you know well.
- Interview someone interesting in your area and write it up in 500 words.
- Make a short explainer video or audio piece on a topic in the news.
- Read one good newspaper daily and notice how stories are structured.
Where an assessment helps
Journalism leans on verbal ability, reasoning and interest in people and society. An assessment can show how you score on these, and whether Humanities suits you as well as you think. Here is how we measure them, and the report ranks the streams against your results.
