BA Journalism vs BJMC vs BMM: Understanding Different Journalism Courses After Class 12

Students interested in pursuing journalism or who dream of being journalists after completing Class 12 can choose from several undergraduate programmes, which include BA Journalism, Bachelor of Journalism and Mass Communication (BJMC), and Bachelor of Mass Media (BMM).

Very often, students find the courses confusing among themselves as their areas overlap. However, it should be understood that names and curricula can differ depending on the university.

The choice should not be based only on the title of the degree but also on the subjects, practical training, specialisations and type of media covered by a particular programme. Journalism courses include reporting and editing, while broader media programmes can additionally cover advertising, public relations, television, radio, photography, digital media and multimedia production.

BA Journalism programme focuses on journalism and news production. The University of Delhi's BA (Hons) Journalism curriculum, for example, includes Introduction to Journalism, Reporting and Editing for Print, Broadcast Media, New Media, Photography and Multimedia Journalism. It also includes areas such as advertising, public relations and conflict and war reporting.

This type of programme can therefore provide exposure to both traditional newsroom skills and newer forms of journalism.

BJMC stands for Bachelor of Journalism and Mass Communication. UGC's specified-degree list identifies BJMC as a bachelor's degree and gives it a minimum duration of three years under the cited framework.

Compared with a journalism-specific degree, BJMC programmes can have a broader mass-communication component. Depending on the university, students may study journalism alongside advertising, public relations, radio, television and digital media.

BMM stands for Bachelor of Mass Media. UGC's degree compendium lists BMM as a bachelor's degree.

The exact focus varies between institutions. A BMM programme can include journalism and media production along with areas such as advertising, broadcasting, and other forms of mass communication.

On the other hand, digital journalism is increasingly included within undergraduate journalism and media programmes rather than necessarily being offered as a separate bachelor's degree.

For example, the BA (Hons) Multimedia and Mass Communication programme at Delhi University includes a Digital Journalism and Social Media elective covering online communication, blogging, live blogging and multimedia storytelling.

Students should compare the actual syllabus of each university before applying. Key points include practical training, newsroom or production facilities, internships, digital-media components, specialisations and the balance between journalism and other communication areas.

The same course title can have different subjects at different universities. Therefore, BA Journalism, BJMC and BMM should not be treated as identical programmes simply because all three can lead to media-related careers.