If you want to make a successful career as a journalist, the first bit of investigative journalism that you will need to take up is finding out the Top Journalism Colleges where you can gain admission. Here are some leads that will help you in your pursuit.

• Infrastructure: A journalism college must have state of the art facilities for training in camera handling and photo journalism, mock anchoring, editing suites, and screening auditoriums for documentaries. Apart from these, the college must provide world class resources like journals and equipment for research and training. 

• Graduation or PG: While many students take up a journalism course right after passing out of school, others decide to pursue it at the post-graduation level. There are a number of courses both at graduation and PG level. IIMC, Delhi, offers only PG Diploma courses, whereas many colleges affiliated with the Delhi University offer a three-year graduate honours course in journalism and mass media. Find out the most suitable college depending upon your stage of study.

• Accreditation: Nearly 1000 colleges offer a journalism course in India, and most of them are privately owned. There is no mandatory accreditation or approval for the courses being run by the private institutions, the state or central government colleges have to get the course approved by the UGC. This gives an assurance that the course module will be in a set model. On the other hand, diploma courses have greater flexibility and can be updated frequently.

• Faculty: In the absence of a fixed module accredited by any organisation, the knowledge and experience of faculty has a major impact on the success of a journalism course. Visit the websites of colleges, talk to alumni or the admission support cell and find out about the full-time as well as visiting faculty. They must have done commendable work in the field, or be in a leading position at a well-known media house. First hand reflection and perspective add great value to the quality of teaching. 

• Industry exposure: A journalist is not prepared just by studying in classrooms, but by gaining experience in real life situations. Top Journalism Colleges in India have tie-ups with media houses and send students for training and internships in print and television journalism. Make sure that the college that you are targeting gives ample opportunity to interact with editors and technicians, as well as work in real newsrooms, assisting the professionals in different departments. 

• Research Projects: The nature of projects assigned during a journalism course is also extremely important. Apart from thesis done with the help of academic research, practical projects done outside the campus, with teamwork and creativity, help students to develop the journalistic knack, hone skills of camera-handing and interviewing and overcome their inhibitions.

• Specialisation courses: Under the vast umbrella of journalism, there are numerous specialisation options. Make sure that you choose a college after deciding which segment of journalism you want to follow professionally. Some of the most popular fields of specialisation are printed, electronic media (radio, television, digital), Hindi/ English, journalism, media planning, camera handling, anchoring and reporting. Choosing a beat during your college will boost your professional progress. 

• Ranking: Like every other stream, the ranking allocated to colleges is an important factor to consider journalism as well. Some leading colleges are Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication (Pune), Indian Institute of Mass Communication, LSR College for Women (Delhi), Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media (Bangalore) and Xavier Institute of Communications (Mumbai).  Apart from these, some institutes run by leading media houses also offer a good scope for placement and growth.

• Placements: The aspect of placements is related to factor of industry exposure. Enquire well about the media houses that visit the campus every year for final placement, as well as internships. Also, if possible, find out about the starting packages offered by the companies. The better ranking colleges can give you a better opportunity for earning an attractive package. 

• Entrance Exams: Last, but not least, you must decide the college you want to study in well in time, so that you can fill the forms for entrance exams. Most journalism colleges have their own exams like SET by Symbiosis, XIC OET by Xavier, etc. Know about the deadline dates, exam dates and required cutoffs for the exams that you wish to appear for. 

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A number of factors must be considered when you are targeting a law course. While the National Law University (NLU) is the first choice for most students aspiring to become lawyers, there are other colleges also which offer worthwhile academic experience, faculty as well as placement opportunities. All law colleges are accredited by the NAAC, so you may check the scoring provided by them. The most commonly accepted exam is CLAT conducted by the NLU. The Symbiosis Law School (Pune) conducts its own exam known as SET SLAT, and UPES (Dehradun) conducts ULSAT. Get information about the structure and dates of the exams well in time. Listed below are the major criteria which you must consider when shortlisting a law college:

• Which branch of law to pursue: The factor which will impact your entire professional life is the choice of the branch of law that you want to study in depth. Though the graduate courses are comprehensive and cover all aspects of law, specialisation does matter for a postgraduate course or when you are going for internships. Corporate law, family law, intellectual property law, cyber law, consumer protection and constitutional law are some prominent branches that you can take up.

• Ranking of the college: The ranking for by some reliable sources is based on many vital parameters. Hence, it does give an idea about the worth of the college. However, don’t restrict yourself to the five or ten Top Law Colleges. There are separate ranking lists for government and private colleges. Make sure that you check both and then make your decision.

• What’s the fee structure: The fees for law courses in India can range from as less as 5000 to as much as 25 lakh. Carefully check the fee details on the websites or brochures of colleges. Also, the expenses vary according to the city in which you are studying. For instance, staying in Bangalore or Delhi may lead to higher additional expenses than Dehradun or Varanasi. 

• How is the faculty: You’r learning at the end of the day depends to a great extent on your professors. For a law college, experienced lawyers who have practiced in courts or been in association with companies are ideal. Get to know about the full-time as well as visiting faculty, and how much time they will be able to give to you for counselling beyond class duration. They should be able to help you with research work and case studies.

• Internships and Placement: Top Law Colleges in India help students in getting work experience during the course, as well as final placements, specially for corporate law graduates. Check out the industry support to the college as well as its relation with the law firms. Deciding the city in which you want to study and then work is also a related criterion while searching the college. You may also get an idea about the average salary offered to students graduating from your target law colleges. 

• Facilities available at campus: While classroom studies are basic, the activities like mock court rooms, and open forums are important part of law courses. The college must also possess a rich library with adequate supply of law journals and keep the students updated with the major events in the legal world. 

Once you choose the stream of law you want to take up, make a list of colleges where that particular branch is strong in terms of pedagogy and faculty.  Then fill the forms and get started with your preparation to crack the entrance tests. 

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Since Public Health is a course that’s learnt as much through practical work as through classroom teaching, you have to be very careful while choosing a college. Plus, there are numerous colleges offering short-term courses as well. So, gauging the benefit that you will get in terms of career growth through them is an essential point to consider. Listed here are some other key factors that you must check when opting for admission in a public health course:

• Ranking:

  Pubic Health courses are mostly accredited by NAAC, while some are approved by UGC, AICTE or Medical Council of India. Check the ranking given on the leading platforms on the basis of faculty, facilities, placements, etc. Once you find out the Top schools for Masters in Public Health, you can start preparing for the entrance tests accordingly.

• Pedagogy:

  Public Health is a course that involves considerable field work, practical knowledge, discussions and interaction with people. Another aspect is that it is a multi-disciplinary course that combines the knowledge of medicine, economics, psychology, public administration, information technology and social sciences. Hence, find out about the pedagogy and number of workshops or training sessions included in the course at any college.

• Duration of Course:

  Depending upon how fast you want to start working and how much in-depth knowledge you seek in the field, you can opt for a diploma, graduation or post-graduation course. They may range from one year to three years. The Institute of Public Health, Bengaluru, even offers eLearning course in Public Health Management. Most of the colleges, including the first university dedicated to Public Health, Indian Institute of Public Health (Gandhinagar), offer diploma as well as masters courses.

• Faculty:

  Looking at the dynamic and multi-disciplinary nature of the Public Health courses, you must choose a college where the faculty have abundant practical knowledge and experience. Moreover, the research work done by them is also a vital aspect. The Top Colleges for Public Health in India have onboard faculty members whose papers have been published in impact factor journals, or who have done research projects in collaboration with government bodies.

• Infrastructure and fee:

  The infrastructure must provide sufficient facilities for conducting practical trainings and workshops. Also, they must have collaboration with NGO’s or research organisations to help students conduct projects in the relevant domain like reproductive health, epidemiology, biostatistics, health management, etc. The fee structure also varies a lot, depending upon the length of course and facilities offered. Select a college where the fee is within your budget.

• Specialisation:

  While Public Health is a very wide area, you may want to check what are the branches in which specialisation is offered at different colleges. Depending upon your professional aspirations, you may want to take up specialised study in a particular field. For example, someone who aims to work as a NGO head will do better with Public Health management or administration, while a person with statistical interest will prefer to study biostatistics.

A growing avenue like Public Health is definitely worth considering as it opens up opportunities in hospitals, public welfare departments, as well as academic arena. Spend ample time in making the right choice and advance your career with a B.Sc. or Master in Public Health.

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For most designing courses, you will be eligible after passing class 12^th. There are different entrance exams which will allow you to get admission in a designing course. The All India Entrance Exam for Design (AIEED), Design Aptitude Test (DAT) and NIFT Entrance Test are some of the exams that are conducted by various colleges for admitting students. A few colleges also ask for your portfolio to check your skills and interest in the designing field for which you are applying. To make sure that you don’t waste your money and time in applying to wrong colleges, go through the list of parameters given here and make a wise decision.

Also Read:
1. Top MBA Colleges in India
2. Top Universities in India
3. Top Engineering Colleges in India
4. Top Schools (10+2) in India

Specialisation: Which branch of designing do you want to study?

While the colleges dedicated to fashion designing are quite popular, there are numerous other fields that are not so well-known. Before you embark on your search for a designing school, you must finalise which branch you want to specialise in. Textiles, jewellery, accessories, graphics, toys and games, automobiles, animation, interiors and product designing are the various branches that you can opt for. The latest courses that are in vogue are for Communications and UI (user interface) designing. Your search for the target college will be based on the branch that you select.

Industry Exposure: Does the college offer practical training?

For designers, learning is always on the job. While some theoretical learning is important, doing projects with professional designers will give you a far better experience and insight. Check out whether the college you are choosing has tie-ups with designing firms or takes up projects from the industry.

Infrastructure: The Backbone of a Design College

For adequate learning of designing, students need to practice on a regular basis. For this, the Top Design Colleges house designing labs and cutting-edge equipment that can prepare students for hard core projects. Dedicated labs or studios for textile, graphics/animation, furniture design, etc. have to be present. The campus must eb spacious enough to house ample drafting tables and computer rooms.

Fees: How much are you ready to spend?

The fees charged for a designing course can vary from around 50000 to 3 lakh. There are diploma courses, graduate degree courses as well as master’s courses and each has a different fee structure. The fee also depends on the facilities that a college is providing, its industry reputation and all-India ranking. You can find out about the total expenses you have to incur by speaking to alumni of a college and visiting the website. Always consider extra expenses too apart from the fee.

Duration of course: How many years are you ready to study?

There are designing courses ranging from two to four years duration. Some diploma courses are done in one year to 18 months, while master’s courses are mostly for two years. Designing courses for graduation after 10+2 can be of three to four years.

Placement: How good are the campus placements?

The motive of studying in a reputable design college is to gain placement in a leading design firm or get attached to a brand name. Hence, make in-depth enquiries about the companies that visit the campus for final placements. Also, find out about the training and internship opportunities for students as this will add a lot of value to your learning experience.

Faculty: Are the faculty for designing well experienced?

Everything boils down to the level of knowledge, skill and industry experience that the faculty possess. Expertise in experimenting with various techniques and materials, encouraging students to be innovative in their work, and having a thorough idea of new trends are extremely important traits.

A design college can equip you with all the skills that you need to earn name and fame. However, you need to have a burning desire to be creative and advance the field that you are choosing to explore.

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