Tanya Sharma had scored 93.5 per cent in her The Indian School Certificate exams. So, when she opted to study journalism at theUniversityofFloridaher family and friends were aghast. They expected her to head directly to one of the prestigious IITs (IndianInstituteofTechnology) or to one of the top medical colleges inIndiaor abroad. However, Tania had a different plan for her future. She wanted to pursue a career that provided her a degree of freedom, a sense of adventure and prestige. Journalism was her preferred choice!

　 Tanya is no exception. With the media boom hitting the globe, journalism has become one of the most sought after professions in recent times.

　 A recent article published in The American Journalism review states that in recent years there has been a marked increase in the number of admissions in journalism schools across the country. To support this claim, the article points out that in theJamesM.Cox Jr.Centerfor International Mass Communications Training and Research at theUniversityofGeorgia, the enrolment of students had reached an all-time high at the turn of the millennium. The journal also claims that at present journalists inAmericaare better educated and hold more degrees than they had ever done before. A 1997 study by American Society of Newspapers Editors found out that that 89 percent of the newspaper workforce had graduated from college and half of these from Journalism Schools. This was a 53 percent increase from a 1971 survey.

　 An informal survey done by the Columbia Journalism Review too supports this claim and shows that in the last decade there has been a steady rise in number of Journalism Schools (or J Schools as they are popularly called) in almost all the countries of the world. The journalism schools equip an aspiring journalist with the necessary professional skills that can help him/her survive in the competitive media environment.

　 Some of the best journalism schools in the world are in theUnited States of America, a country renowned globally for its free and democratic press. Bagging an admission to one of the top J Schools in US is not easy. The admission is strictly based on merit and is highly competitive. Apart from a good academic record, a strong command over language and excellent co-curricular activities are a must for students keen to pursue a degree in journalism abroad.

　 Your application, your TOEFL score and your personal essay too play a pivotal role in the selection process.

To get you started on the search for the best journalism schools in the United States, here is a list we have put together;

1.ColumbiaUniversity, GraduateschoolofJournalism

　 This is probably among the best known journalism schools in the world. It is the only journalism school that is a part of the Ivy League. Located in Journalism Hall on the campus ofColumbiaUniversitythe school offers a full-time and part-time Master of Science program. The other programs include Master of Arts in Journalism [for practising journalists] and an interdisciplinary Doctor of Philosophy in Communications.
There is also a publishing course for people interested in book and magazine publishing. An interesting feature of the school is dual-degree programs such as Journalism and Business, Journalism and Law etc.

2. Missouri school of journalism, Columbia

　 It is one of the earliest and among the best journalism schools in the world. The school that started in 1908 has several brilliant alumni who have won top international prizes like Pulitzer in journalism or Silver Anvils for public relations. The institute offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. The Master of Arts program is either 2 years or 5 years. There is also an online master of arts in journalism for mid-career professionals.

3. Madison school of Journalism and Communication

　 Rated as one of the oldest and among the best, the Madison School of Journalism & Mass Communication at the University of Wisconsin Madison is a good choice if you are keen to get an international degree in journalism. The school that was established in the early twentieth century was among the first to introduce education in electronic editing and production. Madison School of Journalism & Mass Communication offers both graduate and undergraduate programs. Undergraduate students can pursue all facets of communication, which include print, broadcast reporting, editing, advertising, publishing, international relations and so on. Graduate courses include varied options such as Multimedia graphics, creative non-fiction and many more. It offers three graduate degree programs, which are:

　 The professional track M.A program focussing on students who intend to pursue professional opportunities in the future.
The concepts M.A. program, which is for students with an academic/research focus.

　 The PhD program, which focuses on mass communication.

4. Medill School of Journalism

　 Named after Chicago Tribune owner, editor and publisher Joseph Medill, The Medill School of Journalism founded in 1921 is a part of the Northwestern University. The university has programs for both graduate and undergraduate students. The undergraduate program is a full-time, four-year program while the graduate programme is one-year full time. There is also a full time/part time programme in Integrated Marketing Communications.

5. College of journalism and communications, University of Florida.

　 This relatively new school (less than 50 years old) has carved out a niche for itself in the arena of international Journalism Schools. The college that has both undergraduate and graduate courses offers specializations in the following arenas: - Advertising, Public Relations, Journalism, and Telecommunication. The University of Florida offers graduate study leading to masters and doctoral degrees in mass communication.

6. School of Journalism and Mass communication, University of North Carolina

　 This well-known institution offers both undergraduate and graduate courses. For graduate students the options available are the Master's program, the Medical Journalism masters program, Media Law and the doctoral program. The Undergraduate students can specialize in advertising, electronic communication, news editorial, public relations and visual communication.

7. E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Ohio University

　 Ohio University’s E. W. Scripps School of Journalism is among the few schools in US accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. The school offers both graduate and undergraduate courses. The options for undergraduates include: Advertising Management, Broadcast News, Magazine Journalism, News Writing & Editing, Online Journalism, and Public Relations. For the graduate students the school offers a Master of Science degree and in cooperation with the School of Telecommunications, a Doctor of Philosophy degree in mass communication.

8. School Of Journalism, Indiana University, Bloomington

　 The department of journalism at the Indiana University began functioning from 1932 and the school of journalism was established as late as 1974. In 1989 the School of Journalism in Bloomington separated from the College of Arts and Sciences and became independent. The institution offers both undergraduate and graduate courses.

　 At the undergraduate level the courses offered are

Bachelor of Arts in Journalism
Certificate in Journalism
Cognate Area in Journalism
At the graduate level the students can choose from the following options:

M.A. Journalism
M.A.T. Journalism
PhD Mass Communication
Dual Masters of Arts in Journalism/JD in Law
Dual Master of Arts Degree: Journalism and Folklore and Ethnomusicology

9. UC Berkeley Graduate school of Journalism

　 This California school is a great place to pursue your Journalism degree. The two-year Master of Journalism (M.J.) program provides intensive training in journalism skills to the students. Certain graduate level courses are restricted only to the journalism students while others are open to students from other disciplines. Programs of study include Newspaper Magazine Television Radio Documentary New Media Photojournalism International Reporting Environmental Journalism Business Reporting Urban Reporting. Concurrent degree programs are also offered.

10. USC Annenberg School for Communication, California

　 One of the nation’s premier institutions for communication and journalism, this school, established in 1971, offers both undergraduate and graduate courses.

　 For undergraduate students the degree programs offered are:

B.A. in Communication
B.A. in Journalism (broadcast)
B.A. in Journalism (print)
B.A. in Journalism (public relations)
The courses offered at the graduate level are:

Ph.D. in Communication
M.A. in Communication
M.A. in Communication Management
M.A. in Global Communication
Master's in Public Diplomacy
M.A. in Journalism
M.A. in Strategic Public Relations