Best Schools for Broadcasting, Journalism and Communications
Enrolling in a college or university that has an established communications program will give you a leg up on the competition. To begin your research, you can find a lot of valuable information online. The website for the US News and World Report Best Colleges Rankings is a good place to start. I used this same resource to help make my decision, although I used the book and not the web version when I was researching colleges and universities. The site gives a ton of valuable information including tuition costs, application deadlines, campus life and more. It allows you to compare schools based on various factors.
When deciding between multiple schools there are a few key things to look for. If the goal is to be in front of the camera, the school should have a TV or Web show that allows students to be hands on. This is where you learn the basics of reporting, anchoring and hosting. It is okay if you are not sure which specific area you hope to pursue in front of the camera. A good school will offer the chance to try them all. It is important that as a student you can learn to put together stories that run on a campus TV station or website. This gives you practice working on a deadline and you are able to see how your finished story fits into the bigger picture of a show or website.
If a school does not have a TV news program or Web show that gives students experience that puts you at a huge disadvantage. Also, you should research every school that you are considering to find out who the alums are that have gone on to have successful careers in front of the camera. This is essential for a school that may not have the aforementioned TV or Web show.
While you could be the first person from a certain school to land a national on-air job, it’s much easier to attend a college or university that has several graduates who are currently working in the broadcasting industry. Obviously that school has demonstrated an ability to effectively train students to be in front of the camera.
If you visit prospective schools ask what kind of jobs graduates usually get. Also, what is the real life experience of the professors? Were they in front of the camera at some point in their career? It’s better to get culinary advice from someone who has been a chef and spent time in the kitchen for many years. Consequently, it’s better to learn to be in front of the camera from someone who has extensive experience in that position.
Even though the goal is to be in front of the camera a good communications school should also have a radio station that allows students to get experience. This medium also prepares you to be on-air. There are some people who may ask, is going to college necessary?
My answer is yes.
During my years in broadcasting, I have only met a handful of people on-air who did not have a college degree. Some people have had success without a degree, but that is the road less traveled (they are the outliers).
On the other hand some people who want to have an on-air career go to graduate school and get a master’s degree. I don’t believe that is necessary for most broadcasters unless you have a desire to teach one day. Your ability to survive in this business is solely determined by how good you are in front of the camera. That comes from hard work and repetition.
In my experience, your salary is not determined by degrees, but by skill. I would not discourage anyone from pursuing an advanced degree like a master’s, but in broadcasting the extra cost and time may not be worth it. Here is my Top 5 list of colleges for Communications and Journalism. Yes, I admit my list is slightly biased.
University of Missouri
Syracuse University
Temple University
Arizona State University
Northwestern University
If you would like more details on these schools check out this YouTube Video I did on the topic The Top 5 Journalism Schools in America.
Temple University