Media, communication, marketing, management—building trained, skilled professionals across these disciplines—that was the main dream with which CMI was started.
Education Desk: The mode of higher education has changed over time, as have the topics. The last few years have seen the emergence of a variety of new professional courses. These courses not only help students build careers in the present atmosphere, but also set out their future roadmap for success.
A lion’s share of these courses are dominated by various marketing and management topics. Statistics over the last few years have shown that students who have received training in these disciplines can very easily secure jobs in these disciplines. However, the gap in demand and supply of workforce in these disciplines is still quite large. The Calcutta Media Institute (CMI), a leading media institute in the country, was set up in the year 2010, to fill this gap in the market.
The CMI has time and again come up with relevant and necessary curses to meet the needs of students in the rapidly changing times. In addition to adapting itself to the needs of the industry, CMI has been able to transcend the boundaries of regular course structures and give students a hands-on experience in various aspects of marketing and management on the national level.
How it all started—
Media, communication, marketing, management—building trained, skilled professionals across these disciplines—that was the main dream with which CMI was started. In the words of Mr. Sandip Chaudhuri, Programme Director or CMI, “In spite of being a part of the country’s largest Bengali news media company, one thing was very clear to CMI right from the beginning—we would not go into the domains of news and journalism.” In the 2010, the journey of CMI started with just two courses. The first of these was a 6-month course on Advertising. The other one was a Public Speaking course, primarily directed by Barry O’Brien.
Keeping in mind the demand in the market for trained and skilled marketing and management professionals, CMI then tied up with Asia’s oldest management institute – IISWBM – and launched two new courses in collaboration. These were Integrated Marketing Communication Management and Television Management. Both of these were 1-year long full-time courses.
Most importantly, right from the very beginning, these subjects have been taught by experienced professors and successful industry professionals. This has added both credibility and opportunities for students to gain hand-on experience. Subsequently, when CMI received accreditation from Calcutta University, these courses were modified and made even more relevant.
The journey with Calcutta University
In 2014-2015, armed with the Calcutta University accreditation, the initial Diploma in Media Management was launched with two specialisations. The first of these was Integrated Marketing Communication Management and the other one was Television Management. However, in 2016, the Television Management course was expanded to also include Radio, and the course was renamed to Broadcast Management.
Simultaneously, the courses were further bolstered with the addition to internships. These internships also appeared as points or credits in the students’ final mark sheets. This initiative was aimed at giving the students real-life hands-on experience alongside their studies.
Entry into the Digital World
At the time of the Calcutta Media Institute’s inception, only a section of society had been able to realize the importance of digital media in the future. At that time, digital marketing was taught in only a handful of educational institutions in the country. It can be said that CMI was one of the pioneers in providing education related to digital marketing and management in West Bengal.
In 2013, almost a decade before the pandemic and lockdown struck, the institute had organised a Digital Conclave, a first of its kind in the state. Speaking about the conclave, Mr. Sandip Chaudhuri says “At that time no one could even think of organizing such a program. The enthusiasm was palpable in each one who attended the workshop. It is then that we realize the need and importance of providing training in the digital field.” Soon after, a short-term course in collaboration with the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IMAI) was launched. The course found many takers among managers of different companies. Having considered the future of digital media, in 2016-2017, another course was included in the Diploma in Media Management – Digital Marketing and Social Media Management.
Media Management Course Contents
This Calcutta University affiliated diploma course can be divided into two parts. The first part covers the general subject of media management. This includes Business Economics, Communication Science, Brand Management, Sales Management, Culture and Communication, Research Methodology, etc. The second part deals with specialization. The offered specializations are-
Integrated Marketing Communication Management
– Sales Management
– Advertising Development
– Media Management
– Events
– Public Relations
– Creative Development
– Media Planning & Buying
– Brand/Account Planning
– Rural Markets & Media
– New Social & Mobile Media
– Communication Sales
Broadcast Management
– of Media
– Growth of Television Industry in India
– Television Content Development & Management
– Television Production Management
– Television Production Technology
– Television Channel Management – GEC & News
– Radio Programming & Management
– Radio Marketing & Branding
– Television Planning & Buying
– Marketing & Managing Television
Digital Marketing and Social Media
– Search Marketing
– Advertising & Creative Development
– Event Management
– Online PR & Reputation Management
– Digital Media Analytics
– Brand / Account Planning for Digital Marketing
– Integrated Media Planning & Buying
– Online Display & Video Marketing
– Social Media Marketing
– Mobile App & Media Marketing
In addition to these subjects, the CMI curriculum also includes Advanced Advertising courses for students interested in advertising and marketing communication. Short-term courses taught here include a multitude of new-generation courses, such as anchoring, digital video editing, and digital cinematography.
More than a decade has passed since the early days. CMI has gradually established itself. At present, Calcutta Media Institute is one of the best names in the world of mass advertising and management education. Every course here is relevant enough to build a career and that is why every year a large number of students show great interest in these courses. Another big reason behind this is that after completing these courses, students can easily get jobs in media, creative agencies, advertising agencies, television channels, radio stations, corporate communications for big corporate organisations or marketing, digital marketing or sales functions.
A look at the courses currently taught at Calcutta Media Institute
Post Graduate Diploma Courses
– Broadcast Management
– Integrated Marketing Communication
– Digital Marketing and Social Media
Professional Certificate Courses
– Data visualization
– Digital Marketing
– Advertising
– Video editing
– Cinematography
– Anchoring
Short Term Courses
– Confidence Course
– Confidence Junior
– Public Speaking
– Expression
Alumni from this institute have gone on to be employed by various reputed organisations nationally and internationally. To know more about these courses, click on the link: https://cmi.net.in/
The report was published in a joint venture with the Calcutta Media Institute.
