JAMB Subject Combination for Mass Communication

Mass Communication attracts students who like writing, speaking and media, and its UTME subjects lean towards arts and social science. Here we compare the national list with one university's own wording to show you how much room there can be between them.

The short answer

The table shows what each source we could read says. Use of English is compulsory for every UTME candidate.

Treat this as reported information. JAMB's brochure on IBASS is the official list, and these entries do not replace it.

Why the two entries look different

The two entries are not necessarily in conflict, because one is a national summary and the other is a single university's own description. Still, they would lead you to different optional subjects. BusinessDay lets you choose two from Economics, Government and History. The University of Ilorin names a religious studies or language option in one slot and a Social Science subject in another, and Geography is allowed there but does not appear in the national list.

What they have in common is Literature in English. If your plan includes Ilorin or another school with its own wording, check that school's page before you decide your optional subjects, then check that your choice also satisfies the brochure.

Which optional subjects tend to work well

Government and History are natural partners for a media course, since they train you to explain events and cause and effect in writing. Economics is useful if you want to report on business. Choose on your strongest scores. Remember that an optional subject you enjoy reading is easier to revise than one you only picked for its name.

Mass Communication compared with Law

Law and Mass Communication share the same national pattern in the BusinessDay list, which is why the two courses are often compared. Our page on the Law combination explains where published lists disagree for that course. If you are undecided between them, remember that changing course after the exam is limited by the subjects you wrote; see JAMB change of course.

UTME subjects and O'level subjects are two separate checks

New candidates often mix these up. The four subjects you write in the UTME are decided by JAMB's brochure. The credits you need in your WAEC, NECO or NABTEB result are decided by the university. A school can ask for a credit in a subject you never wrote in the UTME, and a subject can count in the UTME without being listed among a school's O'level credits. Check both, and check them for every school on your list, because two universities can set the same course differently.

How to confirm your combination before you pay

The only list that settles the question is JAMB's own. Use this routine, and do it before you buy any registration PIN:

1. Open the brochure on IBASS and search for your exact course name. Similar-sounding courses can carry different subjects.
2. Open the admission page of each university you are considering and note its UTME subjects and its O'level credits. A school may ask for more than JAMB does.
3. Write the four subjects on paper and compare them with the course name on your registration screens.
4. If a blog, a social media post or a friend disagrees with JAMB or the university, trust JAMB and the university. That includes this page, which is a guide and not the brochure.

Our general guide on JAMB subject combinations by course covers the rule for every faculty, and JAMB change of course explains your options if you realise too late that the combination does not fit.

Preparing the four subjects

Start with Literature in English, because it depends on reading the prescribed texts, then work through Use of English and your two optional subjects such as Government or Economics. Short daily practice is the best way to build speed. Our JAMB literature texts guide can help with the reading list.

Mistakes that cost candidates a year

Most combination problems follow the same few patterns, and all of them can be avoided with a short check:

• Copying a friend's combination. Two courses with similar names can carry different subjects, so match your exact course name and not the faculty.
• Trusting an old post. Lists can change between years, so a screenshot from a previous session is not evidence for this one. Look at the brochure for the year you are registering.
• Choosing an optional subject you have not tried. Take a short timed set in each candidate subject before you commit, so you pick on evidence and not on hope.
• Ignoring the school's own rules. The UTME subjects can be right while the O'level credits are not, so read the school's page as well as the brochure.
• Leaving the decision late. Registration windows are short and fixing a mistake after the exam is far harder than avoiding it before. Decide your course and subjects early, then ask a teacher or counsellor to check your choice.

A calm ten-minute check can protect months of preparation.

No guarantees

A correct combination only makes your UTME score usable for the course. It does not decide admission, which depends on the score, the school's own cut-off, the post-UTME where one is held, and the number of places. Anyone who promises a place for a fee is not telling you the truth, and our guide on what JAMB score you need to get admission explains how the stages work.

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