Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU): Admission, Courses & Fee Details

Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU): Since its inception in 1985, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has made a substantial contribution to imparting higher education across disciplines. Through its broad network of 69 Regional Centres, 2063 Learner Support Centres, and 25 Overseas Study Centres, IGNOU offers 35 programmes through multiple entries for distance/part-time education in the world. IGNOU has been awarded an A++ rating by NAAC. As IGNOU is recognised by the UGC, its degree is valid across the world. IGNOU has been ranked #151 out of 312 colleges in India in 2023 by NIRF 2023 Ranking. 

IGNOU provides distance education to over 3 million students in India and around the world through its 21 Schools of Studies, 67 Regional Centres, nearly 2667 Learner Support Centres, 810 faculty members, and 29 international institutes. At present, IGNOU offers a diverse range of over 200 Degree, Diploma, Certificate, and Doctoral programs through both open and Online Distance Learning (ODL) modes.

Latest Updates:

• IGNOU has extended the last date for the submission of online examination forms for the term-end exams scheduled to be conducted in December 2024. Students can submit the application form till October 20, 2024 without the late fee. 
• A late fee of Rs 1100 will be charged for students submitting the application form between October 21 to October 31, 2024. Students can apply on the official portal - ignou.ac.in. 

The flagship courses offered by IGNOU are B.Ed, MA, and MBA programs. IGNOU offers direct admission to most of its courses, but it conducts entrance exams for B.Ed, B.Sc Nursing, MPhil, and Ph.D. programs. IGNOU B.Ed admission mandates a Bachelor/Master’s degree with 50% in Sciences/Social Sciences/Commerce/Humanities, or a bachelor’s degree in Engineering with 55% marks along with a Trained in-service teachers in elementary school certificate, or, NCTE-recognised teacher education certificate. The program fee for B.Ed is INR 55,000. 

IGNOU MBA admission requires a Bachelor’s degree or any other Higher degree from a recognised University. Candidates will be directly admitted to this program. IGNOU MBA program fee is INR 62,000. IGNOU MA admission necessitates a Bachelor's degree or any other Higher degree from a recognised University. Candidates will be directly admitted to this program. IGNOU MBA program fee depends on the type of program. 

On February 15, 2023, IGNOU held a campus placement session at the Baba Saheb Ambedkar Convention Center, IGNOU Maidan Garhi Campus. This drive aimed to hire candidates for roles like Customer Service Executive, Copy Editors, and Technical Writers. All eligible participants registered on that day. Air India SATS and APTARA were the companies involved in this recruitment event. The salary packages offered varied between INR 20,000 and INR 30,000 and included additional incentives.

IGNOU Highlights 

Candidates can check some of the important details about IGNOU here. 

IGNOU Courses & Fees 2024

IGNOU through its 21 Schools of Studies, 67 Regional Centres, nearly 2667 Learner Support Centres, 810 faculty members, and 29 international institutes offers an array of courses at undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels. Given below is a list of courses offered at IGNOU along with their program fee.

IGNOU Courses & Fees 2024: School of Humanities

The School of Humanities at IGNOU offers a wide range of academic programs not only in English and Hindi but in other Indian languages as well. The School offers coursework that is designed and developed for undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral students, to promote and preserve culture. The courses are offered in disciplines such as Assamese, Bengali, Bhojpuri, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu along with the MIL courses in Nepali, Kashmiri, Manipuri, that have added in the 2022 July session. A detailed list of popular courses along with their fees at UG, PG, and PhD levels is given below:

IGNOU Courses & Fees 2024: School of Social Sciences

To enrich the learning, knowledge, and research path at IGNOU, the School of Social Sciences (SOSS) offers courses in eight disciplines Anthropology, Economics, History, Library and Information Science, Sociology, Political Science, Psychology, and Public Administration. In addition to this, IGNOU also offers a Bachelor Of Arts Honours Degree Programme in Economics, History, Political Science, Psychology, Public Administration, Sociology, Hindi, English, Sanskrit, and Urdu. This multidisciplinary approach is offered at three Centres:

1. Centre for Freedom Struggle and Diaspora Studies
2. Centre for Gandhi and Peace Studies
3. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Chair on Social Change and Development

A list of popular courses at the School of Social Science along with their program fees at UG, PG, and PhD levels is given below: 

IGNOU Courses & Fees 2024: School of Education

Intending to launch academic programs in education in the field of knowledge and an area of professional practice, IGNOU’s School of Education offers courses at UG, PG, and PhD levels in four areas of studies Education, Distance Education, Educational Technology, and Adult Education. In addition to this, the School also launched a Certificate in Professional Development of Teachers in the 2022 July session along with a PG Diploma in Distance Education and an MA in Distance Education in online mode. These courses have commenced from the July 2022 session. A list of popular courses at IGNOU’s School of Education along with their program fee is given in the table below: 

IGNOU Courses & Fees 2024: School of Management Studies

The School of Management Studies at IGNOU comprises two disciplines- Management and Commerce offered at undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels. Additionally, the School also offers PG Diploma Courses in International Business Administration, Human Resource Management, Financial Management, Operations Management, and Marketing Management, along with Diploma degrees in Retailing, and a Certificate program in Business Skills and NGO Management. 

MBA is one of the popular courses offered at IGNOU. They are offered in distance and online modes. These courses are offered in disciplines like Banking & Finance, Human Resource Management, Financial Management, Operations Management, and Marketing Management. A course-wise list of MBA programs along with their fee is tabulated below:

IGNOU Courses & Fees 2024: School of Social Work

To provide quality education in the field of social work, HIV/AIDS, counselling, and family studies, IGNOU’s School of School Science provides Certificate, Diploma, and Degree courses in Social Work, Social Work Counselling, HIV and Family Education, Tribal Studies, and Social Work and Criminal Justice System at graduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels. 

IGNOU Admission 2024

IGNOU admission to a variety of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs is direct and entrance-based. A detailed course-wise list of eligibility, selection process, and reservation policy is given below:

IGNOU UG Admission 2024

IGNOU UG admission in humanities, social sciences, basic sciences, commerce, etc., is direct and entrance-based. A detailed course-wise list of eligibility, selection process, and reservation policy is given below:

IGNOU PG Admission 2024

IGNOU PG admission is direct and entrance-based. A detailed course-wise list of eligibility, selection process, and reservation policy is given below:

IGNOU Ph.D. Admission 2024

IGNOU Ph.D. admission is through the institute’s entrance-based. A detailed list of eligibility, selection process, and reservation policy is given below: 

IGNOU Admission 2024: January Session Details

The registration window for admission to different courses at IGNOU has already begun since December 31, 2023. Candidates are advised to register themselves before January 31, 2024.  For more information, please visit the official website. 

IGNOU B.Ed Previous Year Cut off 

IGNOU has released the official cut offs for admission to their B.Ed program for the academic year 2022. A year-wise cut offs for different categories is given below:

IGNOU Placement 2024

On February 15, 2023, IGNOU organised a campus placement event at the Baba Saheb Ambedkar Convention Center, IGNOU Maidan Garhi Campus. The placement drive focused on recruiting candidates for positions such as Customer Service Executive, Copy Editors, and Technical Writers. All qualified candidates completed their registration on the same day. The participating companies in this placement drive were Air India SATS and APTARA. The offered package during this placement drive ranged from INR 20,000 to INR 30,000, inclusive of incentives.

IGNOU Scholarships

IGNOU provides a varied range of scholarships to its meritorious students. A list of some of the scholarships are given below: 

IGNOU Scholarships: M.Phil Students

To avail of this scholarship, the student must be registered in the full-time M.Phil program, be under the age of 35, possess a strong academic record, come from a reserved category (SC/ST), provide valid documentation for physical disability if applying under this category, and not hold any other scholarships in their name. The scholarship amount is INR 5000 per month. 

IGNOU Scholarships: PhD Students

To avail of this scholarship, the student must be actively pursuing a full-time Ph.D. degree from IGNOU, possess a commendable academic history, be affiliated with a reserved category, be below 35 years of age, provide valid proof of physical disability if applying under this category, and not hold any other scholarships in their name. The scholarship amount is INR 8000 per month. 

IGNOU Scholarships: Technical Courses

This scholarship, funded by the Indian Government for minority students, aims to provide financial assistance for their technical and professional courses. Additionally, it covers living expenses and course fees.

Eligibility Criteria: 

Applicants should have a family income not exceeding 2.5 lakhs per annum. Other students must have scored a minimum of 50% marks in their previous final examination.

Benefits: 

Recipients receive a scholarship of 20,000 INR annually for undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Hostel residents are eligible for a monthly maintenance allowance of up to 1000 INR, while day scholars receive 500 INR per month.

IGNOU Scholarships: PwD students

The scholarship, provided by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disability - Government of India, is offered to 300 students.

Eligibility Requirements:  

Specially abled students must possess a valid certificate indicating more than 40% physical disability. The family income should not exceed six lakhs. Students should be enrolled in an undergraduate or postgraduate course at a recognized university.

Benefits: 

The scholarship covers the cost of books and stationary, up to 5000 INR per year. Maintenance allowances include 3000 INR per month for hostel residents and 1500 INR per month for day scholars. Tuition fees are covered up to 2 lakhs per annum, with the amount being variable based on the course fee. A one-time allowance of 45,000 INR is provided for devices used for studying (laptop/desktop). Additional allowances, such as helper or escort allowances, are covered at 2000 INR per month.

IGNOU Scholarships: SC students

Eligibility Criteria:

• Applicants must be registered in a full-time course at a recognized university.
• They must hold Indian citizenship.
• Admission should be secured under the general category seats of the college/university.
• The family income limit is set at 8 lakhs per year, encompassing earnings from all sources.
• Only two siblings from the same family are permitted to enroll and avail of this scholarship due to high competition.
• Preference will be given to candidates with a robust academic record facing challenging economic circumstances.
• 30% of the total scholarship slots are reserved for the SC girl child.

Benefits:

• This scholarship aims to uplift the less privileged segments of society by providing additional exposure. Once the application is approved, students can maximise the benefits offered by the scheme.
• For those enrolled in private flying clubs for commercial flight training and rating courses, the annual salary provided is INR 3.72 lakh.
• Living costs are supported with an additional allowance of up to INR 2,220 per month for students.
• Books and stationery expenses are covered, with each awardee receiving INR 3,000 per month to address these costs.
• The scholarship fully covers tuition fees, up to INR 2 lakh per year, for students attending private institutions.
• A one-time financial aid of INR 45,000 is provided for the purchase of a computer or laptop as part of the scholarship benefits.