Indira Gandhi Open University is a UGC approved distance education institution offering nearly nearly 200 Degree, Diploma, Certificate and Doctoral programmes. It has 21 Schools of Studies, 67 Regional Centres, almost 2667 Learner Support Centres, 810 faculty members and 29 foreign institutes. Along with it, IGNOU has a team of 230 academic staff and more than 35,000 academic counsellors.
IGNOU Offers admission twice a year, i.e. January and July sessions. Registrations for the January session are usually conducted in the month of December-January and those for the July Session start in the month of May every year.
Presently IGNOU is offering admission to its UG, PG courses for the January cycle. The registration deadline is January 31, 2023.
Admission to most of the courses at IGNOU is granted on the basis of merit (marks secured in the respective qualifying examination). For courses such as B.Ed, M.Ed, Post Basic B.Sc, Nursing, M.Phil, and PhD, admissions are conducted through an entrance test conducted by IGNOU. Aspiring candidates need to qualify IGNOU BEd Entrance Test, IGNOU OpenNet, and IGNOU PhD entrance exam to get admission into such courses.
Along with the regular distance learning courses, IGNOU also offers Online Distance Learning (ODL) programs.
IGNOU Admission 2023: Dates
Check the table mentioned below for IGNOU Admission 2023 latest dates:
| EVENT | DATE |
| IGNOU Admission 2023 Last Date (January Session) | January 31, 2023 |
| Last date to apply for IGNOU B.Sc Nursing/B.Ed/PhD Entrance Test (Extended) | December 25, 2022 |
| IGNOU B.Ed/B.Sc Nursing/PhD Admit Card Release Date | January 2, 2023 |
| IGNOU B.Ed/B.Sc Nursing/PhD Entrance Exam 2023 | January 8, 2023 |
| Last date for IGNOU Re-Registration January 2023 Session | Feb 10, 2023(Extended) |
IGNOU Admission 2023: Eligibility Criteria
Candidates are required to meet the minimum eligibility criteria to apply for admission at IGNOU. It must be noted that applications failing to meet the eligibility criteria will not be considered for admission. Tabulated below are the courses and their respective minimum eligibility criteria
Undergraduate Courses
| Courses | Eligibility Criteria |
| Bachelor of Arts in Tourism Studies (BTS) | Passed Class 12 from any recognised board or BPP from IGNOU to be eligible. |
| Bachelor of Library and Information Science (BLIS) | Bachelor’s Degree with a minimum 50% marks OR Bachelor’s Diploma in Library Science OR Bachelor’s Degree with 2 years of working experience in Library and Information Centre |
| Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) | Passed Class 12 from any recognised board or BPP from IGNOU |
| Bachelor’s Degree Programmes (BDP)-B.A./B.Com/B.Sc. | B.A. – Candidates should have completed their 10+2 or BPP from IGNOU. B.Com – Candidates should have completed their school certificate exam or its equivalent or BPP from IGNOU. For B.Sc. – Candidates should have cleared 10+2 with science subjects. |
| Bachelor’s Preparatory Programme (BPP) | No Merit record required. |
| Bachelors of Education | Candidates need to have a minimum aggregate of 50% in graduation and/or post-graduation in Sciences/Commerce/Humanity/Social Sciences. Candidates with a B.Tech degree with a specialisation in Mathematics and Science with 55% marks or any other equivalent qualification. Trained in-service teachers in elementary education. Or completed a teacher education programme through face-to-face mode recognized by NCTE. |
| B.Sc. Nursing (Post Basic) (BScN(PB) | Passed Class 10+2 with a Diploma of three years in General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) with at least two years of experience. OR cleared Class 10th (matriculation) or its equivalent with a diploma of three years in General Nursing and Midwifery with at least five years of experience in the profession. |
Post Graduate Courses
| Courses | Eligibility Criteria |
| Master of Arts in Rural Development (MARD) | Bachelor’s degree or a higher degree from a recognised university. |
| Master of Science in Counselling and Family Therapy (MSCCFT) | Bachelor’s degree with a specialisation in subjects like Child Development, Human Development and Family Studies, Child Development and Family Relationships, Human Development and Childhood Studies, Psychology, Home Science, Social Work, Medicine or other allied disciplines. Allied disciplines include Sociology, Anthropology, Philosophy, Education, MBBS or equivalent qualification in Unani, Ayurveda, Nursing, Siddha or Homeopathy Medicines, Nursing etc. from a recognized University are eligible. OR Bachelor’s degree along with a higher degree in any of the aforementioned subjects or a Bachelor’s Degree along with a PG Diploma in Guidance and Counselling from a recognized University will also be accepted for admissions into the course. |
| Master of Science (Dietetics and Food Services Management) (MSCDFSM) | B.Sc. (Home Science) specialisation in Food and Nutrition, Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition. OR Candidates with a PG Diploma in Dietetics and Public Health Nutrition or B.Sc. graduates or equivalent like BHHS, MBBS, etc. from the following streams – Life Science, Microbiology, Medical, Home Science/ Food Science and Technology, Catering, Pharmaceutical along with a DNHE/CFN/CNCC offered by IGNOU (Simultaneous admission for CNCC/CFN is also allowed) are also eligible. |
| Master of Tourism and Travel Management (MTTM) | Category 1: Candidates who have done BTS/BA(Tourism)/B.Sc. Hospitality and Hotel Administration(BHM)/ Bachelor’s in Hotel Management (approved by AICTE)/ graduation in any field with a Diploma in Tourism recognized in the University system or by AICTE are eligible. Category 2: Bachelor’s degrees in any field are eligible, but they will have to pass four extra tourism foundation courses during the course of their study. |
| Master of Arts in English (MEG) | Bachelor’s degree or a higher degree from a recognised university. |
| Master of Arts in Hindi (MOH) | To be eligible, candidates need a bachelor’s degree or a higher degree from a recognised university. |
| Master of Social Work (MSW) | To be eligible, candidates need a bachelor’s degree or a higher degree from a recognised university. |
| Master of Social Work (Counselling) | Bachelor’s degree or a higher degree from a recognised university. |
| Master of Arts in Philosophy (MAPY) | Candidates require a bachelor’s degree or equivalent to be eligible. |
| Master of Arts in Economics (MEC) | bachelor’s degree or a higher degree from a recognised university. |
| Master of Arts in Education (MAEDU) | Candidates with a bachelor’s degree with or without a degree in education will be eligible for the course. |
| Master of Arts in History (MAH) | Bachelor’s degree from a recognised university. |
| Master of Arts in Political Science (MPS) | Bachelor’s degree from a recognised university. |
| Master of Arts in Public Administration (MPA) | Bachelor’s degree from a recognised university. |
| Master of Arts in Sociology (MSO) | Bachelor’s degree from a recognised university. |
| MA in Gandhi and Peace Studies (MGPS) | Bachelor’s degree from a recognised university. |
| Master of Arts in Psychology (MAPC) | To be eligible, candidates need a bachelor’s degree or a higher degree from a recognised university. |
| Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) | Bachelor’s degree in Library and/or Information Science or Associateship from DRTC/NISCAIR to be eligible. |
| Master in Anthropology (MAAN) | Bachelor’s degree or a higher degree from a recognised university. |
| Master of Arts (Development Studies) (MADVS) | Graduate in any discipline. |
| Master of Arts in Adult Education (MAAE) | Bachelor’s degree from any recognised university |
| Master of Arts in Women’s & Gender Studies (MAWGS) | Bachelor’s degree from any recognised university |
| Master of Arts in Gender and Development Studies (MAGD) | Bachelor’s degree from a recognised university. |
| Master of Commerce (MCOM) | Bachelor’s degree from a recognised university. |
| M.Sc. Mathematics with Applications in Computer Science (MSCMACS) | Graduates with Honours in Mathematics with a minimum aggregate of 50% will be eligible for the course. |
| Master of Arts in Translation Studies (MATS) | Graduates in any discipline with sufficient knowledge of Hindi and English. |
| Master of Arts in Distance Education (MADE) | Candidates need to be graduates in any discipline to be eligible for the course. OR Those who have completed PGDDE from IGNOU can take lateral entry directly into the second year of MA (Distance Education). |
IGNOU Admission 2023: Application Process
Candidates have to visit the IGNOU registration portal – ignouadmission.samarth.edu.in to register themselves and fill their applications. The IGNOU registration fee can be paid using net banking, debit card, UPI or credit card.
Steps to Fill IGNOU Registration Form 2023
- Visit the IGNOU Official website
- Click on the “Click Here for New Registration” tab.
- Fill up the registration form
- After filling all the details in the IGNOU registration form 2023, click on the “Register” tab.
- The students will get the user ID and password on their registered email address and mobile number.
- Choose the programme and the study material mode.
- upload the documents in the prescribed format and size.
- Pay the application fee through debit card, credit card, ATM card, UPI or net banking.
- Finally, click on the “Submit” button.