MA Distance Education: Master of Arts (MA) is an advanced degree in the arts and humanities domain, and it is famous for its diversity in subjects from language to history, philosophy, and politics in both India and abroad. The 2-year master’s degree program offered through distance education includes only theory-based education.
The MA degree program in distance education has a number of specializations, such as English, Hindi, Political Science, History, Philosophy, Sanskrit, Urdu, Religious Studies, Geography, Archaeology, Communication Studies, and many more. Students can select any of the above mentioned courses to proceed further in their academic careers.
The door of the Master of Arts (MA) distance education program is easy to break to enter for admission if aspirants have passed the three-year undergraduate degree in a related domain from an approved university or institution.
MA Distance Education Course Highlights Table
| Feature | Details |
| Course Name | Master of Arts (MA) |
| Course Level | Post-Graduate Program |
| Duration | 2 years |
| Eligibility | Bachelor’s degree from a recognized university |
| Course Fee | INR 5,000 – INR 90,000 per year |
| Top Universities | IGNOU, Annamalai University, Karnataka State Open University, Osmania University, Kurukshetra University, Alagappa University, Mumbai University, Sikkim Manipal University, Andhra University, Madurai Kamaraj University |
| Accreditation | UGC-DEB, NAAC A++, NIRF |
| Learning Methodology | Online classes, video lectures, live sessions, self-assessment, interactive learning |
| Key Subjects | Literature, Language, History, Political Science, Philosophy, Sociology, Economics, Geography, Archaeology |
| Career Scope | Journalist, Teacher, Marketer, Editor, Librarian, Artist, Writer, Historian, Radio Jockey |
The minimum score set for admission at most distance colleges or universities is 40 percent. Students who get admission to the MA Distance Education program are generally urged to deposit 10,000 – 50,000 Indian rupees per year as a fee.
Studying an MA in distance education can be beneficial for students, as mentioned below.
- The advanced degree program in MA in distance education can be completed with as little as 10,000 Indian rupees at Indian universities, which is definitely acceptable for a postgraduate degree program like this that offers options on a large scale.
- Students who enroll in the MA Distance Education program are not required to bother learning because they are offered everything they need to continue their education at home.
- The course material is available to students on the website of the relevant university around-the-clock, making it possible for them to study an MA-based curriculum anytime.
- The admission process is completely entrance examination free.
It is merely a first glance of the MA Distance Education program, but detailed information considering the admission prospect of the program is shared in the next couple of units.
MA Distance Education: Course Overview
A Master of Arts (MA) is a postgraduate program of two-year duration. The course is a higher degree after BA, and it is available for students in various disciplines, including Hindi, English, History, Political Science, Geography, Economics, Anthropology, Sanskrit, Urdu, Persian, German, Russian, etc.
In the modern technology-oriented world, the MA program is accessible for students in three learning modes including distance education, online learning, and regular (conventional) study.
There are loads of universities approved by the University Grants Commission (UGC), i.e., Indira Gandhi National Open University, Lovely Professional University, Delhi University, etc., that offer the above-mentioned ways of education to students from every part of the country.
MA Distance Education Duration
The duration in the DEB and UGC approved universities for MA Distance learning course is as follows.
- Aspirants will need to study for a minimum of two years to complete the MA ODL programs.
- The maximum time to complete the Distance MA degree is five years.
MA Distance Education Admission 2025
Masters of Arts distance learning degree admission starts every year in the various UGC approved universities in two sessions: January & July. Recently some universities started their admission process for the January 2025 session. The last date is 31 March 2025 for the MA Distance Education admission into the January 2025 session at IGNOU, Amity, LPU Distance Education, Jain University Distance Education & many other distance learning universities.
The students can study MA ODL programs at the comfort of their homes. Here they will receive various options that include MA in English, Hindi, Pol Science, History, Geography, Sanskrit, Economics, and more. Admission to these distance-organized programs will be made on the merit of qualifying exam scores.
MA Distance Education Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must meet the eligibility criteria that set by the universities, you should be a graduate from a recognized university with minimum of 50% marks for those belong to General category, and who belongs to the reserved categories (OBC, SC, ST, PwD) they need 45% marks.
MA Distance Education Fee
The average annual fee for Master of Arts programs through distance learning mode is INR 10,000* to 50,000* INR at government and private universities.
Top Universities For MA Distance Education Admission
The universities that offer MA programs admission are Subharti DDE, Chandigarh University, Mangalayatan ODL, Manipal University ODL, IGNOU, Netaji Subhas Open University, Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University, and more. The average fee of the MA 2-years distance degree program is between INR 10 to 50 thousand per year.
Subharti University Distance MA degree
Subharti University started the MA distance course admission into the January 2025 academic session. Students can enrol in MA economics, public administration, Urdu, Marathi, Hindi and more by visiting the online admission portal. Subharti University Distance Education admission last date is 31 March 2025 for January session.
Admission to the MA Distance Education driven program will be given on the merit list. This merit list is prepared based on the scores that students obtained in the UG degree. Candidates who have been shortlisted through the merit list can submit documents for verification purposes.
Chandigarh University Distance MA Degree
The University ODL admission started for the various MA degree programs. Aspirants will have European studies, History, Ecosophical Aesthetics, English, film art & film making, geopolitics & international relations, and more. Admission to the Chandigarh university ODL programs will be given on merit basis.
The traditional higher degree programs admission to the MA Distance Education course will not require an entrance exam. However, the confirmation of admission for the university ODL courses shall only be done after verification and tuition fee payment.
MA Distance Education Syllabus
The master of arts degree is only available with specialization or elective in distance learning mode. Some ODL MA specializations are in semester mode while some are yearly mode. The syllabus of the course also depend on the elective chosen by a students. Below we are mentioning the subjects of IGNOU’s MA Distance Education (MADE) course, it is a annual mode course.
First Year
| Growth and Philosophy of Distance Education (MDE-411) |
| Learner Support Systems and Services (MDE-413) |
| Instructional Design (MDE-412) |
| Management of Distance Education (MDE-414) |
| Educational Communication Technologies (MDE-518) |
Second Year
| Curriculum Development in Distance Education (MDE-416) |
| Staff Training and Development in Distance Education (MDE-419) |
| Distance Education: Economic Perspective (MDE-417) |
| Research Methods for Distance Education (MDE-415) |
| Project Work (MDEP-520) |
Scope of MA Distance Education Course
The completion of the MA ODL two year degree program offers a chance to individuals to drive their career in higher academics or pick a sound profession with a handsome salary.
Students can go for the Phd degree programs in distance education soon after passing the MA degree programs. By doing so, they can create a career as a lecturer and professor in the future. The other option is to study for a language certificate/diploma and work as a translator in the government/private organizations.
The MA ODL degree program can help students to seek a profession as a content writer, junior school teacher, learning & development consultant, digital marketer, and more. The initial salary package for the MA ODL pass outs is around INR 3 LPA to INR 8 LPA.
More Universities for Distance MA Admission