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. Addittionally, you will need to have min 40% marks in your bachelors. The average fee is Rs 10,000 to 90,000 per year in India.
There are 80+ Indian university such as IGNOU, DU SOL, Subharti, Mangalayatan, Jamia Millia Islamia, Andhra University, etc that offers correspondence MA degree. The admissions are open for this course under the July academic session and students can apply till 31 May 2025. There is a vast number of career options available after completing this course the top job options includes Journalism, Content writing, Government officer, Translator, Teacher and many more.
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 10,000 – 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 |
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.
Distance MA Course 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 4 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 July 2025 session. The last date is 31 May 2025 for the MA Distance Education admission into the July 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.
MA Distance Education Specializations
Master is a specialised degree. Universities offer various MA courses in a fixed domain for different streams. Some of the courses are MA in political science, hindi, english, philosophy, fine art, economics, music, human resource management, public administration, Journalism & mass communication, history, sanskrit, sociology, psychology, and many more. Leanr more about these from below:
Top Universities For MA Distance Education In India
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.
1. Subharti University Distance MA degree
Subharti University started the MA distance course admission into the July 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 May 2025 for July 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.
Read About: Subharti University Distance Education
2. MA Distance Education Mangayalatan University
Mangalayatan University offers MA programmes in 4 major subjects, such as history, english, sociology and political science. The course duration is 2 years consisting of 6 semesters. The per semester fee of MUDDE MA course is Rs 6,000 for Indian students (for all specializations fee is same). The basic eligibility criteria is to have a bachelor’s degree from a recognised university with 50% marks.
The admission process of the university is open for the July 2025 academic cycle and students can apply for admission. The expected last date for the ODL MA admission at this university is 30 May 2025.
Read About: Mangayalatan University Distance Education
3. MA Distance Education IGNOU
Indira Gandhi National Open University offers 2 years long Master of Arts degree in 30+ specializations. The university offerd almost all electives that is possible in distance learning mode. The top specilaizations of IGNOU MA are english, hindi, political science, history and so on. The annual fee for this course is Rs 8,000 to Rs 23,000 per annum (depends on the specializations). The basic eligibility criteria is to have a bachelor’s degree from a recognised university with 40% to 50% marks and selection are merit based. The IGNOU admission portal is going to start on 12th May 2025 for the July session.
4. MA Distance Education Delhi University (DU SOL MA)
School of Open Learning DU offers master’s courses in 4 subjects. The programme’s names are MA in sanskrit, political science, history and hindi. The eligibility criteria is to have a bachelor’s degree from a recognised university. SOL (School of Open Learning) DU takes admission on the merit list and CUET PG as well. The average fee for the courses is 9,000 to 9,300 rupees per year. The admission for DU SOL is going to open in the first week of June 2025.
Read About: DU SOL Admission 2025
5. Lovely Professional University (LPU DDE)
LPU DDE admssions are open for Master of Arts ODL course under the July 2025 academic session. The university is inviting the online applications for 10 MA specializations such as English, Mathematics, Education, English & more. Students passed a UG degree with relevant subjects from a UGC approved university are eligible for this course. The total fee for these course is between Rs 30,000 to 36,000 depending on the electives.
The university grant first cum first serve basis admission to the applications therefore no need of an entrance exam. However, the confirmation of admission for the university ODL courses shall only be done after verification and tuition fee payment. The last date for LPU DDE MA admission is 31 May 2025.
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.
Top Recruiters For Distance MA Graduates
Candidates can work in different job sectors after a correspondence master of arts course. The job market is open in fields such as content writing, designing, policy making, governance, teaching and so on. A master’s student can start working with big companies as well. Like TCS, NTT Data, NITI Aayog, Byju’s, IAS, IPS or NGOs, etc.
People Also Ask About MA Distance Learning Course
Ques: Can I do MA from distance education?
Ans. Yes, you can do MA in distance learning mode as UGC-DEB has recognised this course for ODL learning mode. There are many government and private universities that provide admission to this degree.
Ques: Can I complete MA from IGNOU in 1 year?
Ans. No, the minimum duration for MA programme is 2 years from IGNOU.
Ques: What is the age limit for doing Distance MA?
Ans. There is no age limit for doing Master of Art courses at many universities.
Ques: Can I do Correspondence MA without entrance exam?
Ans. Yes, there are many universities in India that provide MA distance education degree on a merit basis.
Ques: Is distance ma equivalent to regular ma?
Ans. Yes, distance MA is as equal as a regular MA as per the UGC-DEB norms. The only thing is that the university should be recognised by UGC; then the degree will be valid.