MBA from IGNOU: Fees, Admissions, Eligibility, Specializations, Career Scope

Vipra
Vipra Shrivastava
Senior Manager - Content
4 mins readUpdated on Oct 6, 2025 17:15 IST
Are you a working professional who wishes to take his/ her career to the next level by pursuing MBA but do not have time to attend regular classes? If yes, IGNOU MBA is the right option for you. After completing a Distance MBA course from IGNOU candidates look for managerial roles sectors such as Finance, Marketing, Human Resources, Accounting

IGNOU is India's top Open University for UG and PG programmes. It's academic as well as professional programmes are very popular among students and working professionals. In this article, we have shared all about MBA from IGNOU,

Indira Gandhi National Open University or IGNOU is India’s most popular open learning school for academic and professional courses. Having a Pan-India reach, IGNOU offers UG as well as PG courses in correspondence/distance learning mode. One of the top most IGNOU programme is MBA. The institute offers distance MBA programme in various specializations. IGNOU MBA is an ideal course for experienced professionals as well as students from remote areas who aspire for a career in management.

Recognised by the AICTE, IGNOU MBA programmes are designed keeping in view the latest industry requirements and practices. Whether you are a fresh graduate or a working professional, MBA from IGNOU will help you in honing your administrative and managerial skills. Read below all about MBA programmes offered by IGNOU.

Table of contents
  • MBA Courses Offered by IGNOU
  • MBA from IGNOU: Eligibility Criteria and Fees
  • MBA from IGNOU: Fees
  • Scope of MBA from IGNOU
  • Pros of pursuing MBA from IGNOU
  • Cons of pursuing MBA from IGNOU
  • Job Opportunities after IGNOU MBA
View More

MBA Courses Offered by IGNOU

IGNOU offers Distance MBA and PGD programmes in almost all the popular MBA specializations. Check below the list of MBA courses offered by IGNOU.

  • MBA General
  • MBA Banking and Finance
  • MBA Operations Management
  • MBA Marketing Management
  • MBA Human Resource Management
  • MBA Financial Management
  • PGD in International Business Operations
  • PGD in Services Management
  • PGD in Operations Management
  • PGD in Financial Management
  • PGD in Human Resources Management

MBA from IGNOU: Eligibility Criteria and Fees

The minimum eligibility criteria for MBA from IGNOU are mentioned below. There is no entrance exam.

  • Candidates must have passed Bachelor’s degree of minimum 3-years duration with at least 50% marks
  • Reserved category students must have a minimum of 45% in graduation.
  • There is no upper age limit to register for the IGNOU programme

MBA from IGNOU: Fees

  • Fees of MBA/PGD course is around INR 15,000 to 16,000 per semester
  • Candidates have to pay registration fee & development fee as applicable

Scope of MBA from IGNOU

A distance MBA degree from an Open University like IGNOU may not give a quick push to your career but it is definitely helpful in gaining advantage in terms of job prospects. Distance MBA is best suited for working professionals who are looking for career advancement. Pursuing MBA from IGNOU will help an individual in exploring job opportunities of managerial level.

The value of an IGNOU MBA degree majorly depends on students. While some are able to make the best use of their degree through their hard work, others don’t. One should remember that a degree is only a stepping stone, but what takes them forward is their skill and hard work.

Pros of pursuing MBA from IGNOU

Given below are the pros and cons of pursuing an IGNOU MBA programme:

  • Flexibility: Flexibility is one of the key highlights of pursuing IGNOU MBA, especially for working professionals. By pursuing MBA from IGNOU candidates can study at their own pace and can earn as well as learn at the same time.
  • Cost-Effective: The course fee of a distance MBA course from IGNOU is quite low and affordable for most candidates.
  • Comprehensive Study Material: IGNOU MBA offers one of the best study material to candidates prepared by professors from top institutions such as IIMs and IITs. Therefore, with IGNOU MBA, candidates get to learn a lot within a limited period of time.   

Cons of pursuing MBA from IGNOU

Less Exposure: One of the major drawbacks of pursuing a distance MBA from IGNOU is that the course does not provide much exposure to candidates. Unlike full-time MBA students, a distance programme does not offer class room interaction, summer internships, industry visits or other such opportunities of building network. 

Less Recognition from Recruiters: Recruiters prefer a regular MBA candidate over a Distance MBA one. Also, the salary is not quite encouraging for distance MBA students as compared to regular MBA candidates, if they are fresh graduates.

Limited Interaction with Faculty: There is no personal interaction with teachers which affects the learning of IGNOU MBA candidates. It is very difficult to study comprehensive books without any mentors. Therefore, it is very important for candidates pursuing MBA from IGNOU to follow a disciplined routine along with sincerity towards studies.  

Job Opportunities after IGNOU MBA

In a nutshell, Ddistance MBA programme from IGNOU is most suitable for working professionals who wish to sharpen business and managerial skills without taking a career break. Flexibility in studies, assignments submission and exams help them sail through work smoothly while learning the latest skills to move ahead in the rapidly changing job market. After completing a Distance MBA course from IGNOU candidates look for managerial roles sectors such as Finance, Marketing, Human Resources, Accounting, Risk Management, and so on. Jobs for distance MBA pass-outs range from the typical finance and marketing executive roles to corporate managers, finance analysts, HR managers, sales managers, etc.

Q:   What is the next admission date for IGNOU 2025?
A:

IGNOU registrations are closed for July Session. The university will conduct the PhD entrance test on Jan 5, 2026. The admissions for next session are likely to open soon.

Q:   What is the IGNOU admission process for an international student?
A:

IGNOU offers only very selective programmes to international students through its overseas partner institutes. These partner institutes render student support services to such students. Such students aspiring to pursue IGNOU programmes must contact the concerned partner institute in their vicinity and fill out the admission form along with the requisite fees within the stipulated time. Click here to view the list of partner institutes along with their contact details.

Q:   Do I need to appear for an entrance exam for IGNOU admission?
A:

IGNOU offers admission based on merit of the aspirants in the last qualifying exam to most of the programmes. However, candidates need to appear for entrance exam for a few courses. Below are the courses accepting IGNOU entrance exam scores for admission:

  • B.Ed
  • Post Basic BSc Nursing
  • PhD 
Q:   What is the IGNOU selection procedure for an MBA?
A:

Indira Gandhi National Open University offer entrance-based admission to its MBA programmes. Candidates seeking admission have to appear for the university entrance exam. Before applying, the aspirants should check out the course-specific eligibility requirements. The basic eligibility requirement is as follows:

Eligibility: A pass in any bachelor's degree of a minimum of three years duration with a minimum of 50% aggregate (45% in case of reserved category candidates)

Q:   What is the last date to apply for IGNOU MA fresh admission?
A:

Indira Gandhi National Open University has extended its application deadline from Jul 15 to Jul 31. Candidates seeking admission to the MA courses can apply in Jul session till the extended date. Additionally, the candidates who are pursuing the course can re-register as well. The IGNOU re-registration date is extended till Jul 31 as well.

Q:   I've scored less than 50% in 12th boards, can I get admission in IGNOU for BSc?
A:

Yes, students get IGNOU BSc asmission with 50% marks in Class 12 boards. It is mandatory to qualify class 12 in Science strea, with Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. The institute accepts application through online mode. 

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About the Author
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Vipra Shrivastava
Senior Manager - Content

Vipra Shrivastava is MA in English Literature from Delhi University with extensive experience in content writing of over 14 years. She has been handling content for Management, Accounting and Commerce streams for 8

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Answered a week ago

To apply, the candidate must appear for the IGNOU BEd Entrance Exam held in March. The registration process will begin in January 2026.

A

Anshul Jindal

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 days ago

To check the result, candidates need to login using their credentials. It will be displayed on the screen.

A

Anshul Jindal

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a week ago

Yes, BEd is possible from Indira Gandhi National Open University. The candidate can get admission by clearing the IGNOU BEd Entrance Exam

A

Anshul Jindal

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 days ago

To apply for the IGNOU BEd, open the application form link. Register using the asked details. Login, upload the documents, and make the payment.

A

Anshul Jindal

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 days ago

The IGNOU BEd Entrance Exam forms will be out in last week of January 2026. Candidates can start applying if they wish to pursue the education course from the Indira Gandhi National Open University. 

A

Anshul Jindal

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 days ago

Start with getting familiar with the format and syllabus. Get conceptual clarity before started practicing the related question for the IGNOU BEd Entrance Exam.

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Anshul Jindal

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 days ago

IGNOU takes around 45-60 days to declare the result after the IGNOU BEd entrance exam.

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Anshul Jindal

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 days ago

Scanned passport size Photograph and scanned Signature must be less than 100 KB. All the supporting documents like Proof of DOB, relevant mark-sheets, degree, caste, income, and disability certificate. 

A

Anshul Jindal

Contributor-Level 10