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

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 content
  • 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
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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 after IGNOU application process is over?
A:

Students who have applied for B.Ed, MBA or PB BSc Nursing must appear for the required entrance and check if they've qualified it. Followed by application, application fee payment and entrance, students who have completed their registration can check their status by entering their registration number on the IGNOU admission status page. The university also notifies students about their admission confirmation or rejection through an email and a text message in the next two months.

Q:   What are the essential qualifications for admission to B.Ed course at IGNOU?
A:
Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) provides admission to its distance course Bachelor of Education (B.Ed. ) on the basis of merit in an entrance test conducted by IGNOU. IGNOU allows a maximum 5-year duration to complete this degree course. The eligibility criteria for the IGNOU B.Ed. are as follows: Academic eligibility: Graduation and/or post-graduation in any subject with at least 50% aggregate (except degrees in technology or engineering, where you need 55% aggregate). Professional Eligibility: Either be a trained "in-service" teacher in elementary education or have completed an NCTE-recognised teacher education programme in regular mode. Entrance exam qualification: The IGNOU-B.Ed. entrance test.
Q:   How to take admission at IGNOU after the last date of registration?
A:

In case a candidate misses the deadline for IGNOU registration, he or she can write mail or contact the admission office for assistance. In case nothing can be done, he or she then needs to register in the next cycle. IGNOU conducts admission in two cycles-January and June. Admission to most of the courses is based on merit of the aspirants in the last qualifying exam. In case of courses such as B.Ed, PhD and PB BSc Nursing, admissions are offered based on entrance exam scores.

Q:   Can I get direct admission in IGNOU?
A:

Yes, students could take direct admission to a lot of UG and PG programmes offered at IGNOU. IGNOU admissions for many undergraduate and postgraduate courses such as BSc, BA, BCA, MBA, MA, and MSc are based on the merit of the last qualifying exam. IGNOU admission is conducted twice a year. Students should apply for IGNOU admissions 2025 before the last date of admission.

The below-mentioned is the IGNOU admission video:

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 
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About the Author
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Vipra Shrivastava
Senior Manager - Content
Vipra is a massive Breaking Bad fan. When not watching crime drama series, she spends time in updating the list of places she wants to visit and people she wants to meet, but she is happiest in the company of dogs. Read Full Bio
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Anshul Jindal

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Anshul Jindal

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Akansha Bisht

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