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IGNOU PhD Courses & Fees 2025: Courses, Fees, Application, Specialisations, Compare
Saket, Delhi
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- Estd. 1985
Last updated on 6 Nov '25
IGNOU PhD Eligibility & Highlights 2025
At doctoral level, IGNOU offers PhD programme across 42 specialisations. The minimum duration for PhD is three years and the maximum is six years. In case of PhD, candidates with MPhil degree (along with coursework and dissertation) or those who have cleared NET (conducted by UGC/CSIR/ICAR) or any other equivalent examination will be exempted from appearing in the entrance test. The various specializations and detailed admission criteria of this course is mentioned below:
Eligibility Criteria:
- Candidates must have a master’s degree from a recognised university in fields of study as are notified for the purpose from time to time with at least 55% aggregate (50% for SC, ST, OBC (Non-creamy Layer) and differently-abled and other categories of candidates)
- Qualifies in the entrance examination conducted by IGNOU at the national-level
The following table lists all the specialisations available under PhD at IGNOU:
|
PhD Specialisations |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Inter-disciplinary and Trans-disciplinary Studies |
Chemistry |
Arabic |
|
Journalism & Mass Communication |
Commerce |
French |
|
Library & Information Science |
Computer Science |
Geology |
|
Management |
Economics |
Social Work |
|
Mathematics |
English |
Sociology |
|
Nursing |
Development Studies |
Distance Education |
|
Performing and Visual Arts with specialisation in Fine Arts, Theatre Arts and Music |
Food and Nutrition |
Statistics |
|
Law |
Gender and Development Studies |
Tourism and Hospitality |
|
Life Sciences |
Women’s Studies |
Translation Studies |
|
Physics |
Geography |
Vocational Education |
|
Political Science |
Hindi |
Agriculture Extension |
|
Education |
History |
Dairy Science and Technology |
|
Psychology |
Environmental Science |
Anthropology |
|
Public Administration |
Rural Development |
Biochemistry |
Return on Investment
Eligibility Criteria
Commonly asked questions On Highlights
Yes, IGNOU has a dedicated Campus Placement Cell, which is popularly known as CPC. The Campus Placement Cell organises campus placement drives from time-to-time. The notification regarding campus placement drives is uploaded online in the placement section of the official website. The job notifications include detailed information regarding no. of vacancies, eligibility, application date, salary package, etc. Apart from this, IGNOU CPC has a strong base of alumni network that helps fellow students to stay updated with relevant job vacancies.
IGNOU average package data 2025 is not released. However, according to the NIRF report 2025 released, the median package received during IGNOU placement 2024 is presented below:
Course | Median Package (2024) |
|---|---|
UG 1-year | INR 2.85 LPA |
UG 3-year | INR 3.5 LPA |
PG 1-year | INR 3.5 LPA |
PG 2-year | INR 3.5 LPA |
As per the official brochure released, a student is allowed to pursue two academic programmes simultaneously through ODL / Online mode, as per the illustration given below.
| Course | Details |
|---|---|
| One certificate programme with any other Programme | Admission in both programmes can be taken in the same admission cycle |
| One UG + One PG Programme | Admission has to be taken in two different admission cycles *Admission can be taken only in specified courses. Details are available on IGNOU website |
| Two UG Programmes | |
| Two PG Programmes |
Certain programmes are not allowed under the simultaneous registration. Students are advised to visit
the official prospectus for the same. Additionally, there will be no change in the counseling/ assignment submission/ examination schedule in case dates for the above clash for the courses in which a student has taken admission.
IGNOUVideo stories
- Admission Process
IGNOU Ph.D.Popular courses
Commonly asked questions On All Courses
Indira Gandhi National Open University or IGNOU is an open and distance learning platform. Currently, over 3 million students are pursuing course from the university. Since, it is a distance education platform, few things are different from a regular college. Here are a few highlighting points of studying at IGNOU:
Distance/ Online Learning: IGNOU offers courses in distance or online mode. Candidates get offline or online study material for their learning. Weekend classes are conducted for IGNOU courses.
Assignments: Once a student joins an IGNOU programme, he or she needs to start working on assignments. The assignments are specific to each programme and need to submitted online or offline at the study centre.
Study Centre: All the dealings related to the course are done in the study centre. Students are allotted a study centre for all academic queries.
Exams: The university conducts exams twice in a year for January and July session. Students as per their enrollment year, need to appear for the term end exam.
Since there is no physical interaction, communication can be a barrier in IGNOU. Students need to mail or connect with the regional centre for their queries.
Candidates who are selected for admission need to confirm their seat by paying the course fee. Here are few things that students will recieve after taking admission in IGNOU:
- Once a students get admission into IGNOU, he or she will recieve the enrollment number and ID for future login to the samarth portal of the university.
- Based on the choice made by the candidate while filling the application form, he or she will then recieve the study material. Soft copy is available on the official website of the university.
- Registered students also recieve a mail from the regional or study centre for counselling. It is an induction ceremony where the course is introduced to the students.
- A schedule of classes is also shared through mail. For any query regarding classes, students must contact their study centre.
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
One of the leading universities in India, IGNOU offers over 200 UG, PG, diploma, certificate and doctoral courses via open and distance learning (ODL) mode. Candidates interested in IGNOU admission can apply through the online admission portal for ODL programmes, i.e. ignouadmission.samarth.edu.in. In addition, the university launched an Online Education portal under its umbrella and now, it offers more than 40 UG, PG, Diploma and Certificate courses via the same.
Out of all these courses, some of the popular ones are listed below:
- BA
- BCom
- BSc
- MBA
- B.Ed
Read more on top IGNOU courses.
IGNOU Ph.D.Fees details 2026
| Fee components | Amount (for 3 years) |
|---|---|
₹ 50.4 K | |
₹ 50.4 K |
These are estimated fees information. Actual values may differ.
Commonly asked questions On Ph.D. Fees
Yes, IGNOU offers scholarships to students based on merit and needs. The institute offers scholarships to the reserved category like SC/ ST. Students are also eligible for goverment scholarships.
IGNOU fee is a sum of multiple components such as tuition fee, one-time fee, etc. Aspirants while applying for IGNOU admission need to pay the course fee. Below is IGNOU fee structure for popular courses:
| Course | Tuition Fee | One-Time Fee |
|---|---|---|
| BA | INR 12,000 - INR 31,800 | INR 300 |
| MBA | INR 62,000 | INR 300 |
| BSc | INR 17,100 - INR 43,500 | INR 300 |
| BCom | INR 8,100 - INR 12,600 | INR 300 - INR 850 |
| MA | INR 10,800 - INR 25,600 | INR 300 |
| MSc | INR 15,600 - INR 43,200 | INR 200 - INR 300 |
| MCom | INR 8,400 - INR 18,600 | INR 300 - INR 500 |
No, IGNOU does not ask students to pay the full fees in one go. The fee payment is done in two halves in a year. Candidates have to re-register in order to pay the fees. The fee payment can be made online. Candidates should keep the fee payment receipt with them for future references.
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IGNOU Ph.D.Admission dates 2026
| Dates | Past Events |
|---|---|
5 Jan '26 | Ph.D. Entrance Exam |
31 Oct '25 | Ph.D. Last date to apply |
IGNOU PhD Admission 2025: How to Apply?
The application process for PhD and MPhil at IGNOU is an online process. Check the detailed application steps below:
1: Visit the official website of IGNOU.
2:Register Yourself
3: Fill out the form and complete it
Read more:
- Check out the step-by-step process of IGNOU application with form screenshots here.
- For more instructions on the application process, click here
Mandatory Documents
- Passport size photograph
- Identity card
- Academic certificate(s)
- Birth certificate
- Experience certificate, if applicable
Commonly asked questions On Application Process
IGNOU admission cycle opens twice in a year i.e. January and July. The registrations for January session usually begins in December and close by March. The July session for ODL/ Online programmes begin in May and continue till July. The mode of application is online for all the courses.
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.
Yes, IGNOU admissions 2026 are open now. Interested students can apply online at the official website of the university. The last date to apply was extended until Feb 28, 2026.
The Open University provides PhD programmes in different areas of specialisation. IGNOU PhD course admission is done based on accepted exam scores, followed by an interview round. Aspirants can check out more details aboutthe PhD at the Open University, here. Interested candidates should go through the eligibility and selection requirements before proceeding with the application formalities.
Top online Ph.D. courses offered by IGNOU
IGNOU Ph.D.Comparison with similar colleges
Compare Ph.D. at IGNOU with other similar colleges
| College | Median Salary | Total Tuition Fees | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| -/- | ₹ 50.4 K | -/- | |
| -/- | ₹ 1.68 L - 2.62 L | -/- | |
| -/- | -/- | -/- | |
| -/- | ₹ 2.52 L - 15.92 L | -/- | |
| -/- | ₹ 2.1 L - 2.7 L | -/- | |
| -/- | -/- | -/- |
CompareIGNOU Ph.D.Explore Other Courses
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 3 weeks ago
Overall difficulty level of IGNOU TEE is generally moderate. If you study the official materials, complete assignments, and revise regularly, you'll find the questions very easy.
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Some most important topics for IGNOU TEE are summaries, unit-end questions, and high-weightage blocks in official study materials.
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Yes, you can crack IGNOU TEE through self-study. University provides detailed study materials that cover entire syllabus. Read them carefully, make notes, and revise regularly to score well.
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
You should start preparing for IGNOU TEE at least six months before exam. This gives enough time to read all study materials, complete assignments, and revise properly.
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Contributor-Level 10
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Updated on Nov 6, 2025
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