
IGNOU MBA is one of the top distance education MBA courses in India.
When we think about distance education, IGNOU is the first name that clicks to our mind. Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) was established back in 1985 and was named after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
IGNOU is the largest university in the World with more than 4 million students.
The university was started with the aim to make higher education accessible to disadvantaged segments of society.
IGNOU MBA Summary
- Name of the University: Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)
- Name of the course: Master of Business Administration (MBA)
- Minimum Duration: 2 Years
- Maximum Duration: 5 Years
- Age: There is no age bar to join this course
- Eligibility:
- The students must be a graduate from a recognized university in India. 50% marks in graduation are required for general category students and 45% marks in graduation are required for reserved category students.
OR
- Students with professional degree including CA/ ICWAI /Medicine /Engineering /Law /ICAI with 50% marks are eligible for admission
- All students are required to clear OpenMAT conducted by IGNOU.
- Specializations: IGNOU offers the following MBA specializations
- Human Resource Management (HRM)
- Marketing Management
- Operations Management
- Finance Management
- Financial Markets Practice
- Fee Structure: The total fee for IGNOU MBA is Rs. 37,800/-
- Admission:
- Admission to IGNOU MBA is done on the basis of the score obtain by a student in IGNOU MBA entrance test known as OpenMAT.
- OpenMAT is conducted twice in a year in the months of August and February.
- To appear in OpenMAT, students need to fill up the application form for OpenMAT and send it to IGNOU HQ.
- Successful students in OpenMAT will be offered admission in IGNOU MBA.
About The Distance Education MBA Course Offered by IGNOU
The MBA course offered by IGNOU is one of the top distance education MBA courses in India. IGNOU MBA course is offered by The School of Management Studies (SOMS) of Indira Gandhi National Open University. SOMS was started in the year 1987 and currently offers 4 Management programmes and 14 programmes in Commerce.
IGNOU also offer MBA programme in African countries.
IGNOU deliver the MBA course through self-instructional printed course material and multimedia.
The self-instructional printed course material is sent to all students who enrolled in the programme by post.
For face to face interaction with counsellors and Audio-Video sessions, students can visit study centers. IGNOU also run videos lectures on Doordarshan, and Audio programs on All India Radio. These are some unique features of IGNOU MBA that none of other University offer.
IGNOU keeps developing new programs and make some changes in the existing programs to keep up with the new changes that are taking place in the business world. In the recent past, IGNOU also collaborate with apex institutions to develop new courses in the field of management.
If you are a working professional and wants to acquire managerial skills or you want to upgrade your managerial skills, IGNOU Distance Learning MBA course is for you.
IGNOU MBA Advantages & Benefits
- IGNOU is among the top universities in India offering distance education management courses.
- IGNOU MBA is UGC-DEB recognized and offers a valid degree that is accepted across India for both government and private jobs.
- IGNOU MBA fee is quite affordable. You can pay the fee in instalments.
- There is no age bar to join the master of business administration program offered by Indira Gandhi National Open University.
- Flexible duration to complete the course. The minimum duration to complete IGNOU MBA degree program is 2 years, although students may complete the course in up to 5 years duration.
IGNOU MBA Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria for admission into IGNOU MBA course is as follows
- The candidate must be a graduate to be eligible for admission in IGNOU MBA course.
- For general candidate 50% marks are required at graduation level and for reserved category, 45% marks are required for admission.
- Candidates are also required to clear an entrance test called OPENMAT conducted by Indira Gandhi National Open University.
- There is no age bar for admission.
Do You Want To Apply For Distance MBA?
Admissions are open for distance education MBA courses in top universities in India. Get free counseling and know more about the admission process and fee structure.
IGNOU OPENMAT
OPENMAT is an entrance test that IGNOU conducts twice in a year. Students seeking admission in IGNOU MBA programme are required to clear OPENMAT exam to qualify for admission.
If you wish to appear in OPENMAT exam, the last dates for submitting your filled-in application form are 15 July and 15 December of each year.
The entrance test is usually held in the 3rd Sunday of August and 1st Sunday of February every year.
If someone wishes to appear in both the OPENMAT exams, it is required to apply separately for both the exams.
Important Notes:
- Application Form for OPENMAT Entrance Test, had to be filled online only.
- Hall tickets for OpenMat entrance exams will be uploaded on IGNOU official website and NTA website, 10 days before the exam date.
- IGNOU entrance test results will also be uploaded on IGNOU official website and NTA website. Students can print their result and use it for admission purpose.
- Students who qualify the entrance test can fill up the admission form (form 2) available in the prospectus and submit it to regional center for admission.
- The IGNOU OPENMAT score is valid for one year.
IGNOU MBA Admission Procedure
As we have mentioned earlier in this article that people with a graduation degree can apply for admission in IGNOU Distance Education MBA programme.
Although, they are required to clear the OPENMAT Examination, which is conducted by IGNOU twice in a year all over India.
IGNOU sends a result card to all the students who appear in the entrance test. In result card, IGNOU mentions if a student has cleared the entrance test or not based on the merit cut off score decided by IGNOU.
You can also check your result on IGNOU official website.
Successful candidates can apply for the admission by filling up the admission form (form 2) available in the IGNOU MBA prospectus.
After filling up the admission form, it is required to send it to the regional director along with the required documents.
For more information regarding the admission process, someone can refer to the prospectus.
IGNOU MBA Fee Structure
There are total 21 subjects in IGNOU MBA programme. The fee for each subject is INR 1800. So the total fee for IGNOU MBA course would be 1800*21=37800.
Fee is not refundable in any circumstances.
Students can pay the fee through a demand draft obtain from any schedule bank.
Make sure you write your name, enrolment number and address at the back of the of the demand draft.
All students including the students from the reserved category are required to pay the fee in full.
Students from the reserved category can apply for the scholarship that is available to the students of PG courses from Government of India, by filling up the scholarship form
IGNOU Management Courses
Below is the list of management courses offered by IGNOU
- Doctoral Degree
- Doctor of Philosophy in Management (PHDMGMT)
- Master’s Degree
- MBA
- MBA (Banking & Finance)
- Bachelor’s Degree
- BBA in Retailing (BBA(Retailing))
- Specialisation PG Diploma Courses
- PG Diploma in Financial Markets Practice
- PG Diploma in Human Resource Management
- PG Diploma in Marketing Management
- PG Diploma in Financial Management
- PG Diploma in Operations Management
- Diploma Courses
- Diploma in Management (DIM)
- Certificate Courses
- Certificate in NGO Management (CNM)
Do You Want To Apply For Distance MBA?
Admissions are open for distance education MBA courses in top universities in India. Get free counseling and know more about the admission process and fee structure.
Recognition
All management degree and diploma courses offered by Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) are recongnized by all member Universities of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU). The degree and diploma courses are also at par with degree and diploma courses offered by all Indian Universities/Institutions, as UGC, AICTE, and AIU.
Course Selection Plan
To complete the IGNOU MBA program is 2 years, below is the course selection plan.
- Semester I : During the semester I students may choose any five courses from MS-1 to MS-11 excluding MS-10
- Semester II : In 2nd semester, the rest of 5 courses can be chosen.
- Semester III : In 3rd semester, MS-10, 2 specialization courses, MS-95, and MS-100 can be selected.
- Semester IV : In 4th semester, 3 specialization courses, MS-91, and any one elective course out of MS-92,93,94,96,97.

IGNOU MBA Project
The IGNOU MBA Project Course (MS-100) is equivalent to Two Courses. Students who are pursuing an MBA from IGNOU can take up the project course after having registered for the courses MS-1 to MS-11 and MS-95. The IGNOU MBA project registration fee is INR 3600.
You can choose from any one the three types of projects mentioned below.
- Comprehensive case study
- Inter-organisational study
- Field Study
Although, the type of project you choose depends upon your specialization and area of study.
At the end of the project, students are required to submit a project report and after that they have to appear in viva-voice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is IGNOU MBA recognized by the government?
Yes, IGNOU MBA program is recognized by University Grant Commission (UGC-DEB), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and Association of Indian Universities (AIU).
How to download IGNOU MBA Prospectus 2020?
IGNOU MBA prospectus 2020 can be downloaded from IGNOU official website through this link.
Is there any entrance exam for MBA from IGNOU?
Yes, Students are required to clear an entrance exam called OpenMAT to join IGNOU MBA.
What is the registration fee for IGNOU MBA entrance exam OPENMAT.
IGNOU OPENMAT entrance test registration fee is Rs. 1000/-. Fee once paid is not refundable.
How can someone pay the registration fee?
Registration fee can be paid via Credit Card (Master/Visa), Debit Card (Master/Visa/Rupay), and Net Banking.
What are the documents to be submitted for Entrance Test?
There are no documents required at the time of submitting the form for entrance test. All documents will be required for admission after you qualify the exam.
What is IGNOU MBA entrance exam form last date?
IGNOU conducts OpenMAT exam twice in a year in the month of February and August.
· The last date of submitting application form for OPENMAT XLV for July 2019 is 14th February, 2019.
What is the availability for IGNOU MBA application form?
IGNOU MBA application forms can be filled and submitted on IGNOU official website. The online application fee for IGNOU OpenMAT exam is Rs. 1000. Application form for OPENMAT XLVII will be available soon, and the last date to submit filled application form will be approximately 14thFebruary 2020.
How much does IGNOU MBA cost (fee structure)?
The total cost of IGNOU MBA course is Rs.37,800/-
Is direct admission to IGNOU MBA available?
All students are required to follow the admission procedure set by IGNOU to get an admission in IGNOU distance MBA. No, direct admission is allowed. You need to clear the entrance exam to get an admission.
Is experience required for MBA from IGNOU?
No, there is no professional working experience is required for admission in IGNOU MBA program. In the past, 3 year working experience was required but recently IGNOU has provided relaxation in eligibility criteria.
Can I change my programme from MBA to MBA (B&F) and vice-versa?
No, Change of programme from MBA to MBA (B&F) and vice-versa is not permitted.
Is additional/dual specialization is possible in IGNOU MBA?
Yes, students can choose an additional-specialization by pursuing six courses from the chosen stream. However such additional specialization will not reflect in MBA degree. A separate certificate will be issued in such a case.
What are the documents required to be sending along with the admission form?
· Photograph
· Self-attested copies of certificates of education qualification
· Original OPENMAT score card
· OPENMAT Original hall ticket
· Caste certificate in case of SC/ST/OBC
· Identity card
· Demand draft of INR 1800 per course.
What is the IGNOU contact number and e-mail address?
The IGNOU contact number is 011-29532073. Students call on this number between 9.30AM – 6.00 PM (Monday to Friday).
Students can contact IGNOU School of management studies (SOMS) on their email soms@ignou.ac.in
IGNOU Contact Details For Distance MBA & Management Courses
School of Management Studies
Block – C Academic Complex
Indira Gandhi National Open University
Maidan Garhi,
New Delhi - 110068
India