PSOU: fees, courses and admission

Jagat Guru Nanak Dev Punjab State Open UniversityPatiala, Punjab

State open universityDistanceSince 2019

Get fee details Other universities in Punjab

Fees and rules checked on 22 October 2026

₹4,750a semester for a BA, exam fee included

₹5,250a semester for an MA in English, Economics or Punjabi

₹6,750a semester for an M.Com

7regional centres, all in Punjab

Admission: PSOU’s July 2026 session closed on 10 October 2026, the last date shown on its admission page. Its academic calendar plans a January 2027 cycle from 1 January to 31 March 2027, but no notice has been posted yet (checked 22 October 2026).

Overview

Jagat Guru Nanak Dev Punjab State Open University was set up by Punjab’s Act No. 19 of 2019 as the state’s first open university, with its campus in Patiala. It teaches only by distance, with e-content on its learning portal, contact sessions at learner support centres in colleges across Punjab and semester exams at college centres.

Type: State open university, Punjab (UGC 2(f) and 12(B))
Modes: Distance (ODL)
Sessions: Two a year, July and January
Study centres: 7 regional centres and learner support centres in colleges, all in Punjab
Entrance test: None mentioned for degree programmes

Get fee details

Fees from the Fee Structure Session 2026 in PSOU’s 2026-27 prospectus and its programme and fee list. Each semester’s fee covers a ₹250 registration or continuation fee, tuition, a ₹1,500 exam fee and ₹1,500 IT and other charges, and ₹200 is added as an alumni fee in the final semester. SC students and staff of educational institutions in Punjab pay less, differently abled and transgender students pay nothing, and jail inmates pay ₹500. The MA Punjabi programme page shows a lower, uneven split; we use the prospectus figure. Totals are our sums.

Admission

July 2026 session
Admission opened on 25 May 2026 and the admission page gave 10 October 2026 as the last date; semester-end exams run from December 2026.
January 2027 session
Not announced yet (checked 22 October 2026). The 2026-27 academic calendar plans admission from 1 January to 31 March 2027, or UGC-DEB’s last date.

How to apply

1Create your ABC ID and DEB ID first; both are needed for the form

2On the university’s website open Admissions, choose Direct University Admission and register with your DEB ID, email and mobile number

3Pick your programme, centre and exam medium, then fill in your details and upload your photo, signature and certificates

4Pay the fee online and submit; a provisional admission letter follows after the documents are checked, usually in 24 to 48 hours

Admission portal: the university’s website, linked from the university’s website. You can also apply through a learner support centre college, or on the offline form. Queries: the university’s email or 94630-82523.

Eligibility

M.Com
A bachelor’s degree of at least three years, such as B.Com, BA, BBA or B.Sc, from a UGC-recognised university.
MA English, Economics, Punjabi
A bachelor’s degree in any stream.
BA, B.Com (Honours), BCA (Honours)
A 10+2 pass in any stream. BCA also accepts a 2-year ITI or 3-year diploma after Class 10.

Exams and study

Semester exams

Held offline at exam centres in colleges across Punjab, on written answer books for degree courses; you choose your exam centre district on the form. Internal assessment counts for 30%.

Study material

E-content on PSOU’s learning portal, where you also download and upload assignments. Printed books are available on request for a charge.

Contact sessions

Personal contact programmes at learner support centres, from September to December for the July 2026 batch.

UGC recognition. UGC-DEB’s 2026-27 list of recognised ODL programmes includes PSOU for 11 programmes, among them the BA, B.Com (Honours), BCA (Honours), MA English, Economics and Punjabi, M.Com and M.Sc Computer Science. The UGC allows these for the 2026-27 session, or until six months after NAAC launches its new accreditation, whichever is earlier.

Frequently asked questions

How much is an MA at PSOU?

₹5,250 a semester for an MA in English, Economics or Punjabi, including the exam fee, so ₹21,200 for two years by our sum with the ₹200 alumni fee. SC students and staff of educational institutions in Punjab pay ₹4,250 a semester.

Does PSOU offer an MBA or MCA?

No. Its distance degrees are the BA, B.Com (Honours), BCA (Honours), M.Com, MA in English, Economics and Punjabi, and M.Sc Computer Science, plus many diplomas and certificates.

Can I still join PSOU this year?

The July 2026 session closed on 10 October 2026. The next cycle is planned for January to March 2027, but no notice had been posted on 22 October 2026.

Where are PSOU’s exams held?

Offline, at exam centres in colleges across Punjab. Degree exams are written answer papers, and you pick an exam centre district when you apply.

Is PSOU NAAC accredited?

We found no NAAC grade on its official pages. Its UGC-DEB permission runs for 2026-27, or until six months after NAAC’s new accreditation starts, whichever comes first.

If PSOU isn’t the right fit

PSOU has no MBA or MCA, and its centres are all in Punjab. Punjabi University in Patiala and GNDU Amritsar run distance degrees in the state, and UGC-entitled private online MBAs start at ₹67,000 in total (Mangalayatan University, fee checked 17 October 2026).

Other universities in Punjab Private online universities

Sources

PSOU Prospectus cum Handbook of Information, Academic Session 2026-27, including Fee Structure Session 2026 (pp.163-166), linked from the university’s website, read 22 Oct 2026.
University Programmes & Fee Details and the programme pages on the university’s website, read 22 Oct 2026.
Admission notice for the July 2026 session (No. 369, 22 May 2026), the admission page’s last date of 10 October 2026 and the Academic Calendar 2026-27, read 22 Oct 2026.
UGC-DEB 2026-27 list of recognised ODL programmes, S.No 58.

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