In distance (ODL) mode you study from printed or digital material and write exams at a centre; in online mode the classes, material and assignments are on the university’s website. At IGNOU the MBA fee is the same in both modes: ₹66,000 for two years.
People often use the two terms for the same thing, but universities run them differently. This page compares the two modes on study material, assignments, exams and cost. The example is IGNOU, which offers its MBA in both modes.
In distance mode, which UGC calls open and distance learning (ODL), you study from printed or digital material, attend contact classes at a study centre and write exams at an exam centre. In online mode, the classes, study material and assignments are on the university’s website.
UGC’s regulations let a university hold exams for online programmes at a test centre, or online through technology-mediated proctoring, which can include remote proctoring by webcam (UGC (ODL and Online Programmes) Regulations, 2020, Annexure II). At IGNOU, online MBA students sit their term-end exams at an exam centre in June and December, the same as distance students.
| Distance (ODL) | Online | |
|---|---|---|
| Study material | Printed books, or digital for 15% off the programme fee | Online only, on eGyanKosh and IGNOU’s learning platform |
| Assignments | Submitted at your learner support centre | Uploaded on IGNOU’s learning platform |
| Teaching | Counselling sessions at the learner support centre, mostly outside office hours | Study on IGNOU’s learning platform |
| Term-end exams | At an exam centre, June and December | At an exam centre, June and December |
| MBA choices | General MBA or one of nine specialised MBAs | General MBA only |
| MBA programme fee | ₹66,000 | ₹66,000 |
The figures are from IGNOU’s pages and handbooks, set out in our IGNOU MBA guide. Other universities run the two modes in their own way. Each university page on this site says which mode it offers and where its exams are held.
No. What matters is whether UGC has recognised the university for that programme in that mode. A degree from a recognised university is treated as equivalent to the same degree earned on campus, whether it was taught by distance or online (UGC (ODL and Online Programmes) Regulations, 2020, regulation 22).
You can check a university and its programmes on UGC-DEB’s lists at deb.ugc.ac.in. There is more on this in Is a distance or online degree valid in India?
Distance mode isn’t always the cheaper one. IGNOU charges the same ₹66,000 programme fee for its MBA in either mode. A distance student who chooses digital study material instead of printed books gets 15% off the programme fee, which brings the full cost to about ₹62,700, against about ₹72,600 with printed books or in online mode.
Fees vary between universities, so compare the full cost on each university’s page, including exam fees.
Distance mode may suit you if you:
Online mode may suit you if you:
Whichever mode you choose, check that the university and the programme are on UGC-DEB’s list for the year you’re joining, in that mode. If you’d like help comparing universities for your course and budget, fill in the form and a counsellor will call you. It’s free.
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