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IIPS Mumbai Distance: fees, courses and admission
International Institute for Population Sciences, Centre for Distance and Online EducationMumbai, Maharashtra
Fees and rules checked on the university’s website and the CDOE prospectus 2026-27 on 23 October 2026
Admission: applications for the July-August 2026 batch closed on 19 August 2026, and selected candidates had to pay by 12 October 2026. The 2027 intake hasn’t been announced yet (checked 23 October 2026).
Overview
The International Institute for Population Sciences in Deonar, Mumbai, was set up in 1956 and declared a deemed university in 1985; it runs under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Its Centre for Distance and Online Education, started in 1994, teaches one programme, a two-year MA in Population Studies, through soft-copy study material, contact programmes and exams at the Institute.
- Type
- Deemed to be university under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India
- Modes
- Distance (ODL) only; no online programmes on the 2026-27 lists
- Sessions
- One intake a year, July-August; the 2026-27 intake has closed
- Study centres
- None; contact programmes, exams and the viva are at the IIPS campus in Deonar, Mumbai
- Entrance test
- None; a selection committee picks candidates for 150 seats
Courses and fees
MA Population Studies
2 years (up to 4)
₹30,000programme fee
Tuition and soft-copy study material; exam fee ₹200 a paper and contact programme fee ₹600 extra
Get fee detailsFees are from the Programme Fee table in the CDOE prospectus 2026-27, for Indian students. The ₹30,000 tuition fee includes study material in soft copy and is paid online as the admission fee once you are selected. Extra: a non-refundable processing fee of ₹1,000 (₹500 for OBC-NCL and EWS, ₹250 for SC, ST and PwD), the contact programme fee of ₹600, exam fees of ₹200 a paper, ₹200 for the viva-voce, ₹200 for the degree certificate and ₹500 for convocation.
Admission
- 2026-27 session (July-August 2026)
Closed. Applications ended on 19 August 2026, and online admission and fee payment for selected candidates ended on 12 October 2026.
- 2027 intake
Not announced yet (checked 23 October 2026). The CDOE calendar puts the admission notice in April and applications from June to August; UGC-DEB recognition covers sessions up to July-August 2027.
How to apply
Forms and notices: the university’s website Help: the university’s email, 022-42372428 or 022-42372462.
Eligibility
- MA Population Studies
A bachelor’s degree in any subject from a recognised university in India or abroad, with 50% marks (45% for reserved categories). A master’s degree and work experience get extra weightage.
- Selection
No entrance test. A selection committee set up by the Director picks candidates; reservation follows Government of India norms.
Exams and study
Written exams are held twice a year, in June and December, at the Institute in Deonar. You also write a term paper and sit a viva-voce.
Self-learning material comes in soft copy only, through IIPS’s Moodle platform, where assignments are also submitted.
A two-week contact programme runs at the Institute in June and December, and counselling sessions are held once a quarter. Distance learners can stay in the hostel for a small charge.
UGC recognition. UGC-DEB’s 2026-27 list of universities recognised for distance (ODL) programmes includes IIPS with one programme, the MA in Population Studies, recognised from January-February 2023 up to the July-August 2027 session. It is not on the online lists.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the IIPS distance MA cost?
The programme fee is ₹30,000, which includes soft-copy study material. A ₹1,000 processing fee (less for reserved categories) and exam fees of ₹200 a paper are extra.
Can I still apply for 2026-27?
No. Applications closed on 19 August 2026 and fee payment closed on 12 October 2026. The 2027 intake hasn’t been announced (checked 23 October 2026).
Do I have to go to Mumbai?
Yes. The written exams in June and December, the two-week contact programme and the viva-voce are all held at the IIPS campus in Deonar, Mumbai.
Who can apply?
Graduates in any subject with 50% marks (45% for reserved categories). There is no entrance test; a selection committee picks candidates.
Is the degree recognised?
Yes. UGC-DEB’s 2026-27 list recognises the IIPS MA in Population Studies in distance mode for sessions up to July-August 2027.
If IIPS isn’t the right fit
IIPS teaches only one distance course, in population studies, and holds its exams in Mumbai. YCMOU in Nashik is Maharashtra’s open university, and IGNOU admits in January and July. UGC-entitled private online MBAs start at ₹67,000 in total (Mangalayatan University, fee checked 17 October 2026).
Other universities in MaharashtraPrivate online universities
Sources
- CDOE pages on the university’s website (home, admission, programme offered, online payment, self-learning material, UGC recognition), read 23 Oct 2026.
- CDOE admission announcement for 2026-27, July-August 2026 session (eligibility, fee, exams, how to apply, last date 19 August 2026), read 23 Oct 2026.
- CDOE prospectus 2026-27 (programme fee table, intake, selection, study material, contact programme, evaluation), read 23 Oct 2026.
- List of selected candidates and online admission for 2026-27 (admission fee, online admission 28 September to 12 October 2026), read 23 Oct 2026.
- CDOE academic calendar and FAQ, read 23 Oct 2026.
- NAAC certificate on the CDOE UGC Recognition page (A grade, CGPA 3.01, valid up to 7 February 2027).
- UGC-DEB list of HEIs recognised to offer ODL programmes, 2026-27, session August 2026 (S.No 46).