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OSOU: fees, courses and admission
Odisha State Open UniversitySambalpur, Odisha
Fees and rules checked on 22 October 2026
Admission: OSOU’s August 2026 session closed on 7 October 2026, after three extensions of its 20 August last date. A January-February 2027 intake hasn’t been announced yet (checked 22 October 2026).
Overview
Odisha State Open University is Odisha’s state open university, set up by an Act of the State Legislature in 2015 with its headquarters in Sambalpur. It teaches only by distance, with self-learning books, Sunday counselling at study centres in colleges across Odisha and online sessions run from headquarters.
- Type
- State open university, Odisha (UGC 2(f))
- Modes
- Distance (ODL)
- Sessions
- August, and a February session
- Study centres
- 99 study centres and 8 regional centres, all in Odisha, plus 6 in jails
- Entrance test
- Only for the MBA in Disaster Management; CAT, MAT, XAT and similar scores are exempt
Courses and fees
MBA (Disaster Management)
2 years
₹30,000at admission, with the first semester
Then ₹17,500 a semester; ₹82,500 for four semesters by our sum, before exam fees
Get fee detailsM.Com
2 years
₹7,500a year
₹8,000 in the first year with the one-time ₹500 fee; ₹15,500 for two years by our sum
Get fee detailsMA Economics, English, Hindi, History, Odia, Political Science, Public Administration, Sanskrit, Sociology
2 years
₹7,500a year
₹8,000 in the first year; ₹15,500 for two years by our sum. Hindi, Odia and Sanskrit are taught in that language
Get fee detailsMA Rural Development
2 years
₹7,500a year
₹8,000 in the first year; ₹15,500 for two years by our sum
Get fee detailsMA Journalism and Mass Communication
2 years
₹7,500a year
₹8,000 in the first year; ₹15,500 for two years by our sum
Get fee detailsBA (Honours) Economics, English, Hindi, History, Odia, Political Science
4 years (degree after 3)
₹5,500a year
₹6,000 in the first year with the one-time ₹500 fee; ₹22,500 for four years by our sum
Get fee detailsFees from OSOU’s 2026-27 prospectus, its MBA in Disaster Management prospectus and the programme pages on the university’s website. BA and MA fees are per year, plus a one-time ₹500 for the certificate and alumni membership. The MBA’s ₹30,000 covers the admission, study material and miscellaneous fees and the first semester, and can be paid in two instalments of ₹15,000; there is also a ₹500 application fee. Exam fees are extra: ₹200 a course in OSOU’s September 2026 exam-form notice, and ₹500 a course for the MBA. Totals are our sums. Fees are paid online only.
Admission
- August 2026 session
Admission opened on 19 June 2026 with a last date of 20 August, extended three times to 7 October 2026; MBA entrance tests were held on 27 September, 4 October and 11 October.
- January-February 2027 session
Not announced yet (checked 22 October 2026). OSOU ran a February 2026 batch, but no 2027 notice has been posted.
How to apply
Admission portal: the university’s website, or the OSOU Android app. Cash isn’t accepted. MBA applicants also pay a ₹500 application fee and are admitted through the entrance test or a national test score. Queries: the university’s email or toll-free 1800-34567-58.
Eligibility
-
MBA (Disaster Management)
A bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks (45% for SC, ST and PwD) from a UGC or AICTE-recognised university; final-year students can apply. Admission is through OSOU’s online entrance test, and CAT, MAT, CMAT, ATMA, XAT, GMAT or OJEE qualifiers are exempt.
-
MA, M.Com
A bachelor’s degree in any subject.
-
BA (Honours)
A Senior Secondary (10+2) pass or equivalent.
Exams and study
Held at exam centres in colleges across Odisha, with five centres in jails; you fill the exam form online and pay a fee for each course. MBA end-term exams are held at OSOU’s headquarters in Sambalpur.
Printed self-learning books, with soft copies given before classes start; hard copies follow when available. More reading is on the OSOU website under e-resources.
Face-to-face sessions on Sundays and holidays at study centres with 20 or more learners in a programme; the rest are held online from headquarters. Sessions for the August 2026 batch start on 25 October 2026.
UGC recognition. UGC-DEB’s 2026-27 list of recognised ODL programmes includes OSOU for 19 programmes: six four-year BA (Honours) courses, 11 MAs, the M.Com and the MBA in Disaster Management. Recognition runs to January-February 2029 for four MAs and to July-August 2029 or January-February 2030 for the rest.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the OSOU MBA in Disaster Management cost?
₹30,000 at admission, which covers the one-time fees, study material and the first semester and can be paid in two instalments. Each later semester costs ₹17,500, so ₹82,500 for two years by our sum, plus ₹500 for each course’s exam.
Is there an entrance test for the OSOU MBA?
Yes. For August 2026 OSOU held an online test of 120 multiple-choice questions with no negative marking, in three rounds up to 11 October 2026. Candidates who qualified CAT, MAT, CMAT, ATMA, XAT, GMAT or OJEE were exempt. The MBA has 90 seats.
Can I still join OSOU for 2026-27?
No. The last date, extended three times, was 7 October 2026. OSOU also runs a February batch, but no 2027 notice had been posted on 22 October 2026.
How much is a BA or MA at OSOU?
₹5,500 a year for a BA (Honours) and ₹7,500 a year for an MA or M.Com, plus ₹500 once for the certificate and alumni membership. Exam fees are extra.
Where are OSOU’s centres?
All in Odisha: 99 study centres in colleges, 6 in jails, and regional centres at Bhubaneswar, Balasore, Berhampur, Jeypore, Sambalpur, Rourkela, Jagatsinghpur and Keonjhar.
If OSOU isn’t the right fit
OSOU’s centres are all in Odisha, and it has no MCA or online programmes. Utkal University in Bhubaneswar offers an MBA and MCA by distance, and UGC-entitled private online MBAs start at ₹67,000 in total (Mangalayatan University, fee checked 17 October 2026).
Sources
- OSOU Admission Prospectus, Academic Year 2026-27, pp. 1-76, linked from the university’s website, read 22 Oct 2026.
- OSOU MBA in Disaster Management prospectus, pp. 1-20, linked from the MBA-DM page of the university’s website, read 22 Oct 2026.
- Admission notice No. 1326/OSOU/2026 of 19 June 2026 and extension notice No. 2052/OSOU/2026 of 30 September 2026, read 22 Oct 2026.
- MBA-DM entrance test notices of 24 September and 8 October 2026, counselling notice of 16 October 2026 and exam-form notice of September 2026, read 22 Oct 2026.
- the university’s website programme, instruction and application pages; the university’s website regional centre and NAAC pages and NAAC certificate, read 22 Oct 2026.
- UGC-DEB 2026-27 list of recognised ODL programmes, S.No 52.