Last Updated on August 7, 2023 by Sidharth PS
Are you interested in pursuing a good distance education course? If yes, this article will be of help to you! Here, I’ve listed down some of the best distance education courses available in India.
This article has been crafted keeping the needs of my diverse audience in mind! I know that my reader base consists of 10th & 12th pass students, Graduates and Master’s Degree holders. This article has got something for everyone!
Table of Contents
Distance education in India: The story so far
UGC is the body that takes care of distance education system in India. This body looks after the quality of institutes offering these programs and overall rules and regulations regarding distance education. Thus, if you want to pursue a course in distance education mode, make sure that you approach an institute recognized by the UGC! Talking about distance education institutes, the most popular one is – IGNOU! Apart from that, there also exists may Government and Private institutes offering distance education programs in India. Each year, a decent amount of students enroll for UG and PG level programs. These institutes usually don’t offer technical courses in distance mode (for obvious reasons). For example, you won’t be able to find B.E. or B.Tech. programs in distance education mode! However, you will be able to find other programs – B.Sc., BCA, B.Com., BA, BBA etc – in distance mode very easily!
How it works?
First of all, let us talk about a regular classroom program. In this case, a student must go to college and attend lectures each day. It is a mandatory process and he/she must satisfy the minimum attendance requirement! In short, such programs are ‘full-time’ in nature! Distance education programs are very different from them! In this case, a student can learn and prepare from the comfort of his/her home! There’s no need to attend lectures each day! After enrolling for a distance program, a student will obtain study material online or by post. He/she may then start preparation at home. Evaluation tests are usually carried out at regular intervals to gauge students’ level of knowledge and preparation.
Advantages
Here are some of the main advantages of pursuing a distance education program –
- Opportunity to study from the comfort of one’s home
- No need to attend regular classroom lectures
- Very flexible learning schedule
- Availability of wide variety of courses (UG & PG)
- Affordable fees
- No need of additional expenses like hostel, canteen etc (which occurs in case of regular courses)
- Many good Institutes to choose from
- Affordable fees
- It is very easy to access study material (online or by post)
- Evaluation tests are hassle free
- Opportunity to acquire advanced skills and knowledge without having to compromise with one’s job
Popularity among working professionals
Distance education courses are very popular among working professionals in India. They usually go for PG level programs. As we all know, the job market in India is quite congested and highly competitive! The amount of jobs available in the market is scarce. On the other hand, the number of applicants just keeps on increasing with each passing year! As a result, many Graduates remain unemployed in our country. Many of them settle for inferior jobs! For such Graduates and working professionals, distance education programs are like a boon! Thanks to these programs, they can acquire advanced knowledge and skills, without compromising with their job! As a result, they stand a chance of landing a better job or bag a promotion at work! Come, let us check out the course formats first. Here they are –
Types of distance education courses –
Broadly speaking, distance courses can be classified into the following three types –
- UG courses
- PG courses
- Doctoral Degree courses
But if we take a closer look at the above mentioned programs, we’ll be able to find many course formats. Here they are –
- Certificate courses (UG)
- Diploma courses (UG)
- Bachelor’s Degree courses (UG)
- Master’s Degree courses (PG)
- PG Diploma courses (PG)
- PG Certificate courses (PG)
- Doctoral Degree courses
If you are a 12th pass student, you may go for UG course formats mentioned above. Some of the UG courses (Certificate and Diploma) are available for 10th pass students too! Also check – list of courses after 12th, courses after 12th science, courses after 12th arts and courses after 12th commerce. If you are a Bachelor’s Degree holder, you may go for PG course formats mentioned above. If you are a Master’s Degree holder, you may go for relevant Doctoral level programs.
Disciplines covered
Distance programs are available in the following domains and disciplines –
- Science
- Agriculture & Allied areas
- Law
- Management
- Business
- Commerce
- Arts
- Education
- Languages
- Social Science
Let us check out the list of courses now. Here they are –
List of Distance Education Courses in India –
1 Certificate Courses
- Certificate in Sericulture (10th pass)
- Certificate in Water Harvesting and Management (10th pass)
- Certificate in Poultry Farming (8th pass)
- Certificate in Bee Keeping (8th pass)
- Certificate in Organic Farming (12th pass)
- Certificate in Guidance (10th pass)
- Certificate in Russian Language
- Certificate in French Language
- Certificate in Arabic Language
- Certificate in Urdu Language
- Certificate in Functional English (12th pass)
- Certificate in Human Rights (12th pass)
- Certificate in Consumer Protection (12th pass)
- Certificate in International Humanitarian Law (12th pass)
- Certificate in Anti Human Trafficking (12th pass)
- Certificate in Co-Operation and Co-Operative Law (12th pass)
- Certificate in Laboratory Techniques (12th pass)
- Certificate in Tourism Studies (12th pass)
- Certificate in Information Technology (10th pass)
- Certificate in Energy Technology and Management (10th pass)
- Certificate in NGO Management (12th pass)
- Certificate in Business Skills (12th pass)
- Certificate in Disaster Management (12th pass)
- Certificate in Environmental Studies (12th pass)
- Certificate in Nutrition and Childcare (12th pass)
- Certificate in Food and Nutrition (12th pass)
- Certificate Programme in Rural Development (12th pass)
- Certificate in Value Education (12th pass)
- Certificate in Newborn and Infant Nursing (Nursing professionals – RNRM)
- Certificate in Maternal and Child Health Nursing (Nursing professionals – RNRM)
- Certificate in Home Based Health Care (10th pass)
- Certificate in Health Care Waste Management (12th pass)
- Certificate in Community Radio (12th pass)
- Certificate in Indigenous Art Practices
- Certificate in Performing Arts (10th pass)
- Certificate in Visual Arts (10th pass)
- Certificate in HIV and Family Education (12th pass)
- Certificate in Social Work and Criminal Justice System (Graduation)
The above list consists of some popular courses and eligibility criteria associated with them. These courses are offered by IGNOU. You may check other institutes’ website to find more certification courses. The above mentioned certification programs are aimed at skill development. It helps generate a skilled work force and thus helps them get employment! The course duration is usually 6 months. Even 8th pass students are eligible to pursue some of the above mentioned certificate courses! Readers should check out the relevant institute’s website to ascertain the exact eligibility criteria associated with each course!
2 Diploma Courses
- Diploma in Dairy Technology (12th pass)
- Diploma in Value Added Products from Cereals, Pulses and Oilseeds (12th pass)
- Diploma in Value Added Products from Fruits and Vegetables (12th pass)
- Diploma in Fish Products Technology (12th pass)
- Diploma in Watershed Management (12th pass)
- Diploma in Meat Technology (12th pass)
- D.El.Ed. (12th pass + experience)
- Diploma in Creative Writing in English (12th pass)
- Diploma in Urdu (10th pass with Urdu subject)
- Diploma in Paralegal Practice (12th pass)
- Diploma in Aquaculture (12th science stream pass)
- Diploma in Tourism Studies (12th pass)
- Diploma in Women’s Empowerment and Development (12th pass)
- Diploma in Management (Graduation)
- Diploma in Panchayat Level Administration and Development (12th pass)
- Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education (12th pass)
- Diploma in Nutrition and Health Education (12th pass)
- Diploma in Nursing Administration (Nursing professionals – RNRM)
- Diploma in Critical Care Nursing (In-service Nursing professionals)
- Diploma in HIV and Family Education (12th pass)
- Diploma in BPO Finance and Accounting (12th pass)
The above list consists of some popular courses and eligibility criteria associated with them. These courses are offered by IGNOU. You may check other institutes’ website to find more certification courses. Most of the above mentioned Diploma programs are 1 year long.
3 Bachelor’s Degree Courses
- B.Ed. (Graduation)
- B.Sc. [General] (12th science stream pass)
- B.Sc. [Honors programs]
- BA [General] (12th pass)
- BA [Honors programs] (12th pass)
- BCA (12th pass)
- B.Com. (12th pass)
- B.Com. [Honors programs] (12th pass)
- BBA (12th pass)
- BBA [Specialization programs] (12th pass)
- BPP (Bachelor Preparatory Program)
- Bachelor of Library and Information Science (Graduation)
- Bachelor of Social Work (12th pass)
A typical Bachelor’s Degree course is 3 years long. Eligibility criteria may vary from one program to another.
4 Master’s Degree Courses
- M.Ed.
- M.Sc.
- MA
- MCA
- MBA
- MSW
- M.L.I.Sc.
A typical Master’s Degree course is 2 years long. The eligibility criteria is – applicant must have completed relevant Bachelor’s Degree program.
5 PG Diploma Courses
- PG Diploma in Information Security
- PG Diploma in Pharmaceutical Sales Management
- PG Diploma in Social Work
- PG Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication
- PG Diploma in Audio Production
- PG Diploma in HIV Medicine
- PG Diploma in Hospital and Health Management
- PG Diploma in Maternal and Child Health
- PG Diploma in Geriatric Medicine
- PG Diploma in Urban Planning and Development
- PG Diploma in Rural Development
- PG Diploma in Translation
- PG Diploma in Disaster Management
- PG Diploma in Mental Health
- PG Diploma in Management
- PG Diploma in Women’s and Gender Studies
- PG Diploma in Applied Statistics
- PG Diploma in Analytical Chemistry
- PG Diploma in Criminal Justice
- PG Diploma in Intellectual Property Rights
- PG Diploma in Book Publishing
- PG Diploma in Higher Education
- PG Diploma in Education Technology
- PG Diploma in Adult Education
- PG Diploma in Plantation Management
- PG Diploma in Food Safety and Quality Management
A typical PG Diploma course is 1 year long. Eligibility criteria is – applicant must have completed relevant Bachelor’s Degree program.
6 PG Certificate Courses
- PG Certificate in Agriculture Policy
- PG Certificate in Adult Education
- PG Certificate in Cyber Law
- PG Certificate in Patent Practice
- PG Certificate in Geoinformatics
- PG Certificate in Power Distribution Management
- PG Certificate in Translation (languages may vary)
- PG Certificate in Extension and Development Studies
- PG Certificate in Information Security
A typical PG Certificate course is 6-12 months long. Eligibility criteria is – applicant must have completed relevant Bachelor’s Degree course.
7 Doctoral Degree Courses
- PhD programs
- M.Phil. programs
Distance Education Colleges/Universities/Institutes
Here are some of the popular colleges/universities/institutes offering distance education programs in India –
- IGNOU
- Gujarat Vidyapeeth
- Andhra University
- Bharti Vidyapeeth
- Dr DY Patil University
- Osmania University
Validity of Degree and Certificate
What’s the main thing that students worry about, while talking about distance education? Yes, it is the validity of the Degree and its usefulness in finding a job. The answer to the above question is – as long as you pursue the course from an institute/University/College recognized by the authorities, the Degree will remain valid! And based on your score, aptitude, skills and ability, you will be able to bag a job too!
I am Vishnu Nambiar a career and educational blogger from India. I am also a full time educational consultant having more than 12 years of experience in the educational sector.
I share articles related to courses, colleges, careers, exam tips and more here.