The Indira Gandhi National Open University is famous for providing a plethora of courses in distance and online mode. Currently, IGNOU is offering more than 227 courses in 21 different disciplines, however, it has introduced some new courses from the academic session 2021-22. The university has introduced from certificate courses to undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs in different disciplines.

From the year 2021, the university has introduced several interesting courses in completely different departments for students and professionals. The courses of IGNOU are introduced with the purpose to involve diversity and culture in the curriculum. You can find courses from Jyotish to folklore and cultural studies. These courses will help you in developing soft skills and a better understanding of culture in you. Here, you can find the list of all the courses that have been introduced by IGNOU from the academic session 2021-22.

1. MA Jyotish (MAJY): Master of Jyotish (Astrology) is a 2-year postgraduate course introduced in the school of humanities. This course is provided in Hindi and Sanskrit languages and candidates must have studied Sanskrit in their bachelors in order to be eligible for the program. The maximum duration of the program is 4 years and students can leave the course after receiving 40 credit points and they will get the PG Diploma degree in this domain. Applications for this program are currently open and the academic fee is Rs. 6,300 per year.

2. MA Drawing and Painting: Master of Arts in Drawing and Painting is a two-year postgraduate course introduced by the school of performing and visual arts. The maximum duration of this course is 4 years and students can take admission if they have done graduation in arts- drawing and painting/ bachelor in fine arts / visual arts/ bachelor in animation or design or fashion or technology or textile or any allied subject. This course is only available in the July session and applications are open for this course. The academic fee for MA Drawing and Painting at IGNOU is Rs. 16,500.

3. MA Urdu: Master of Arts in Urdu is a two-year postgraduate program offered in the school of humanities. Students are required to have a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university with impeccable reading and writing skills. The maximum duration of this course is 4 years. Applications are currently open for this course and eligible candidates can apply for the same. The total academic fee of MA Urdu is Rs. 12,600.

4. MA Folklore and Culture Studies: MA Folklore and Cultural Studies is a course that falls under the school of inter-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary studies. This is a 2-year program, however, the maximum duration is 4 years. Candidates with a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university are eligible to apply for this course and applications are also open currently. The total academic fee of this program is Rs. 10,800.

5. M.Sc Environmental Science: M.Sc in Environmental Science is a postgraduate course under the school of interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary studies. The is a 2-year program, however, the maximum duration is 4 years. Candidates must have a B.Sc degree from the recognized university to be eligible for this course. Students will be able to dive deep into the concepts of the natural environment, atmosphere, ecosystem, etc. Applications for this course are currently open and the total academic fee of this course is INR 15,000.

6. PG Diploma in Development Communication: This is a one-year PG Diploma course that falls under the school of journalism and new media studies. This course helps you in learning about media in development communication, human development, development journalism for social change, and so forth. Candidates with a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university are eligible for PG Diploma in Development and Communication at IGNOU. Applications are currently open for this course. The academic fee of this PG Diploma course is Rs. 5000.

7. PG Diploma in Corporate Social Responsibility: This course is a 1-year PG Diploma course offered by the school of extension and development studies at IGNOU. The program has been introduced to teach the skills of CSR by imparting the knowledge of CSR fundamentals, its process, implementation, etc. The course will be delivered in English and the applications for the same are currently open. Students are required to pay Rs. 7,000 for this course.

8. BA Hindustani Music Honours: This bachelor’s degree is a 3-years course offered by the school of performing and visual arts. This is the newest program in the run and it teaches you about Hindustani classical music and offers you knowledge even beyond the curriculum. IGNOU offers this course in Hindi but students will be allowed to write the exams in English. The academic fee of this course is Rs. 9200 and interested students can apply for the course as the applications are currently open.

9. Certificate in Gender, Agriculture, Sustainable Development: This is a 6-month certificate course in gender, agriculture, and sustainable development offered under the school of gender and development studies. The maximum duration of this course is 2 years and candidates must have a bachelor’s degree in any discipline to be eligible for the course. Applications for this course are currently open and students can apply via the official website of IGNOU. The academic fee of IGNOU is Rs. 3,800.

10. Certificate in Sanskrit Sambhashan: IGNOU is now offering a certificate course in Sanskrit under the school of humanities. This is a 6-month course and the maximum duration to complete this is 2 years. This certificate course will ensure to improve the linguistic skills of students in Sanskrit and it offers admissions to those who have completed at least 10 + 2 or its equivalent from a recognized board. The academic fee for the program is Rs. 1500 and applications are currently open for the same.

11. Diploma in Value Education: This one-year diploma course has been designed to develop positive values amongst teachers and as well as students. This course is offered by the school of extension and development studies at IGNOU. The maximum duration of this course is 3 years. This diploma program can be pursued by teachers, students, professionals, parents, etc. the fee of the program is Rs. 4000 and applications are currently open.

12. Diploma in Theatre Arts: IGNOU introduced the diploma in Theatre Arts to provide both practical and theoretical knowledge about theatre and other concepts of the same genre. The academic fee of this course is Rs. 7700 and applications are currently open for the same.