IGNOU MA Rural Development Admission 2026: Course Detail, Fees, Eligibility, Syllabus

IGNOU MA Rural Development Admission: IGNOU is offering a master’s degree in rural development for the 2026 academic year. It is a 24-month course offered in a semester system in ODL mode of learning. This is a good choice for candidates who want to contribute to the development of rural India. Through this course, students will learn about the various aspects of rural society comprehensively.

The admission process for the MA in rural development programme is ongoing for the January session 2026, and the last date to apply is 31st January 2026. Interested candidates should visit the official website of the university, https://www.ignou.ac.in/, to submit an application form. Other information about the programme and the college is given in this article to read.

Graduates take admission to Indira Gandhi National Open University for this course. The university is recognised by UGC-DEB & AICTE for distance education. It is a #category-1 open university by the NIRF ranking framework 2025 for the higher education courses. NAAC is also accredited with an ‘A++’ grade, and the university has 57 regional centres that provide UG & PG courses to the students.

IGNOU MA Rural Development Overview Table

IGNOU MA Rural Development Course Details

Master of Arts in Rural Development is a postgraduate course for the duration of 2 years in Distance Education at IGNOU. The main objective of the programme is to draw the focus of students towards rural society and its day-to-day issues, along with solutions. During the course, candidates will learn about topics such as rural development planning and management, communication and extension, land reforms and rural development, rural healthcare, and so on.

The university offers this course to graduate candidates from a recognised university at an affordable fee structure. After completing the Master’s degree, students can work in the public and private sectors for different job roles. Like: project coordinator, research analyst, rural executive, rural marketing, etc. These are the serviceable jobs that can give you monetary as well as emotional benefits in the long term.

IGNOU MA Rural Development Course Fees

IGNOU MA Rural Development course fee structure is based on multiple components: registration fee, college development fee, course fee, examination fee, and material fee, etc. The total for this programme is INR 15,000 plus registration fee, which is INR 300 for Indian citizens only. Candidates can pay the fee in installments, too.

The fee on a yearly basis will be INR 7,500, and 2026 applicants have to pay the course fee with the registration fee. IGNOU conducts exams in December or June, and INR 200 is the examination fee for each course. To pay the fee, students can use digital banking systems like UPI, Net banking, Credit Cards, or Debit Cards, etc.

IGNOU MA Rural Development Admission 2026

IGNOU has started its admission process for Bachelor’s degree holders for the January 2026-27 academic cycle. Students can also apply for the MA in rural development course by the end date of 31st January 2026 through the official website of the university. There are two sessions in IGNOU for PG courses admissions.

The registration fee is INR 300 to book a seat successfully for the IGNOU MA Rural Development course. The whole admission process is also mentioned in this article to follow for the 2026 applicants. For that, candidates need an ABC or DEB-ID to be able to submit the online form through the official admission portal of the university. 

Eligibility Criteria for IGNOU MA Rural Development 

The eligibility Criteria for the IGNOU MA in Rural Development course are given below to read and check, which is quite easy to qualify. That is:

• Have a 10+2 from a recognised board.
• Completed a 3-year-long graduation degree in any discipline.
• Must have scored 50% marks from a UGC-approved university.
• 5% relaxation is given to the reserved categories.
• No age boundaries for any age group to take admission.

IGNOU MA Rural Development Re-Registration 2026

The re-registration process is also open at the IGNOU official website for the 1st year candidates to get admission to the next year. MA Rural Development students who are in their 1st/2nd or 3rd semester can submit this course too for 2026-27 AY. The registration fee is INR 300 that has to be paid with the course fee before the last date of 15th January 2026. INR 1,100 is a late fee charge according to the university’s guidelines for the late submission.

IGNOU MARD Admission Process 2026

Candidates can apply for the IGNOU MARD course in the January 2026-28 academic session before the deadline of the form submission process on 31st January 2026. The full admission process is given here:

• Step 1: Firstly, visit the official website of the university at https://www.ignou.ac.in/
• Step 2: Then click on the ‘Apply for ODL Programme’ option.
• Step 3: Click on the ‘new registration’ button to move forward.
• Step 4: Now, fill in a short registration form with details like; Applicants’ name, Email-Id, Phone Number, Password and Captcha.
• Step 5: Then tap on the ‘register’ option to be able to log in.
• Step 6: After logging in, you need to submit an application form with your personal and educational information.
• Step 7: Upload the documents like: passport-size photo, signature, etc.
• Step 8: Pay the fee via digital payment methods to have a secure transaction process.
• Step 9: After the fee payment, candidates will receive an email regarding the successful admission process.
• Step 10: It is important to have a hardcopy of the application form and fee receipt for future reference.

IGNOU MA Rural Development Syllabus