University of Madras is good for distance education. If you are a working professional and you don’t want to quit your job to pursue further studies, it’s an excellent choice. It is well-reputed in the industry. As a student of the university, you will get excellent exposure and networking opportunities. Alumni of the university are working in higher positions at multi-national companies around the country and abroad. 

Yes, one of my friends studied in Institute Of Distance Education (IDE) University Of Madras. He completed his Masters in Psychology from there. According to him, you will have 10 theory classes per year and a 50% attendance is mandatory in those classes, otherwise you won't be able to sit for your examination. You will face a problem in getting your hall ticket generated. In the second year with the theory classes, there will be classes for practicals on weekdays. Attendance on all 3 days is compulsory. Your schedule will become a bit hectic. The practical exam will also be on a weekday. For this you will have to complete your record for the exercises done and submit it the examination date.

IGNOU is better recognized for distance courses. So, pursuing a correspondence course in MA Psychology will be better. However, if possible try to do a regular course in counseling, clinical or industrial psychology. Psychology is practical oriented subject, and you will need to do dissertations, practicals, and internships as a part of coursework. Being a practical-based course, the career outcomes of correspondence degrees in Psychology are somewhat limited.

The distance education at Madras University is a mixture of good and bad. Here’s mentioning some of them which will give you a basic idea. The syllabus followed is not updated. There are many printing mistakes in the reading materials, which are not corrected. The helpline numbers provided are of no use. If you face a problem with the university, visit it directly as a phone call or letter will most probably not get addressed on time. You have to collect the reading materials directly from the institute as continuous phone calls will be of no help. The fees are quite low. They have a better reputation than most private colleges offering distance education. Strict rules are followed during exams. The certificate you receive is valid. If you work hard on your own, attending regular classes won't be necessary. Here evaluations are done properly.  Recently, IDE University of Madras has revised their books. You can download the course material by entering your roll number, from their website

The distance education department of the Madras University is called Institute of Distance Education University of Madras (IDEUNOM). Here are some pros and cons of the course so that you can decide whether it is good for you or not. Pros – The fees are low compared to other universities. One of the oldest universities in India offering distance education and thus has a better reputation. Strict conduct of exams with constant invigilation without any scope of malpractice. The books and materials provided along with solving previous year question papers are enough to pass the subjects without ever needing physical classes. Exams are conducted yearly rather than each semester and thus reducing workload. Also the evaluations are good without any mistakes. Cons – Many of the books and materials are blatantly copied from other international books and journals without proof reading. The call center numbers do not receive the calls and even if they do, they do not know how to guide and simply redirect us to the department which nullifies their role of problem solving. Upon repeated requests they will stop taking your calls. For any queries and work it is advisable to go to the university itself otherwise your work will not be done. They delayed sending the books for more than 10 months even though they had received the challan for the same. Choosing a good study center is important. Otherwise Chennai is the best bet. The study and syllabus are good except the administration part which is a typical government university trait. If you can ignore that then it is a very good university of distance education.

IGNOU will be better for pursuing a distance master’s in Public Administration. It is one of the best universities for distance education in the country. The course content is excellent and the notes are well-structured.  IGNOU course materials can help in civil service examination preparations as well.  Both Madras University and IGNOU are good options for pursuing a master’s in Public Administration. But if you have to choose one, select IGNOU.

You have two options to to join a B.Sc distance education in Madras University For online admission you can go to Go to http://ideunom.com website for online admission. Or, you could go to the nearby study centre with the xerox copies of your marksheets and pay the fees directly.  After this everything else will be taken care of by the concerned Study centre.

Yes, Under the limitations of UGC, every college can regulate and formulate a different set of requirements that they think is appropriate for admissions. It is difficult to tell that about Madras University, but in IGNOU you cannot pursue an MA in Psychology without a BA or B.Sc degree in Psychology. If you are only interested in the course and do not mind what the degree provides, then you can download the IGNOU books for free and read and learn from them. But if you are interested in a Masters degree in Psychology (or any other applied courses) for making a career, then it is suggested you do the course which is full-time. If you want to add another degree to your calibre but do not want to make a career, then you can opt for any other average University that accepts BE or B.Tech.