Content Curator | Updated on - Mar 31, 2026

The Master of Arts in Sustainability Science (MASS) at Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) is a 2-year postgraduate programme offered through Open Distance Learning (ODL) mode, under the School of Inter-Disciplinary and Trans-Disciplinary Studies (SOITS). The programme focuses on the genesis and principles of sustainable development, natural resource management, ecological economics, governance, law and policy, and tools for implementing and assessing sustainable development projects. The total programme fee is Rs. 16,000 (Rs. 8,000 per year), making it highly affordable for working professionals and students from all economic backgrounds. No entrance examination is required; admission is open to any graduate from a recognised university. The programme is popular among professionals in environment, policy, NGO, and development sectors who wish to build expertise in sustainability without leaving their jobs.

Admission for the January 2026 session is currently ongoing, with the last date for fresh admission extended to 30th March 2026. The July 2026 session is expected to open in May 2026, with registration typically closing by August 2026. Students who have already taken admission can apply for re-registration for the next year within the stipulated deadlines.

IGNOU MASS Distance Learning Centres

The MASS programme is offered exclusively in Distance/ODL mode. Students can enrol through IGNOU Regional Centres and their associated Study Centres (LSCs) across India. The programme has a very wide network of study centres. Key regional centres include:

Regional Centre	Key Study Centres
Hyderabad	IGNOU RC Hyderabad (0100), Aurora Degree College (111), Lal Bahadur College (105), Nizam College (01152)
Bangalore	IGNOU RC Bangalore (1300), Nrupathunga University (1320), St. Aloysius College Mangalore (1302)
Delhi 1	IGNOU RC Delhi1 (0700), Dayal Singh College (7175), Jamia Millia Islamia (765)
Delhi 3 (Naraina)	IGNOU RC Delhi3 (38039), Arya Bhatt College (709), Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College (737)
Noida	IGNOU RC Noida (3900), M.M.H. College Ghaziabad (2718), Meerut College (2728)
Mumbai	IGNOU RC Mumbai (4900), K J Somaiya College (1601)
Chennai	IGNOU RC Chennai (2500), DDGD Vaishnava College (2501), Sacred Heart College (2509)
Kolkata	IGNOU RC Kolkata (2800), Maulana Azad College (2810), Midnapur College (2813)
Pune	IGNOU RC Pune (1600), KTHM College (1608), North Maharashtra University (1611)
Jaipur	IGNOU RC Jaipur (2300), Govt College Ajmer (2306), Rajrishi College Alwar (2308)
Lucknow	IGNOU RC Lucknow (2700), Bareilly College (2704), Feroze Gandhi College Raebareli (2747)
Bhubaneshwar	IGNOU RC Bhubaneshwar (2100), Ravenshaw College (2102), B.J.B. Autonomous College (2111)
Patna	IGNOU RC Patna (0500), Bihar National College (524), Gaya College (511)
Chandigarh	IGNOU RC Chandigarh (0600)
Guwahati	IGNOU RC Guwahati (0400), Gurucharan College (405), Handique Girls College (408)
Trivandrum	IGNOU RC Trivandrum (4000), Catholicate College (1404), Sree Narayana College (1413)
Dehradun	IGNOU RC Dehradun (3100), HNB Garhwal University Srinagar (2752), MB PG College Haldwani (2711)
Ranchi	IGNOU RC Ranchi (3200), Marwari College Ranchi (513), P.K. Roy Memorial College Dhanbad (503)
Nagpur	IGNOU RC Nagpur (3600), Hislop College Nagpur (36055)
Ahmedabad	IGNOU RC Ahmedabad (0900), L.D. Arts College (901), M.S. University (902)
Varanasi	IGNOU RC Varanasi (4800), Allahabad Degree College (2703), DDU University Gorakhpur (2709)

Students should visit the official IGNOU admission portal (ignouadmission.samarth.edu.in) to check the complete and updated list of active study centres for MASS before applying.

Key Points

The programme covers sustainability science, ecological economics, natural resource management, governance, climate change, and sustainable development project management.
A Project Work (MSDP-011, 8 credits) is mandatory in Year II, providing hands-on research experience.
The programme is offered in English medium only.
Study material is provided by IGNOU; students can opt for either printed or soft copy (e-SLM).
Term-End Examinations (TEE) are conducted twice a year - in June and December.
The programme is managed by the School of Inter-Disciplinary and Trans-Disciplinary Studies (SOITS), IGNOU.
No entrance examination is required; admission is open to graduates from any discipline.
The programme is also available in Online mode as MASSOL through the IGNOU Online portal (iop.ignouonline.ac.in).

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Highlights
Fees
Admission
Scholarships
FAQs

IGNOU MASS Fees

The MASS programme at IGNOU is highly affordable, with a total programme fee of Rs. 16,000 payable over two years at Rs. 8,000 per year. In addition to the programme fee, students are required to pay a one-time non-refundable Registration Fee and a Development Fee at the time of admission. The examination fee is charged separately at the time of filling the Term-End Examination form.

Fee Structure

Fee Component	Year 1	Year 2	Total
Tuition Fee (Programme Fee)	Rs. 8,000	Rs. 8,000	Rs. 16,000
Registration Fee (one-time)	Rs. 300	-	Rs. 300
Development Fee	As applicable	-	As applicable
Examination Fee (per subject, approx.)	Rs. 200	Rs. 200	Rs. 400 per year
Total Fees (excl. exam fee)	Rs. 8,300	Rs. 8,000	Rs. 16,300

The Registration Fee of Rs. 300 is non-refundable.
Fee paid will be refunded prior to confirmation of admission.
After confirmation of admission, 15% of the programme fee (subject to a ceiling of Rs. 2,000) will be deducted if cancellation is requested.
No refund is admissible after 60 days from the closing date of admissions.
Students opting for soft copy (e-SLM) of study material will have the study material fee waived; refund will be processed after deducting the Registration Fee only.
Examination fee of Rs. 200 per subject is payable separately at the time of submitting the exam form.
There is no hostel facility at IGNOU for distance learners.
Fee can be paid online via Credit Card (Master/Visa), Debit Card (Master/Visa/RuPay), or Net Banking.

IGNOU MASS Admission 2026

Admissions to MASS at IGNOU are conducted twice a year - in January and July sessions. The January 2026 session is currently open, with the last date for fresh admission extended to 30th March 2026. No entrance examination is required; admission is purely based on eligibility. The July 2026 session is expected to open in May 2026, with registration typically closing by August 2026.

IGNOU MASS Admission Dates

Event	January 2026 Session	July 2026 Session (Tentative)
Admission Portal Opens	December 16, 2025	May 2026
Last Date for Fresh Admission	March 30, 2026	August 2026
Last Date for Re-registration	March 30, 2026	September 2026
Distribution of Study Material	January - March 2026	July - September 2026
Contact Programmes / Counselling	February - November 2026	August 2026 onwards
Assignment Submission (Year 1)	March - September 2026	October 2026 - March 2027
Term-End Examination (TEE)	June 2026 / December 2026	December 2026 / June 2027
Exam Form Submission (June TEE)	March 10 - April 10, 2026	-
June 2026 TEE Commencement	June 1, 2026	-
June 2026 TEE Last Date	July 15, 2026	-
Result Declaration	August 2026 (for June TEE)	February 2027 (for Dec TEE)

Examination Dates

Examination	Relevance	Dates
IGNOU Term-End Examination (TEE) - June 2026	Mandatory internal university exam for all enrolled students	June 1 - July 15, 2026
IGNOU TEE Exam Form Submission	Required to appear in TEE	March 10 - April 10, 2026
IGNOU TEE - December 2026	Second TEE cycle	December 2026 (tentative)

Note: MASS does not require any external entrance examination. The TEE is the university's own internal examination and is the primary mode of assessment.

The dates mentioned above are tentative and subject to change.

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates must hold a Bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised university.
There is no minimum percentage requirement specified; a valid graduation certificate is mandatory.
The programme is open to Indian nationals as well as international students.

Admission Process

Visit the official IGNOU admission portal: ignouadmission.samarth.edu.in
Click on 'New Registration' and create a login with a valid email ID and mobile number.
Select the MASS programme and fill in the online application form.
Upload scanned copies of required documents: photograph, signature, graduation certificate, category certificate (if applicable).
Pay the programme fee online via Credit/Debit Card or Net Banking.
Select your preferred Regional Centre and Study Centre.
Submit the application and save/print the confirmation for future reference.
Admission confirmation is sent via email/SMS after verification of documents.

IGNOU MASS Scholarships 2026

IGNOU students enrolled in MASS can avail a range of government-sponsored scholarships and fee concessions, particularly for students from reserved categories (SC/ST/OBC), economically weaker sections, persons with disabilities, and minority communities. SC/ST students are eligible for a 50% fee concession directly from IGNOU, while other categories can apply through the National Scholarship Portal. These scholarships make this already affordable programme even more accessible to students from all backgrounds.

Scholarship Details

Scholarship	Eligibility	Benefit	How to Apply
IGNOU Fee Concession for SC/ST Students	SC/ST students enrolled at IGNOU	50% fee concession on programme fee	Apply at Regional Centre with caste certificate
Fee Exemption for Jail Inmates	Jail inmates enrolled at IGNOU	Full fee exemption (including registration fee)	Through Regional Centre
Merit Cum Means Scholarship for Minorities	Minority students; family income below Rs. 2.5 lakh/year; min. 50% in previous exam	Rs. 20,000/year + maintenance allowance (Rs. 1,000/month for hostlers, Rs. 500/month for day scholars)	Apply online at scholarships.gov.in
Scholarship for Top Class Education (SC Students)	SC students; family income below Rs. 8 lakh/year; admitted under general category seats	Full tuition fee (up to Rs. 2 lakh/year) + books/stationery + maintenance allowance	Apply at Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment portal
Scholarship for Students with Disabilities	Students with 40%+ disability; family income below Rs. 6 lakh/year	Tuition fee up to Rs. 2 lakh/year + Rs. 5,000 for books + maintenance allowance + Rs. 45,000 one-time for laptop	Apply at scholarships.gov.in
National Scholarship Portal (NSP) Schemes	SC/ST/OBC/Minority/EWS students	Varies by scheme and state	scholarships.gov.in
State Government Scholarships	Varies by state	Varies by state	Respective state scholarship portals

Students can avail only one scholarship at a time.
Scholarship applications on the National Scholarship Portal should be submitted after confirmation of IGNOU admission.
The annual family income limit for most central government scholarships is Rs. 2.5 lakh (for minority/OBC) to Rs. 8 lakh (for SC top class scheme).
Students must keep their IGNOU student ID card, admission confirmation, and category certificates ready while applying.
Application deadlines for NSP scholarships are typically between August and October each year.

IGNOU MASS FAQs

Ques. Is the IGNOU MASS degree recognised for jobs in the sustainability and environment sector?

Ans. Yes, the MASS degree from IGNOU is fully recognised by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) and is accepted by government departments, NGOs, international organisations, and private sector employers in the sustainability and environment domain. IGNOU is a central university established by an Act of Parliament, and its degrees are equivalent to those from any UGC-recognised university.

Ques. What is the difference between MASS (ODL) and MASSOL (Online) at IGNOU?

Ans. MASS is the Open Distance Learning version of the programme, where students receive printed or soft-copy study material and attend contact sessions at their study centre. MASSOL is the fully online version available through the IGNOU Online portal (iop.ignouonline.ac.in), where all learning is digital. Both lead to the same Master of Arts in Sustainability Science degree. The fee structure and eligibility are similar; students should choose based on their preferred mode of learning.

Ques. Is there a project work component in MASS? How is it evaluated?

Ans. Yes, MASS includes a mandatory Project Work (MSDP-011) of 8 credits in Year II. Students are required to undertake an independent research project on a sustainability-related topic under the guidance of an IGNOU faculty member or an approved supervisor. The project is evaluated through a written report and a viva voce examination.

Ques. Can a student from a science or engineering background apply for MASS?

Ans. Yes, MASS is open to graduates from any discipline - arts, science, commerce, engineering, or any other field. There is no restriction on the undergraduate discipline. This makes it an ideal programme for professionals from diverse backgrounds who wish to transition into the sustainability sector.

Ques. What career opportunities are available after completing MASS from IGNOU?

Ans. Graduates of MASS can pursue careers as Sustainability Consultants, Environmental Policy Analysts, CSR Managers, Project Officers in NGOs and development organisations, Researchers in sustainability science, and Officers in government environment departments. They can also work with international bodies like UNDP, UNEP, WWF, and similar organisations.

Ques. How are assignments submitted in the MASS programme?

Ans. Assignments in MASS are a mandatory component and must be submitted to the Study Centre before the stipulated deadline (typically March for June TEE and September for December TEE). Students can submit assignments either physically at their study centre or, in some cases, online through the IGNOU portal. Assignments are evaluated by the study centre and marks are forwarded to IGNOU headquarters for inclusion in the final result.