- ✓Can I do a master's in public policy online in India?
- ✓Is an online MA in Public Policy valid in India?
- ✓Is there an online bachelor's degree with public policy?
Public policy is a small field in online education. Many listings call any politics or governance course a "public policy course." The UGC-DEB register is stricter: only two universities are entitled to award an online master's degree in public policy for 2026-27.
Short answer: yes, you can study public policy online in India with a UGC-valid degree. For the 2026-27 July session, the UGC-DEB programme register lists two online master's programmes in public policy: the MA in Public Policy and Governance at Amity University and the MA (Public Policy) at JAIN (Deemed-to-be University).
Vivekananda Global University offers public policy as one subject in an online BA. If you want the administration side of government, seven universities are entitled for an online MA in Public Administration.
- Online MA in public policy, 2026-27: 2 universities (Amity, JAIN)
- Online BA with a public policy subject: Vivekananda Global University
- Online MA Public Administration, 2026-27: 7 universities
- Prohibited online? No. Public policy is not on UGC's prohibited list
- Same value as campus? Yes, Regulation 22 of the UGC ODL and Online Regulations, 2020
Which universities offer an online public policy degree for 2026-27?
The UGC-DEB HEI programme register records each entitlement by year, session and mode. These are the public policy entries marked Online for the 2026-27 July session:
| University | Programme (as named in the register) | Level | Also online in 2024-25 and 2025-26? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amity University, Uttar Pradesh | Master of Arts Public Policy and Governance | PG | Yes |
| JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), Karnataka | Master of Arts (Public Policy) | PG | Yes |
| Vivekananda Global University, Rajasthan | Bachelor of Arts (combination of 3 subjects), subjects include Public Policy and Development | UG | Yes |
All three entries have appeared online for three sessions in a row. That steadiness matters, because online entitlement is granted session by session. Vivekananda Global University also holds the same BA in distance (ODL) mode, so check which mode your offer letter names.
A governance certificate or a short course is not a master's degree. Only the register decides which public policy programmes count as UGC-entitled degrees.
Public policy or public administration: which one do you want?
The two names are often used as if they mean the same thing. They do not. Public policy looks at how decisions are made, analysed and evaluated. Public administration looks at how the machinery of government runs: departments, budgets, personnel and service delivery.
The register treats them as separate programmes, and far more universities offer public administration. For 2026-27, these seven are entitled for an online Master of Arts (Public Administration):
| University | Type | State |
|---|---|---|
| Aligarh Muslim University | Central University | Uttar Pradesh |
| Assam Don Bosco University | Private University | Assam |
| Bharathidasan University | State University | Tamil Nadu |
| Jamia Millia Islamia | Central University | Delhi |
| Maharishi Dayanand University | State University | Haryana |
| Mangalayatan University | Private University | Uttar Pradesh |
| University of Madras | State University | Tamil Nadu |
IGNOU, Karnataka State Open University, Osmania University and many other state universities offer the MA in Public Administration by distance (ODL) instead. Distance mode ties admissions and exams to the university's territorial jurisdiction, so check that it covers where you live.
Is an online public policy degree valid for jobs and further study?
Yes, when the entitlement covers your session. Public policy is not among the disciplines UGC prohibits in online mode under its public notice of 11 November 2024. Regulation 22 of the 2020 regulations treats an entitled online MA as equivalent to the same MA earned on campus.
That equivalence covers the qualification, not the outcome. No public source reports placement or salary data for online public policy graduates, so treat any such figure from a seller with caution. Our guide to online master's and PG courses in India explains how online PG degrees work in general.
Who can apply for an online MA in public policy?
A bachelor's degree is the base requirement for a master's programme under the UGC UG and PG Regulations, 2025. Each university sets its own minimum marks and decides whether it runs an entrance test or interview.
Public policy MAs usually accept graduates from any discipline, but confirm this on the Amity or JAIN admission page for your session.
Fees change each session and differ by university. Check the current fee on the official portal, and keep the written fee schedule with your admission receipt.
How to check a public policy programme yourself
- Open the HEI programme list on deb.ugc.ac.in.
- Search for the university and find the row with the exact programme name.
- Check the year (2026-27), the session (July) and the mode column. It must read Online.
- Create your DEB ID before you enrol.
Our step-by-step guide on how to check UGC-DEB approval walks through the register. If you are new to the difference between online and distance study, start with what online education means under UGC rules. For other humanities options, the online MA programme hub lists every university in our records.
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Sources
- UGC-DEB HEI programme register (HEI_Prog_List), public policy and public administration entries for 2024-25, 2025-26 and 2026-27, read on 2 November 2026: deb.ugc.ac.in
- UGC (Open and Distance Learning Programmes and Online Programmes) Regulations, 2020, Regulation 22: deb.ugc.ac.in/Regulations
- UGC public notice F.No. 1-34/2024 (DEB-I), 11 November 2024, programmes prohibited in ODL and Online mode: deb.ugc.ac.in
- UGC (Minimum Standards of Instruction for the Grant of Undergraduate Degree and Postgraduate Degree) Regulations, 2025: ugc.gov.in
Checked against the UGC-DEB register on 2 November 2026. Entitlements are granted by session and can change. Confirm the current position on deb.ugc.ac.in before you enrol.
Comparing online master's programmes?
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. For the 2026-27 July session, the UGC-DEB programme register lists two online master's degrees in public policy: the Master of Arts in Public Policy and Governance at Amity University and the Master of Arts (Public Policy) at JAIN (Deemed-to-be University). Both were also listed online for 2024-25 and 2025-26.
Yes, when the university is UGC-DEB entitled for that programme in online mode for your session. Public policy is not on UGC's list of disciplines prohibited online, and Regulation 22 of the UGC ODL and Online Regulations, 2020 treats an entitled online degree as equivalent to a campus degree.
Vivekananda Global University is entitled for an online BA (combination of three subjects) whose subject list includes Public Policy and Development, alongside economics, political science and international relations. It is a general BA in which public policy is one subject option, not a single-subject public policy degree.
Public policy studies how government decisions are designed and evaluated. Public administration studies how government departments are organised and run. In the UGC-DEB register they are separate programmes: two online MAs carry the public policy name for 2026-27, and seven universities are entitled for an online MA in Public Administration.
For 2026-27 the register lists the online Master of Arts (Public Administration) at Aligarh Muslim University, Assam Don Bosco University, Bharathidasan University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Maharishi Dayanand University, Mangalayatan University and the University of Madras. IGNOU and many state universities offer it in distance (ODL) mode instead.
A bachelor's degree is the base requirement for a master's programme under the UGC UG and PG Regulations, 2025. Each university sets its own minimum marks and any entrance test, so check the admission page of Amity or JAIN for the current session.
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