- ✓Does UGC allow two degrees at the same time?
- ✓Can I do a regular degree and an online degree together?
- ✓Can I do two online degrees at the same time?
Yes, you can study for two degrees at once in India. UGC has allowed it since April 2022, and that includes pairing a regular degree with an online one.
Short answer: UGC allows a student to pursue two academic programmes at the same time. The UGC Guidelines for Pursuing Two Academic Programmes Simultaneously, issued in April 2022 and modified in June 2025, permit three combinations: two full-time physical programmes whose class timings do not overlap, one physical programme plus one ODL or online programme, or up to two ODL or online programmes. The rule does not apply to Ph.D.
- Source: UGC Guidelines for Pursuing Two Academic Programmes Simultaneously, April 2022, modified after the Commission's 589th meeting on 3 April 2025
- Two physical programmes: allowed if class timings do not overlap
- One physical plus one online or ODL: allowed
- Two online or ODL: allowed
- Ph.D.: excluded
- Online or ODL programme must be: from a university recognised to run it
Which combinations does UGC allow?
| Combination | Allowed? | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Two full-time programmes, both on campus | Yes | Class timings must not overlap |
| One on campus, one online | Yes | Online programme from a UGC-recognised, entitled university |
| One on campus, one distance (ODL) | Yes | ODL programme from a UGC-recognised, entitled university |
| Two online or ODL programmes | Yes | Both recognised and entitled |
| A Ph.D. with any other programme | Not covered | The guidelines exclude Ph.D. |
| Any programme UGC prohibits online, such as engineering or law | No | Prohibited in ODL and Online mode regardless |
The guidelines also say both programmes stay governed by UGC regulations and by any statutory or professional council that oversees the subject. So the two-degree rule never makes a programme valid that would otherwise be invalid. It only removes the bar on doing two valid ones together.
Can you do a regular degree and an online degree together?
Yes. This is the combination most people searching this question are after: a B.Com or B.Sc on campus with an online BBA, or a job-linked online MBA next to another qualification. Guideline 2 allows one programme in full-time physical mode and another in ODL or Online mode.
The condition sits in Guideline 3. The ODL or online programme has to come from an institution recognised by UGC, a statutory council or the Government of India to run it. For an online degree, that means checking the exact programme on deb.ugc.ac.in for your admission session. Our guide on how to check UGC-DEB approval shows how.
The two-degree rule does not validate anything. It lets you stack two programmes that are already valid.
Can you do two online degrees at once?
Yes, up to two ODL or Online programmes at the same time. Whether you should is a separate question. Each online programme has its own proctored end-semester exams, and assignments count for up to 30 per cent of marks, so two programmes means two sets of deadlines and two exam calendars. Read how online degree exams work before you commit to both.
You do not need a second DEB ID. UGC states that a DEB ID stays valid for lifelong ODL and Online learning, so the one you created for the first programme covers the second. If you have not created one yet, see our DEB ID guide.
What changed in 2025?
One clause. The April 2022 text said the guidelines applied from the date of notification and that students who had already done two programmes simultaneously before that date could claim no retrospective benefit. That left people who had stacked degrees earlier in an uncertain position.
The Commission approved a modification at its 589th meeting on 3 April 2025, and UGC circulated the revised guidelines to universities in June 2025. The new proviso says two programmes pursued together before the guidelines were issued shall be treated as valid, provided they followed the UGC First Degree and Master Degree Regulations, the universities' own statutes and ordinances, and the norms of the relevant professional council and the Distance Education Council or Distance Education Bureau.
What should you check before enrolling in a second programme?
- Both universities' rules. UGC says universities devise their own mechanism through their statutory bodies. Ask each university, in writing, whether it permits a concurrent enrolment and whether it needs a declaration or no-objection from the other.
- Entitlement of the online or ODL programme for your session, on deb.ugc.ac.in.
- Prohibited programmes. UGC does not allow engineering, law, medicine, pharmacy, nursing, architecture and several other disciplines in ODL or Online mode. A two-degree plan cannot get around that.
- Exam clashes. Nothing in the guidelines obliges either university to move an exam for you. Compare both academic calendars before paying.
- Whether a fake institution is involved. Rule this out on the UGC fake universities list before anything else.
Is a second degree done this way valid for jobs?
Each degree stands on its own. An online degree from a recognised, entitled programme is treated as equivalent to the conventional degree under Regulation 22 of the UGC 2020 regulations, whether or not you earned another degree alongside it. Read is an online degree valid in India for the detail, and online MBA validity for government jobs if that is your target.
If you are choosing the online half of the pair, you can compare universities side by side on approvals and accreditation.
Talk to a real counsellor. No sales pitch.
Get honest advice on fees, placements, and which program actually fits your career goal. We earn zero commission from any university.
edifyedu.in earns zero commissions. Your data stays with us only.
Sources
- UGC, Guidelines for Pursuing Two Academic Programmes Simultaneously, April 2022: ugc.gov.in
- UGC letter D.O. No. F.1-6/2007 (CPP-II), June 2025, with the modified guidelines approved at the 589th Commission meeting on 3 April 2025: ugc.gov.in
- UGC public notice of 11 November 2024 on ODL and Online admissions (DEB ID, prohibited programmes): deb.ugc.ac.in
Last verified against the UGC guidelines on 26 October 2026. Universities apply these guidelines through their own statutory bodies, so local rules can be stricter. Confirm with both universities before enrolling.
Planning an online degree next to your current one?
edifyedu.in compares public UGC-DEB, NAAC and NIRF data for 143 universities. No paid rankings, no referral commissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Under the UGC Guidelines for Pursuing Two Academic Programmes Simultaneously (April 2022, modified in 2025), a student can pursue two programmes at once: two full-time physical programmes with non-overlapping class timings, one physical plus one ODL or online programme, or up to two ODL or online programmes.
Yes. The guidelines allow one full-time programme in physical mode alongside one programme in Open and Distance Learning or Online mode. The online programme must come from a university recognised by UGC to run it.
Yes. The guidelines allow up to two ODL or Online programmes simultaneously, provided both universities are recognised and entitled for those programmes.
No. UGC states that the guidelines apply only to programmes other than Ph.D.
Following the 2025 modification, yes, if they were pursued in line with the UGC First Degree and Master Degree Regulations, the universities' own statutes, and the norms of the relevant councils and the Distance Education Bureau. The original 2022 text had denied retrospective benefit.
UGC asks universities to implement the guidelines, and each university sets up its own mechanism through its statutory bodies. Ask both universities in writing whether they permit concurrent enrolment and how they handle exam clashes.
No. UGC states that a DEB ID, once generated, stays valid for lifelong ODL and Online learning, so the same ID applies to both enrolments.
Was this article helpful?
Share this article