UGC Ban on Distance & Online Psychology Degrees: Impact, Alternatives, and Next Steps for Students
A psychology programme focuses on foundational knowledge for a wide range of careers in fields such as education, health, research, human resources, and counseling. One can pursue a BA, BSc, MA, and MSc in psychology. However, the recent ban on psychology degrees in distance and online mode left 1.3 lakh students in uncertainty.
This Story also Contains
- Growth of Online & ODL Psychology Degree Year Wise
- Why This Ban Happened
- Impact on Students
- Impact On Universities
- What is Next For Students?
As per the University Grants Commission (UGC) latest decision on discontinuation of online and distance learning psychology programmes, higher educational institutions (HEIs) are requested to not admit students to such programmes from the academic session beginning July-August 2025.
Growth of Online & ODL Psychology Degree Year Wise
Psychology programmes in distance and online mode have seen significant growth year on year, indicating the popularity of this field. A psychology degree caters to students from diverse backgrounds such as arts, social sciences, healthcare, education, and corporate sectors.
| Year | Number of Universities |
|---|---|
2020-21 | 17 |
2021-22 | 18 |
2022-23 | 21 |
2023-24 | 53 |
2024-25 | 57 |
Between 2020 and 2023, the number of universities increased constantly from 17 to 21, reflecting a steady but modest growth. In the academic session 2023-24, universities offering online and ODL psychology degrees jumped from 21 to 53 in just one year. Currently, in the 2024-25 academic session, 57 higher educational institutions (HEIs) are offering psychology in online and distance learning modes.
Why This Ban Happened
Before the implementation of the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) Act, 2021, the allied health sciences sector was largely unregulated in many states. This led to uniformity and disparity in curriculum and quality standards, along with fake regulatory agencies.
The latest UGC’s decision is now linked to NCAHP that regulates disciplines such as psychology, behavioural health sciences, microbiology, and biotechnology. This brings psychology under the same rigor as other allied health professions.
The UGC’s decision is also rooted in concerns over academic quality and professional competence in psychology education, which requires hands-on training, lab work, and supervised internships.
Impact on Students
The UGC ban on online and distance psychology programmes has affected 1.3 lakhs students who enrolled in or graduated in these programmes via distance mode. Students, especially working professionals and those from remote areas, now will not get the flexibility of pursuing Psychology via distance or online mode. This seems to be closing the doors for students without any alternatives.
Impact On Universities
As per the latest UGC notification on this ban, higher educational institutions (HEIs) are not allowed to offer any allied and healthcare programmes, including psychology as specialisation under online and distance mode.
Universities that have already been granted to offer these programmes for the academic session July-August 2025 and onwards will be withdrawn by UGC.
What is Next For Students?
As the UGC has banned psychology degrees in online and distance mode, it does not yet provide any transition plan for students who have already enrolled. This significantly raised uncertainty for them.
The decision on this ban means that 57 universities currently offering psychology degrees in online and distance mode have to stop admitting students for these programmes.
Many universities are now providing transition option to other MA programmes. The University of Mumbai’s Centre for Distance and Online Education (CDOE) providing students with the option to apply for a transfer of admission to any other M.A. programme offered by CDOE for the Academic Year 2025-26. The university also gives admission cancellation option for students who do not wish to opt for another programme.
Although the ban only covers allied and healthcare programmes involved in NCAHP ACT, 2021, students have the option to pursue programmes with multiple specialisations such as BA (English, Hindi, Punjabi, Economics, History, Mathematics, Public Administration, Philosophy, Political Science, Statistics, Human Rights and Duties, Sanskrit, Psychology, Geography, Sociology, Women Studies).