COIMBATORE: Following the University Grants Commission’s directive, the Higher Education Department has stopped offering psychology courses in Open and Distance Learning (ODL) and online through state-run universities from this academic year.
Recently, the UGC notified that no Higher Education Institution would be permitted to offer any allied or healthcare programme covered under the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Profession Act, 2021 in ODL/online mode from the July–August 2025 session.
An official from TN Open University (TNOU) said the university has halted admissions to its MSc Psychology course with immediate effect. Similarly, Madras University, Annamalai University, Alagappa University and Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) have withdrawn the programme.
The universities have been instructed to allow enrolled students to transfer to another course of their choice, or receive a refund if unwilling to continue. K Balamurugan, president of the Tamil Nadu Psychology Association, welcomed the move, stressing psychology requires practical exposure that remains unavailable in distance learning.