The Karnataka State Open University was promoted to enable distance education in the state and standardizing the same. The University was set up in 1996 and is headquartered in Mysore.
This is the 8th Indian state to set up an open University to offer quality education to those unable to attend regular classes. Today, the Karnataka State Open University has a strength of over 40,000 students and functions through 13 departments. It is affiliated with the Indira Gandhi National Open University and is housed in a 15-acre campus along the Mysore-Mangalore highway.
What Does It Offer?
- Undergraduate courses: The KSOU offers 3-year undergraduate courses leading to Bachelor’s degrees in Arts and Commerce. The Bachelor of Education degree in General or Special Education is a 2 year course while the Bachelor of Library Science is a 1 year course.
- Postgraduate courses: The 2 year postgraduate courses are offered in the Arts stream and Commerce Stream. Master of Science courses in Maths, Information Technology and Geography are offered at KSOU. New courses at this university are LLM and MBA. The Master’s degree in Library Science is a one-year course
- Research Courses: KSOU offers scholars a chance to pursue an M.Phil and PhD degree under the Open University.
- Post graduate Diploma Courses: KSOU has postgraduate diploma courses in Business Administration, Marketing management, Human Resource management, communicative English, Financial Management, Mass Communication and Journalism.
- Diploma and Certificate Courses: KSOU offers Diploma and Certificate courses in Kannada, Information Technology, environmental management, Panchayati Raj, and Solid waste management. New courses are constantly being added to the curriculum.
Facilities Offered at the University
KSOU provides the following facilities for its students:
- Canteen: The canteen on the premises provides fresh affordable food to students
- Guest House: A clean, well -appointed guest house with 75 rooms is available for use by academicians and visiting faculty associated with the university.
- Library: A well -stocked library is available for use by students. The library has a wide range of books and journals and also stocks audio visual learning materials.
- Study Centres:KSOU partners many educational institutions in the state in providing study centres for students. The premises of the institutions are used for week end classes by KSOU faculty. The faculty also provide students with assistance in completion of projects and assignments.
- Cash Prizes and Awards: A large number of prizes, cash awards and gold medals have been endowed by individuals and institutions for meritorious scholars passing out of KSOU.
- Concession for poor students: KSOU provides 25 discounts on the tuition fee for students coming from impoverished backgrounds.
The website of the university is constantly updated with circulars and notices for communicating with students.
The Who’s Who at Karnataka State Open University
The current Vice Chancellor of the university is Prof K S Rangappa. The University is recognized by the University Grants Commission besides being a member of Association of Indian Universities, member of the Commonwealth Universities Association and a member university of the Distance Education Council.
Contact Address
Karnataka State Open University
Manasagangotri
Mysore – 570006
Karnataka, India
Tel: +91-821-251 9941 / 251 9948
Fax: +91-821-2500846, 2500847
Email: vcksou@etc.net / bkd30165@yahoo.co.in
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