Annamalai University, one of the largest unitary and residential universities in Southern Asia, was established and incorporated in the year 1929 as per the Annamalai University Act, 1928 (Tamil Nadu Act1 of 1929). Then the Annamalai University Act, 1928 has been repealed and replaced by the AnnamalaiUniversity Act, 2013 (Tamil Nadu Act 20 of 2013). Hon’ble Governor of Tamil Nadu is the Chancellor of the University.

This Universtiy has, since its inception, aimed at imparting education in all fields of knowledge to thousands of students from across the country and abroad. Located in a rural setting in coastal district of Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu, the University has been playing a pivotal role in providing access to higher education to lakhs of youth from economically and socially disadvantaged classes. In this respect, this University’s service to the nation is tremendous.

In the past 92 years, the University has grown into a premier institution of higher learning and research. The University today is spread over an extensive campus of more than 800 acres and has the Faculties of Arts, Science, Marine Sciences, Indian Languages, Engineering and Technology, Education, Fine Arts, Agriculture, Medicine, and Dentistry in all, they comprise 49 Departments of Study.

Annamalainagar is a busy and self-contained University township, east of Chidambaram town, the abode of Lord Nataraja, the Cosmic Dancer. The sprawling and scenic campus enclosing the Departments of Study, Students’ Hostels, Staff Quarters, Playgrounds, etc., is situated at a holy place (Tiruvetkalam,currently known as Annamalainagar), 2 kms from the Lord Nataraja Temple.

The Rajah Muthiah Institute of Health Sciences, comprising the Rajah Muthiah Medical College, the Rajah Muthiah Dental College and the Rani Meyyammai College of Nursing offers various UG and PG Programmes, besides serving the rural population through its modern 1150 - bed hospital.

The Sir C.P. Ramaswamy Aiyar Library of the University is the third biggest in Tamil Nadu and has a collection of more than 5 lakh volumes besides journals, reports and rare palm-leaf manuscripts. It has all the modern facilities such as Internet, Microfilming, Inflibnet, etc.

The University, being unitary and residential in character, has above 17,000 students pursuing various on-campus programmes of study and more than 8,000 of them are accommodated in its 19 hostels, acclaimed to be the biggest in the country.

The University plays a vital role in disseminating knowledge acquired through research to the surrounding rural areas in which it is placed and it serves the larger community through its Centre for Rural Development, the Department of Community Medicine, Dental College, the NSS; and above all,through its Directorate of Distance Education, it takes education to the doorsteps of thousands of adult learners all over the country and abroad.

The Directorate of Distance Education, currently CDOE, established in 1979 offered different Programmes of Study. It is credited with the largest enrolment and is well equipped with computer and other infrastructure, adequate Teaching Faculty and Administrative set-up of its own Learner Support Centres to serve its students in their best interest at their doorsteps. It has also the unique distinction of being the first in India, to offer Postgraduate Degree Programmes in Applied Psychology, Physics, Chemistry, Zoology, Botany, and Computer Science through Distance Education mode.

The Centre for Distance and Online Education of Annamalai University was, initially as a Centre for Correspondence and Continuing Education in 1979 and then renamed as the Directorate of Distance Education. Since 1979, CDOE has been a synonym for distance learning; offering UG and PG programmes suitable for persons from all walks of life and all age-groups. In the past four-and-a-half decades, lakhs and lakhs of learners have successfully completed their higher studies and are leading successful and contented lives. On completion of the programme of your choice, you will also be one among them.

UGC-DEB approved Annamalai University, CDOE Programmes upto Academic Year 2027-2028, January 2028 Session.