Whether you work, manage household chores, or dropped out of school years ago, for many people in Bangladesh, this combination has meant that the door to higher education has quietly closed. The Bangladesh Open University (BOU) exists precisely to keep that door open, and it has been doing so since 1992.
Here is what the university actually offers, and who it is built for.
The Scale
Headquartered in Gazipur, BOU currently runs 55 academic programmes, delivered through a network of 12 regional centres, 63 sub-regional centres, and roughly 1,500 study centres spread across the country.
More than three lakh students are enrolled at present, making BOU the second largest university in Bangladesh by student numbers.
The Headline Feature: No Age Limit
This is what sets BOU apart from almost every other university in the country. Nearly none of its programs have an age limit. If you meet a program’s academic requirements, you can enroll at any age, regardless of whether your last certificate is two or twenty years old.
Some programs do require an entrance exam or interview, so eligibility isn’t automatic. However, age alone won’t disqualify you.
What It Costs
BOU does not charge monthly tuition fees. Instead, a single fixed fee is payable per course and semester upon admission and registration.
Fees vary depending on the program. SSC and HSC level programs are the most affordable, while professional degrees such as the MBA, Professional MBA, and Commonwealth Executive MBA have comparatively higher fees. There are no additional charges for book collection, examination fees, or the first ID card.
The university also offers tuition and registration fee waivers for students with financial difficulties and students with disabilities.
What You Can Study
BOU’s programmes sit under seven schools, each offering degrees at both bachelor’s and master’s level:
- Open School — SSC and HSC programmes (two years, extendable to five), plus BBS, BBA, MBA, and master’s degrees in criminology, disaster management and development studies
- School of Business — BBA, MBA, Professional MBA, and the Commonwealth Executive MBA/MPA designed for working executives
- School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Languages — BA and BSS (Honours), three-year BA/BSS, MA and MSS, and a Bachelor of English Language Teaching
- School of Education — BEd and MEd, each one year across two semesters, plus a Bachelor of Madrasah Education
- School of Science and Technology — BSc in CSE, BSc (Honours) in Food Science and Nutrition, Master of Public Health, and disability management
- School of Agriculture and Rural Development — agriculture degrees from BSc through several MSc specialisations
- School of Law — a four-year LLB and an LLM, currently offered at the Dhaka regional centre
MPhil and PhD opportunities are also now available for students interested in research.
How Classes Actually Work
Teaching is truly multichannel. In addition to in-person classes on fixed days, students attend online sessions via Zoom, and course materials are delivered through television, radio, YouTube, SD cards, and social media. In some postgraduate programs, classes are taught centrally online, with occasional participation from visiting professors from Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University, and Jagannath University.
Worth Knowing
BOU also offers programs for Bangladeshis abroad, currently in South Korea, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Italy.
For those who thought higher education was no longer an option, we want to let you know that you still have a chance. Visit bou.ac.bd for information on admissions deadlines and specific program requirements before applying.
