Calcutta University's MA program runs across 26 disciplines offered directly by University PG departments, plus 35 more subject-college combinations at 22 affiliated UG colleges under the Faculty of Arts, Commerce, Education, Journalism & Library Science - alongside three more MA-eligible disciplines (Psychology, Applied Psychology, Geography) offered through the Faculty of Science. Admission runs via two separate, independently scheduled application windows: one for Arts/Commerce/Library Science courses, another for Science-faculty courses. Total intake across the university-run Arts & Commerce courses alone exceeds 3,400 seats, making it one of the largest PG admission cycles in West Bengal.
📋 Admission Status:
- Arts & Commerce faculty admissions have completed Phase-1 and 2 selection; Phase-3 document verification scheduled for 3-4 August 2026. Classes commencing 5 August 2026.
- Science faculty admissions (including Psychology, Applied Psychology, Geography) closed their online admission window on 31 July 2026, with classes tentatively starting the first week of August 2026.
Key Points
- Entrance Test is mandatory for nearly all candidates, in both Part-A (CU current-year students) and Part-B (CU + Non-CU, current and back years to 2022) categories.
- Science faculty entrance moved from Computer-Based Test to Pen-Paper mode for 2026 after being originally notified as CBT.
- 80% of seats are available for the regular 2-year MA program, while 20% are reserved for students seeking direct admission to the second year after completing a 4-year Honours with Research degree.
- The Arts/Commerce admission cycle and the Science-faculty cycle run on separate schedules, separate portals sections, and separate helpdesks, even though both fall under caluniv-ucsta.net.
Calcutta University MA Fees 2026
Fees are paid at the time of admission and cover the first semester (Jul-Dec 2026) plus annual charges - not the full 2-year cost, since tuition continues each subsequent semester.
Arts, Commerce, Education, Journalism & Library Science faculty
| Course Group |
Total Fees at Admission |
| Groups 301-318, 322-326 (Bengali, English, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology, Economics, Commerce, Languages, etc.) |
INR 2,840 |
| Groups 319-321 (Education, Archaeology, Museology - lab-based) |
INR 4,640 |
Science faculty (Psychology, Applied Psychology, Geography)
| Semester |
Total Fees at Admission |
| 1st Semester (Admission fee + Tuition + Lab + 2-year Library + Session charge + ID card) |
INR 5,995 |
| 2nd to 4th Semester (each) |
INR 4,520 |
Application fee (both faculties): INR 1,000 for Unreserved/OBC-A/OBC-B, INR 500 for SC/ST/PWD, per group, non-refundable.
Calcutta University MA Admission 2026
| Event |
Science Faculty |
Arts & Commerce Faculty |
| Application Window |
May 11 - 20, 2026 (Extended to June 17, 2026) |
May 11 - 20, 2026 (Extended to July 02, 2026) |
Entrance Test |
July 14 - 17, 2026 (Subject-wise schedule) |
English: July 09, 2026 (2:00 - 3:15 PM)
Journalism & Mass Communication: July 09, 2026 (4:00 - 5:15 PM)
|
| Entrance Test Result |
July 20, 2026 |
- |
1st Selection List |
July 27, 2026 (Part-A & Part-B) |
Part-A: July 20, 2026
Part-B (English & JMC): July 23, 2026
|
| Last Date of Admission |
July 31, 2026 (Extended) |
July 25, 2026 |
| Commencement of Classes |
Tentatively 1st Week of August 2026 |
August 05, 2026 |
Psychology (Group 205) and Geography (Group 215) entrance tests were both scheduled for July 15, 2026.
MA Specialisations & Seat Matrix
Here is the data for the top 10 popular MA courses offered by the Faculty of Arts & Commerce:
| Course |
Group No. |
Seats |
| Bengali |
301 |
385 |
| English |
302 |
245 |
| Economics |
314 |
235 |
| Political Science |
317 |
235 |
| Philosophy |
316 |
150-235 |
| History |
315 |
168 |
| Sanskrit |
303 |
169 |
| Education |
319 |
132 |
| Journalism & Mass Communication |
312 |
60 |
| Sociology |
318 |
60 |
Faculty of Science (M.A/M.Sc dual-eligible)
| Course |
Group No. |
Seats |
| Psychology |
205 |
34+2+3 |
| Applied Psychology |
205 |
34+2+3 |
| Geography |
215 |
97+6+10 |
Eligibility Criteria
- CU and Non-CU graduates with Honours/Single Major are eligible if they have passed or appeared in Semester 5 (CCF 2026).
- Candidates who completed a 3-year Hons. degree (CBCS or 1+1+1 system) by 2022 are also eligible.
- Arts & Commerce: Minimum 4.0 CGPA in the 3-year Honours/Single Major programme or at least 120 credits with 50% marks in Core/Major courses.
- Science: Minimum 50% marks in the Honours/Major subject at graduation.
- PG degree holders, General/MDC graduates, and candidates with Core Vocational Honours are not eligible for Arts & Commerce PG programs.
- BA/B.Sc General and MDC (Multi-Disciplinary Course) graduates are not eligible for Science PG programs.
- Candidates must have a clear marksheet with no fail or arrear/backlog in any semester.
Admission Process
| Admission Stage |
Arts & Commerce Faculty |
Science Faculty |
| Seat Distribution |
80% seats for regular PG program; 20% for lateral entry |
All seats under the regular PG |
| Part A |
60% of 80% seats for current-year CU students |
60% of total seats for current-year CU/CU Autonomous College graduates |
| Part B |
40% of 80% seats for CU & Non-CU candidates (graduates up to 2022) |
40% of total seats for current & previous-year CU/Non-CU graduates (up to the last 4 years) |
| Entrance Test |
50 MCQs, 100 marks, 1 hour |
50 MCQs, 100 marks, 1 hour (Except Group 230: 100 questions, 3 hours) |
| Entrance Test Mode |
Computer-Based Test |
Pen-Paper Mode (2026) |
| Interview |
Applicable for multidisciplinary courses |
Not Applicable |
| Merit Preparation (Part A) |
50% Entrance Test + 50% Hons./Major marks (up to Semester 5) |
50% Entrance Test + 50% Hons./Major marks (up to Semester 5) |
| Merit Preparation (Part B) |
Entrance Test marks only |
Entrance Test marks only |
| Additional Requirement |
- |
*Non-CU candidates may need degree equivalence approval before fee payment |
*Not applicable to regular graduates from West Bengal universities
Reservation Categories
- SC 22%, ST 6%, OBC-A 10%, OBC-B 7% of total seats, with an additional 10% supernumerary seats reserved for EWS candidates.
- PwD: 5% horizontal reservation in each category (UR, SC, ST, OBC-A, and OBC-B).
- Sports Quota: 8 seats in the Faculties of Arts, Education, Journalism & Library Science, and 4 seats in the Faculty of Commerce & Social Welfare.
- Military Quota: 5 seats for children of ex-servicemen killed or disabled in action.
- Foreign Quota: 15% supernumerary seats, including 5% reserved for children of Indian workers in Gulf countries.
- West Bengal domicile is mandatory to claim reservation under SC, ST, OBC, EWS, or PwD categories.
✓ Opt for this if
- You graduated from a CU-affiliated college and can use the merit-based Part A route for easier admission
- You want access to rare specializations like Museology or Buddhist Studies at a total cost of INR 14,650
- You plan to sit UGC-NET or UPSC after M.A and want CU’s widely recognised academic credential
✗ Skip if
- You need strong private-sector placement infrastructure for humanities graduates
- You prefer a centralized entrance process like CUET PG rather than the CU-specific exam
- You want a smaller, more research-intensive cohort as offered at Presidency University
Calcutta University MA Scholarships 2026
M.A students at University of Calcutta can access government scholarships based on merit, financial need, and reserved category.
| Scholarship |
Amount |
Eligibility |
Deadline |
| Swami Vivekananda Merit-cum-Means Scholarship |
INR 12,000/year |
60% in graduation and family income below INR 2.5 LPA |
31 July 2026 |
| WB Post-Matric Scholarship for SC/ST/OBC |
As per government norms |
SC/ST/OBC students in higher education in West Bengal |
As per oasis.gov.in |
| ICSSR Junior Research Fellowship |
INR 25,000/month |
M.A graduates qualifying ICSSR research fellowship in social sciences |
As notified by ICSSR |
- Scholarship amounts are subject to annual revision.
- Apply through official portals for current eligibility.
Comments
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Yes, you can apply for admission to the Calcutta University. Check here for the MA in Psychology from Calcutta University.
To apply for the M.Sc Chemistry program of Calcutta University, you must have completed a bachelor’s degree with Chemistry as a subject and a minimum score of 55% in aggregate. Admission to this program will be offered based on the merit of the university’s entrance test.
Admission to the MA programs of Calcutta University is offered based on the merit of the qualifying examination passed. Students seeking admission in the MA programs must have a bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks from a recognized college or university.
The University of Calcutta offers a Ph.D in Food and Nutrition program. Students seeking admission in this program must have an M.Sc in Food and Nutrition or a relevant field with at least 55% marks from a recognized university. Many of the departments have started their admission process.
To get admission in the Ph.D program of Calcutta University, you must take the entrance test conducted by the university. Admission is offered based on the merit of entrance test and personal interview conducted by the university. Students who have qualified for UGC JRF/NET/ SET/ SLETDST (Inspire) Scholarship or Teacher Fellowship holders will be exempted from the university’s entrance test.
The University of Calcutta has not released the admission schedule of M.Com. for 2023. It is expected that the admissions will be started in the September 2023.
The minimum educational qualification required to pursue an M.Phil program is to have a master’s degree in the relevant field with at least 55% marks from a recognized university. Moreover, UGC has discontinued M.Phil programs from the 2022 academic year as per the NEP.
From the 2022-23 academic session, M.Phil programs will no longer be offered for admission according to the regulations by UGC. Students who have completed M.Com with at least 55% marks can directly apply for admission in the Ph.D program.
To get admission in the M.Sc Neuroscience course of Calcutta University you must have a B.Sc degree with biology/ biotechnology/ biochemistry/ neurobiology/ neuroscience/ zoology as a subject. Students who have completed MBBS are also eligible to apply. Calcutta University offers hostel accommodations at a very minimal rate and it differs as per the type of accommodation opted for.
Admissions for various courses at Calcutta University are still going on. Based on the information this university has closed the admissions for certificate courses on 8th August 2022. You can still check the dates from the official website.
For more information, refer to this link: Calcutta University Admission 2022
No, there is no entrance required for MA in Linguistics at Calcutta University. You can get the selection based on your merit in the qualifying exam. Students who are from the university already get 60 percent of seats.
For more information, refer to this link: Calcutta University MA Linguistics Selection Criteria
Yes, the university conducts an entrance examination for the MBM course. It conducts a university-level exam, JEE Main examination. You are required to qualify bachelor's with 50% marks.
Calcutta University offers M.Sc courses in four specializations: Genetics and Plant Breeding, Agronomy, Plant Physiology and Agricultural Sciences. To be eligible for admission you must have a bachelor’s degree in the relevant field from a recognized university.
Yes, you are eligible to apply for the Master of Science [M.Sc] (Human Development) for this session as the minimum eligibility set requires one to have a bachelor’s degree in the relevant subject from a recognized board with a minimum of 50% aggregate marks.