Who Can Be a Project Guide for IGNOU MAPC Project?

If you are a student of IGNOU’s Master of Arts in Psychology (MAPC) program and getting ready to begin your project work, one of the first steps is to select an eligible Project Guide. This may seem like a small task, but choosing the right guide is critical. If your selected guide doesn’t meet IGNOU’s official eligibility criteria, your project synopsis may be rejected, which can delay your overall progress.

Related Article: How to resubmit a rejected IGNOU MAPC project synopsis

In this post, we’ll clearly explain who can be your guide, what qualifications they need, the different categories of eligible guides, and when approval is required. You’ll also understand the role of a guide and some useful tips to make the selection process easier.

Eligibility Criteria for MAPC Project Guide

IGNOU has laid down specific eligibility criteria for project supervisors. Your guide must fulfill at least one of the following academic and professional qualifications:

1. M.Phil or Ph.D. in Psychology with a minimum of two years of teaching or research experience at the undergraduate or postgraduate level. Note that any research experience gained during the M.Phil or Ph.D. program itself is not counted.
2. A Master’s degree in Psychology with at least two years of full-time teaching or research experience at the postgraduate level, along with a NET, SLET, or SET qualification in Psychology.
3. A Master’s degree in Psychology with a minimum of five years of full-time teaching or research experience at the undergraduate level, and also holding a NET, SLET, or SET qualification in Psychology.

These eligibility requirements apply to all learners enrolled from the January 2014 admission cycle onwards.

Types of Approved Guides

IGNOU allows you to choose your project guide from one of the following three categories:

Academic Counsellors

If your academic counsellor at the IGNOU study centre is willing to guide you, you don’t need to get any separate approval. These counsellors are already approved as project supervisors by IGNOU.

Approved List of Guides

IGNOU’s School of Social Sciences (SOSS), New Delhi, maintains a list of officially approved project guides. If you select a guide from this list, you are not required to seek additional permission.

Other Experts in Psychology

If your chosen guide is not part of the academic counsellors or the approved list, you can still work with them, provided they meet the eligibility criteria mentioned earlier. However, you will need to obtain formal approval from the Discipline of Psychology at SOSS, IGNOU, New Delhi. For this, you must submit their bio-data using the official format provided in Appendix-V of the project handbook.

Who Cannot Be a Guide

IGNOU is strict about who qualifies as a project guide. The following people cannot supervise your project:

• Friends or relatives, even if they have a background in Psychology
• Professionals from other disciplines such as Sociology, Education, or Management
• Inexperienced or junior faculty who lack the required qualifications
• Psychology postgraduates without NET, SLET, or SET and without the necessary teaching or research experience

Always ensure that your guide is academically and professionally qualified, and not just available.

What Does a Project Guide Do?

A guide does much more than approve your synopsis. Their role includes helping you choose a relevant topic, providing reading material, offering suggestions for literature review, and guiding you in research ethics. They may also help you identify places or institutions where you can collect data. A good guide motivates you, ensures you stick to the ethical standards of research, and provides you with reference letters if required for data collection from hospitals, schools, or other organizations.

The guide also reviews your final report and ensures it aligns with IGNOU’s expectations in terms of originality, quality, and academic format.

Remuneration for the Guide

IGNOU offers a small honorarium to guides for supervising student projects. After your final project report is submitted, your guide can claim the remuneration using the form provided in Appendix-XIII of the project handbook. This adds a formal and professional element to the role of the guide.

Final Checklist for Students

Before finalizing your project guide, make sure they meet all eligibility criteria. If they are not from the approved list or your study centre, don’t forget to seek approval. Attach all required documents like the guide’s consent form, bio-data, and qualification proof when submitting your synopsis.

Choosing the right guide is not just about ticking off a requirement. It’s about finding a mentor who will walk with you through your research journey, support your learning, and help you grow academically and professionally. Take this step seriously, and your MAPC project experience will be much more rewarding.