New Delhi, June 15 (IANS): The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) will offer a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in banking and finance from this July academic session, an official said Saturday.

"The course is specially designed for bankers. A candidate applying for the course should be a graduate who has passed Certified Associate of Indian Institute of Bankers (CAIIB) examinations of the Indian Institute of Banking and Finance (IIBF). Candidates should have worked for at least two years in banking or financial sector," an IGNOU statement said.

The varsity also invites applications for a Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Markets Practice (PGDFMP).

"The programme is developed by School of Management Studies, IGNOU and the Financial Technologies Knowledge Management Company (FTKMC), Mumbai. Graduates from any stream can apply for the diploma course," the statement said.

Aspiring students can obtain the form and prospectus from regional centres for Rs.1,050 for MBA in banking and finance course, and Rs.500 for PGDFMP course. More information can be obtained from the IGNOU website.

The last date to apply for the course is June 30.

IGNOU is the world's largest open university system with a pan-India and international reach with flexible entry qualifications and a wide range of academic programmes at affordable costs.

The varsity offers about 490 certificate, diploma, degree and doctoral programmes.