Choosing the right subject for the University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC NET) is the single most critical first step for any aspirant. The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts this national-level eligibility exam twice a year, offering a massive, updated UGC NET Subject List that spans over 80 different disciplines.
Entering the wrong subject or code on your application form can completely derail your preparation, as the NTA rarely allows changes after the correction window closes. This comprehensive guide provides the official, up-to-date UGC NET Subject List alongside the mandatory UGC NET Subject codes to ensure your registration process goes smoothly.
The Golden Rule of UGC NET Subject Selection
The NTA Rule: You must appear for the UGC NET exam only in the subject of your Post-Graduation (PG) specialization.For example, if you hold an M.Com degree, you must select Commerce. If you hold an MA in History, your subject must be History.
What if your specific master’s degree isn’t listed?
If your exact postgraduate discipline is missing from the official UGC NET Subject List, the NTA permits you to choose a closely related subject instead. For example, an MBA graduate typically selects either Management or Commerce based on their core specialization and long-term academic career goals.
Complete UGC NET Subject List and Official UGC NET Subject Codes
For quick navigation, the entire UGC NET Subject List has been organized below into streamlined, easy-to-read tables sorted by academic streams.
1. General Paper & Core Social Sciences
| Code | Subject Name | Code | Subject Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00 | General Paper (Paper 1) | 01 | Economics / Business Economics |
| 02 | Political Science | 03 | Philosophy |
| 04 | Psychology | 05 | Sociology |
| 06 | History | 07 | Anthropology |
| 09 | Education | 10 | Social Work |
| 11 | Defence and Strategic Studies | 14 | Public Administration |
| 15 | Population Studies * | 46 | Adult / Continuing Education |
| 47 | Physical Education | 58 | Law |
| 59 | Library and Information Science | 60 | Buddhist, Jaina & Gandhian Studies |
| 62 | Comparative Study of Religions | 63 | Mass Communication and Journalism |
| 68 | Criminology | 80 | Geography |
| 81 | Social Medicine & Community Health | 92 | Human Rights and Duties |
| 93 | Tourism Administration and Management | 104 | Disaster Management |
* Note on Population Studies (Code 15): Candidates with a Master’s Degree in Geography (with specialization in Population Studies) or Mathematics/Statistics are also eligible.
2. Commerce, Management & Interdisciplinary Studies
| Code | Subject Name |
|---|---|
| 08 | Commerce |
| 12 | Home Science |
| 17 | Management (including Business Administration / Marketing / Finance / Co-operative Mgt.) |
| 55 | Labour Welfare / Personnel Management / Industrial Relations / HRM |
| 74 | Women Studies ** |
** Note on Women Studies (Code 74): Candidates possessing a Master’s Degree in any Humanities or Social Sciences discipline are eligible.
3. Technical, Applied Sciences & Technology
| Code | Subject Name |
|---|---|
| 82 | Forensic Science |
| 87 | Computer Science and Applications |
| 88 | Electronic Science |
| 89 | Environmental Sciences |
| 105 | Ayurveda Biology |
| 106 | Forestry |
| 107 | Statistics |
4. Culture, Arts & Indic Knowledge Systems
| Code | Subject Name |
|---|---|
| 16 | Music (Hindustani / Carnatic / Percussion etc.) |
| 49 | Arab Culture and Islamic Studies |
| 50 | Indian Culture |
| 65 | Performing Art – Dance / Drama / Theatre |
| 66 | Museology & Conservation |
| 67 | Archaeology |
| 79 | Visual Art (Drawing & Painting / Sculpture / Applied Art / History of Art) |
| 100 | Yoga |
| 102 | Hindu Studies |
| 103 | Indian Knowledge System |
5. Languages and Literature
| Code | Subject Name | Code | Subject Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | Maithili | 19 | Bengali |
| 20 | Hindi | 21 | Kannada |
| 22 | Malayalam | 23 | Oriya |
| 24 | Punjabi | 25 | Sanskrit |
| 26 | Tamil | 27 | Telugu |
| 28 | Urdu | 29 | Arabic |
| 30 | English | 31 | Linguistics |
| 32 | Chinese | 33 | Dogri |
| 34 | Nepali | 35 | Manipuri |
| 36 | Assamese | 37 | Gujarati |
| 38 | Marathi | 39 | French (French Version) |
| 40 | Spanish | 41 | Russian |
| 42 | Persian | 43 | Rajasthani |
| 44 | German | 45 | Japanese |
| 70 | Tribal and Regional Language | 71 | Folk Literature |
| 72 | Comparative Literature | 73 | Sanskrit Traditional Subjects |
| 83 | Pali | 84 | Kashmiri |
| 85 | Konkani | 91 | Prakrit |
| 94 | Bodo | 95 | Santali |
| 101 | Sindhi | – | – |
Pro Tips for Candidates Filling the Form
- Verify Your Code Twice: The subject code you select dictates the specific exam paper delivered to your computer terminal on exam day. Cross-verify your code with your application confirmation page.
- Keep Track of New Additions: The NTA routinely expands the UGC NET Subject List to introduce contemporary fields. Elements like Forestry (Code 106) and Statistics (Code 107) offer tailored opportunities for specialized postgraduates.
- Be Prepared for Normalization: High-volume subjects like Commerce (08), English (30), and Hindi (20) are conducted across multiple dates and shifts. Their results are calculated using a percentile-based normalization score rather than raw percentages.