The university is spread across 1,500 acres (6.1 km2) acres in Chidambaram and offers courses of higher education in science, engineering, humanities, agriculture and arts. The university also provides more than 500 courses through distance education.[1] The Directorate of Distance Education (DDE) of Annamalai University offers education to those people who are unable to attend the campus but who
desire to study. It is credited with the largest enrollment in India and is well equipped with computers and other infrastructure, separate teaching faculty and administration, study centers, and computer training centers to serve its students. It was the first institution in India to offer postgraduate degree programmes in Applied Psychology, Physics, Chemistry, Zoology, Botany, Bioinformatics and Law through distance education. The Directorate of Distance Education also offers programmes in Fashion Design, Textile Design, Interior Design, Hotel Management and Catering Technology, Retail Management, Twinning, Health Science, a Commonwealth Youth Programme, Yoga, Music, Fire and Safety, Pharmaceutical and Taxation. All the programmes of study offered by the Directorate of Distance Education have the approval of the Distance Education Council, New Delhi. The Directorate introduced a B.Ed. Programme through distance education in 2008-09 with the approval of National Council for Teacher Education, New Delhi. Annamalai University owes its existence to the philanthropy of Rajah Sir Annamalai Chettiar. In 1920, he founded Sri Meenakshi College at the temple town of Chidambaram. In 1928, the Annamalai University Act was passed by the Madras State (government) with Sri Meenakshi College forming the nucleus of this unitary and residential university. The seat of this seminary of higher education came to be called Annamalai Nagar after its founder. Rajah Sir Annamalai Chettiar donated to the Madras State (government) the sum of Rs.20 lakh and 1,500 acres (6.1 km2) of land besides the buildings, hostels, library and grounds of Sri Meenakshi College, thus paving the way for establishing the university by the Madras Presidency in 1929. The founder was honored by the Government with the Pro-Chancellorship of the university. He held the Pro-Chancellorship for two decades. In 2006, Annamalai University opened a branch in Toronto, Canada.
