Directorate of Distance Education, Annamalai University, Chennai was established in 1979.

Its affiliated to Annamalai University.

The college is offers four hundred and one different programs of study under the regular stream.

It is credited with the largest enrolment in India and is well equipped with computer and other infrastructure, adequate teaching faculty and administrative set-up of its own, study centers, computer training centers and many more to serve its students' clientele in their best interest at their door steps.

It has also the unique distinction of offering first in India, postgraduate degree programs in Applied Psychology, Physics, Chemistry, Zoology, Botany, Bioinformatics and Law through distance education mode. All the programs of study offered by the Directorate of Distance Education have the approval of the Distance Education Council, New Delhi.

The Directorate is introducing B.Ed. Programme through distance education mode from the year 2008-09 with the approval of National Council for Teacher Education, New Delhi.