The Berhampur University came into existence on 2nd January 1967 and was inaugurated by the then Governor of Orissa Dr. A.N. Khosla who also became the first Chancellor of the university.

The University offers courses in various subjects and disciplines such as Arts, Science, Commerce, Law, Education, Medicine, Engineering, Pharmacology, Homoeopathy, Ayurveda, Nursing, Military Science, Library Science, and Fine Arts.

There are twenty post-graduate departments in the University offering specialized subjects and M. Phil programs. Some of the faculties like Mass Communication, Tourism and Indian Monuments, Electronic Science, Computer Science, Marine Science make the University stand apart from some other universities of the country.

Berhampur University is a permanent member of the Inter University Board of India and Sri Lanka as well as that of the Association of Common Wealth University of London.

The University’s Distance Education centre provides courses under distance education mode which are beneficial for the candidates who are unable to attend the conventional system of classroom education.

The Harihara Mardaraj Distance Education Center (HMDEC) works with a motto of providing education at the door step of the students. The distance education center offers number of under graduate, post graduate and professional courses.