The university has 24 departments in the streams of Science, Humanities and Business Studies at the postgraduate level, and carries out Ph.D. & D.Litt.

It offers self-financing PG courses in Finance, Pharmacy & Women's studies.

[3] It offers 28 undergraduate and postgraduate courses through its constituent colleges as well as in distance education mode through its Harihar Mardaraj Distance Education Centre.

[6] Earlier the university had the territorial jurisdiction over Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangpur and Malkangiri districts with over 180 affiliated colleges.

As per the recent decision of the Government of Odisha, the territorial jurisdiction of Berhampur University has been redefined and the colleges located in the districts of Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangpur and Malkangiri have been transferred to Vikram Dev University, Jeypore as of the academic session 2023-24.