IITM BS Advanced Certificate for Diploma Level Students

The Advanced Certificate is for Data Science students at the diploma level who pass all 6 theory courses of a diploma but have not finished its projects. If one or both of the two projects are still pending, you get this certificate instead of nothing. It is given by default to every eligible student and appears in your Student Dashboard. You do not need to apply.

Why this certificate exists

Each diploma in the DS programme needs 6 theory courses and 2 projects. Before this policy, a student who finished the theory but left without the projects got no certificate for that work. The Advanced Certificate fills that gap. The policy section in the DS handbook was updated on 18 July 2025.

The two Advanced Certificates

You can earn one or both. If you complete the theory of both diplomas but not their projects, you qualify for both certificates.

Who is eligible

You qualify if all of these are true:

• You are at the diploma level of the Data Science programme.
• You have completed all 6 theory courses of that diploma.
• One of the two projects is still pending, or both are.

If you complete both projects too, you have the full diploma requirement instead. The Advanced Certificate is for the gap between theory and projects.

How you get it

There is no form. The handbook says the certificate goes by default to all students who complete the required theory courses at the diploma level. It is made available in the Student Dashboard.

What the handbook does not say

The policy is short. It does not answer some questions students ask:

• Whether this certificate is Senate approved like the original diploma certificate.
• Whether it is replaced once you later finish the projects and earn the diploma.
• Whether it counts as an exit point in the programme.

If any of these matter for a job or an application, ask support before you rely on it.

Should you aim for it?

The Advanced Certificate helps if you have to stop early. But the full diploma needs the projects too, and projects matter later. To enter the BSc level, the DS handbook asks for a diploma level project CGPA of 7.0 or more, along with other conditions. See checkpoints to enter the degree level.

Also keep the time rules in mind. Newer DS batches must complete set numbers of courses and projects at 3, 6, 9 and 12 terms from the start of the diploma. Leaving projects too late can remove you from the programme. Read diploma level checkpoints before you delay a project.

For the courses in each diploma, see the Diploma in Programming and the Diploma in Data Science. For how projects are marked, see project grading and improvement.

Common questions

Do I have to apply for the Advanced Certificate?

No. The handbook says it is given by default to all eligible students. It will appear in your Student Dashboard.

Is there an Advanced Certificate in Electronic Systems?

This policy is in the Data Science handbook only. The ES handbook does not describe an Advanced Certificate.

I finished 5 theory courses and 1 project. Do I qualify?

No. You must complete all 6 theory courses of the diploma. The projects are the only part that can be pending.

Can I get both Advanced Certificates?

Yes. The policy covers students who complete the theory of either or both diplomas. Each diploma gives its own certificate.