BSc or Full BS: Should You Exit IITM BS at the BSc Level?

By Editorial TeamLast reviewed 24 Sept 2026

6 min readData Science

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In IITM BS Data Science, the BSc (114 credits) needs at least 3 years from your first term, and the BS (142 credits) needs at least 4. The extra BS level costs Rs 1,00,000 to Rs 1,40,000 for students who joined from January 2026, before any waiver. The BS is the one that opens minors, the apprenticeship credits and IIT Madras's own upgrade routes to a masters. If your next step needs a 4-year degree, the BSc may not be enough. You can also exit at BSc now and come back later through readmission exams.

BSc and BS side by side

Point	Exit with the BSc	Go on to the BS
Degree name	BSc in Programming and Data Science	BS in Data Science and Applications
Credits	114	142
Minimum time from your first term	9 terms (3 years)	12 terms (4 years)
Maximum total time	6 years	8 years
Minors	Not available	Available within the 142 credits
Apprenticeship credits	Not available	0, 4, 8 or 12 credits
Online PG Diploma or MTech at IITM	Not available	With CGPA 8, after the BS
Alumni card and alumnus status	Yes	Yes

Both exits need the IITM alumni card (Rs 6,000 plus GST) before the original certificate is processed. So that cost is the same either way.

What the extra year costs

The BS level is 28 credits. For students who joined from January 2026, the handbook's per-credit table breaks it down like this:

Part	Credits	Fee
2 compulsory level 4 data science stream courses	8	Rs 40,000
2 compulsory level 4 programming stream courses	8	Rs 40,000
Remaining credits, from cheapest to dearest mix	12	Rs 20,000 to Rs 60,000
BS level total	28	Rs 1,00,000 to Rs 1,40,000

The cheapest mix uses 8 NPTEL credits at Rs 1,000 each plus one level 3 course. The dearest uses only level 4 or 5 courses at Rs 5,000 per credit.

Fee structure	BSc total	BS total
Joined from January 2026	Rs 2,86,000 to Rs 3,10,000	Rs 3,86,000 to Rs 4,50,000
Joined up to September 2025	Rs 2.21 lakh to Rs 2.47 lakh	Rs 3.25 lakh to Rs 3.87 lakh

These are before income or category based fee waivers. See IITM BS Data Science fees.

What the extra year gives you

Minors. A minor can be earned only with the BS degree, not the BSc. See IITM BS minors.
Apprenticeship. Up to 12 credits from a 4 or 8 month apprenticeship, at the BS level only.
IIT Madras masters routes. The on-campus MS upgrade lets you apply after 106 credits with a CGPA of 8, and then you do the BS level on campus. The online PG Diploma or MTech adds credits after the 142 credit BS, with a CGPA of 8. Both are built on the BS. See masters pathways.

Masters: does a 3-year degree count?

A Ministry of Education letter dated 20 September 2024, sent to the directors of all centrally funded technical institutions, says institutes have traditionally admitted students with 4-year degrees such as BE or BTech to MTech, MS by research and PhD programmes. BSc graduates were expected to do a 2-year MSc first. The letter asks each institute to examine treating 4-year BS degrees as eligible wherever a 3-year BSc plus a 2-year MSc was accepted.

Two points follow. First, the traditional rule the letter describes favours 4-year degrees, and the IITM BSc is a 3-year exit. Second, the letter is a request to examine, not an order, so each institute sets its own rule. Check the exact degree requirement of every programme you are aiming for before you exit.

A worked timeline

Say you started the foundation in the January 2026 term and move fast. Counting 3 terms a year:

9 terms end with the September 2028 term. That is the earliest your BSc original certificate could be processed.
12 terms end with the September 2029 term. That is the earliest for the BS.

Earning the credits sooner does not change these dates. The certificate also waits for the exit form, a Senate meeting and the alumni card. See exit and the original certificate.

If you exit at BSc and change your mind

You can come back. The DS handbook's re-entry policy (updated 16 May 2025) says a BSc holder who wants the BS level must first write the final exams of Deep Learning, AI, Software Engineering and Software Testing. The fee is Rs 5,000 per exam sitting, whatever the number of subjects, with a 50% waiver for SC, ST and PwD students. The time between your exit and your return is left out of the programme's time limit. Score below 50% in one of these subjects and it is added to your load as a pending course. Details in re-entry after exit.

You do not lose the BSc by continuing

From the January 2026 term, the programme gives a credit completion letter when you finish the credits of a level. So if you reach 114 credits and carry on, you still have a letter saying the BSc level credits are done, while you study for the BS.

Common questions

Is the BS level harder than the BSc level?

The BS level needs 2 courses at level 4 or higher in the programming stream and 2 in the data science stream, plus 4 credits from the humanities and management stream. The BSc level is built around 5 compulsory level 3 core courses. So the BS level has more advanced courses by design.

How long do I have to finish the BS level after the BSc?

The BS level can take at most 9 terms, and the whole BS degree must be done within 8 years.

Can I get both the BSc and the BS certificate?

The handbook lists them as separate exit points. If you continue, you get a credit completion letter for the BSc level credits, and the BS certificate when you exit at 142 credits. Ask support whether an original BSc certificate is also issued in your case.