How to Do IITM BS Alongside Your College Degree

Yes, you can do the IIT Madras BS alongside a regular college degree, and most students do. The plan that works: take fewer courses when your college is busy, check the IITM exam dates before you register, and watch the checkpoints. IITM will not move a quiz or end term exam for your college exams, so the planning is on you.

How many students do this?

It is the most common way to study in the programme. At its June 2025 convocation, IIT Madras said 52% of students were doing the BS in parallel with another undergraduate programme. The Electronic Systems (ES) FAQ also says you can do ES along with another degree.

The Data Science (DS) program report of September 2025 splits active students by type:

Here "dual degree" means you study another degree at a physical college at the same time. The two degrees stay separate.

How many courses should you take each term?

IITM expects about 10 hours of work per course every week. The ES FAQ says 8 to 10 hours. You can register for up to 4 courses a term.

For the foundation level, the DS handbook's own suggested path is 3, then 2, then 3 courses over the first three terms.

Use all three terms

IITM runs three terms a year: January, May and September. Each lasts about four months. These are the next three terms from the handbook:

Our advice is to write your college exam weeks next to these dates before every registration. If your college has a long summer break, the May term (June to September) is often the best time for a heavier load. Full dates up to 2030 are in our exam dates list.

A sample year for a college student

This is only an example. Your college calendar will be different.

That is 7 courses in a year, which keeps you well ahead of the foundation checkpoints.

Exam rules that hit college students hardest

• Quizzes. A quiz you miss counts as 0. There is no make-up quiz.
• At least one quiz. You must attend at least one of the two quizzes to be allowed into the end term (check your term's grading document).
• Assignments. The average of your best 5 out of the first 7 weekly assignments must be at least 40 out of 100 for the end term. These are online, so you can do them from your hostel.
• End term. If you miss it, you get an I grade. You can take a make-up exam once, in the next term, for Rs 1,000 per foundation course or Rs 2,000 per diploma or degree course. See make-up exams.
• One day, all courses. Quizzes for all your courses happen in one sitting, and the end term for up to 4 courses is planned as 2 sessions on one day. So one clash hits every course you took that term.

The DS FAQ says quiz and end term dates are fixed for everyone taking a course. The handbook's clash rule (section 15.5) is written for clashes between IITM programmes and NPTEL, and it puts the job of avoiding clashes on you. There is no special rule for college exams either. Our college exam clash guide has a step by step plan.

Keep an eye on checkpoints

If you joined the DS foundation level from May 2024, you must complete at least 4 courses in 4 terms, 6 in 6 terms and all 8 in 9 terms. Miss one of these and you are removed. Terms you skip, and terms where you drop every course, still count. So "I will skip this term for college" has a real cost. Read the foundation checkpoints before you plan a gap.

If a term goes wrong

You can drop a course within 4 weeks of the term start. IITM keeps Rs 2,000 for a foundation course and Rs 4,000 for a diploma or degree course. The rest goes to your student wallet for next term. If you drop every course, that term counts as a term with 0 courses and you go on academic probation.

Common questions

Can I use my IITM BS credits in my college degree?

No. The DS FAQ says the programme is standalone and its credits cannot be transferred. Your college degree and the IITM BS are two separate qualifications.

Is there daily attendance in IITM BS?

No. The DS FAQ says there is no daily attendance. Submitting your weekly assignments is treated as the sign that you are attending.

Do I need permission from my college to join?

IITM does not ask for one. The DS rules say nothing beyond the listed eligibility is needed to apply or to join the foundation courses. Your college may have its own rules about other degrees, so ask them.

Should I do IITM BS alongside college or on its own?

That depends on your goals and finances. We compare both in standalone or alongside college.