How to Exit IITM BS and Get Your Original Certificate

To leave IITM BS with a certificate, you fill the exit form while its window is open. Your original certificate is made only after the IIT Madras Senate approves it. The Senate meets three to four times a year, so the date you get the certificate depends on which window you use. If you are exiting with a BSc or BS, you must also register for the IITM alumni card before your certificate is processed.

Exit form windows and Senate dates

This table is from the DS handbook, updated 1 June 2026. The certificate dates are tentative.

In each row, the certificate is expected about four to five months after the form closes. All three windows in this table had closed by the end of September 2026, so watch for the notice about the next one.

The ES handbook table was last updated on 28 November 2025. It lists only older dates. It also shows the June 2026 window opening on 18 March 2026, not 23 March. ES students should check the current dates with support.

Conditions for the original certificate

Your original certificate is processed only if all of these are true:

• You have the required credits, including all mandatory courses at the degree level.
• You have spent the minimum time in the programme, counted from your first term. That is 3 years (9 terms) for a BSc and 4 years (12 terms) for a BS. ES has only the BS, with the same 4 year minimum.
• You have filled the exit form yourself. Upload a professional photo with a white or blue background, and your Class 10 or Class 12 certificate. No other documents are accepted.

The handbook gives an example for the minimum time. Students of the 21f1 batch complete 4 years at the end of the 24f3 term (September 2024). Students of the 21f3 batch complete 4 years at the end of 25f2 (the May 2025 term). Their certificates can only be processed after that.

The alumni card step for BSc and BS

If you exit with a BSc or BS, the IITM alumni card is compulsory.

1. Submit the exit form.
2. The team checks your details and sends you the alumni registration process.
3. Pay the fee. One line in the handbook says Rs 6,000 plus GST. Another line says Rs 6,000 with no mention of GST. Check the final amount in the registration details you receive.
4. Once you register, your alumni card and original certificates are processed together.
5. They are posted to you or handed over, based on the delivery option you chose in the exit form.

Read more about alumni status and the alumni card.

ES only: a photo in your first degree term

The ES handbook asks students to submit a formally dressed photograph for the final certificate. This is due during your first term at the degree level. The programme team shares the details.

While you wait for the original

Students who have filled the exit form and are waiting can ask for a provisional certificate. It is signed by an officer of the Academic section of IIT Madras. The handbook says to write to academic.documents@study.iitm.ac.in (opens in a new tab) for it. See transcripts and other documents.

Your status after exit

If you finish the BSc or BS and leave, your status becomes Alumnus. If you leave after the foundation or a diploma, your status shows as certified for that level (for example FL certified), but you do not get Alumnus status. The exit options guide compares all the exit points.

Common questions

Do I have to pay the RKA fee for the next term before I fill the exit form?

No. The handbook FAQ says RKA is not required if you plan to exit.

Is the exit form deadline the same for a diploma exit?

Yes. The DS handbook FAQ says the same deadline applies to diploma level exits as to BSc and BS exits.

Will I get an alumni card if I exit with a diploma?

No. Alumni status and the alumni card are only for students who complete the BSc or higher.

Can I get placement support while I wait for my certificate?

The handbook asks you to write to iic@study.iitm.ac.in (opens in a new tab) about this. It does not promise support either way.

Can I come back after exiting?

Data Science students who exit with an original certificate can rejoin at the next level. There are readmission exams. See re-entry after exit.