Already a Graduate? Full IITM BS or the Diploma Only Programme

If you already have a degree, you have two official choices for IIT Madras's programming and data science courses. You can start the full BS at the Foundation level, through the same qualifier as everyone else. Or you can join the separate Diploma Only Program. It takes graduates, and people with 2 years of any UG degree, straight into a Diploma in Programming or a Diploma in Data Science. The Diploma Only Program is shorter and cheaper, but it ends with a diploma. If you want the BSc or BS degree, the full BS is the route the official pages describe.

The two routes side by side

The BS fee is for students joining the Foundation level from January 2026. Both routes offer fee waivers of up to 75% based on category and family income, and neither offers waivers to students outside India.

What the Diploma Only Program includes

Each diploma has 8 courses and 2 projects. In your first term you must take the two foundational courses of your diploma:

• Diploma in Programming: Computational Thinking and Programming in Python first. Then Database Management Systems, Programming Data Structures and Algorithms using Python, Modern Application Development I and II, Programming Concepts using Java and System Commands, plus two projects.
• Diploma in Data Science: Mathematics for Data Science II and Statistics for Data Science II first. Then Machine Learning Foundations, Business Data Management, Machine Learning Techniques, Machine Learning Practice and Tools in Data Science. You also pick one option: Business Analytics with the Business Data Management project, or Introduction to Deep Learning and Generative AI with its project.

Fees are charged per course: Rs 6,000 for a foundational course, Rs 9,000 for a skill enhancement course, Rs 12,000 for other courses and Rs 6,000 per project.

The Diploma Qualifier Exam

A General candidate needs 50% in total and 40% in each subject. SC, ST and PwD candidates need 40% and 30%. The application fee is Rs 6,000 for General and OBC, Rs 3,000 for SC, ST or PwD, and Rs 1,500 for SC/ST candidates who are also PwD.

For the September 2026 batch, the exam was on 13 September 2026 and classes start on 2 October 2026. Admissions are closed now. The site has a form to be told when they reopen.

Can you move from the diploma to the BSc or BS later?

The official pages do not describe a way. The Diploma Program website sends people who want the BS degree to the main study.iitm.ac.in site. The DS handbook lists the exit for direct diploma entry as "one or both diplomas". The original 2020 rulebook said learners who join this way do not directly qualify for degree-level courses.

So choose the Diploma Only Program only if a diploma is your goal. If you might want the degree, start the full BS or ask support-diploma@study.iitm.ac.in (opens in a new tab) before you apply.

How many people take this route?

IIT Madras's April 2025 Program Report counts direct admissions to the diploma from 2022 to 2024. Of 6,828 applicants, 2,102 qualified (30.79%) and 1,958 started. By then, 40 had completed the Diploma in Programming, 195 had completed the Diploma in Data Science, and 1,272 were still active.

Which route fits you

The Diploma Only Program suits you if:

• you want job skills, not another degree;
• you can pass a 3 or 4-hour entry exam without the 4-week preparation phase;
• you want a shorter, lower-cost commitment.

The full BS suits you if:

• you want the BSc or BS degree from IIT Madras;
• your maths or programming basics are weak and you want to start from the Foundation courses;
• you can commit 3 to 4 years or more.

This is our reading of the official rules, not an official recommendation. For costs by level, see the Data Science fee breakdown. For what each exit gives you, see IITM BS exit options.

Graduates who want ES or AE

There is no Diploma Only option in Electronic Systems or Aeronautics. Both FAQs say you cannot register for the diploma alone and must do the Foundation level first, whatever degree you already hold.

Common questions

I have a BCom and have never coded. Can I start the full BS?

Yes. The DS FAQ says no prior coding knowledge is needed, because the Foundation level teaches the basics in order. Plan extra time for the Maths and Python courses.

Does my degree let me skip the BS qualifier?

No. A degree does not exempt you from the qualifier. The only way to skip it is the JEE route, which needs eligibility for the current JEE Advanced. See how the qualifier process works.

Is the Diploma Only Program the same as the direct diploma entry in the handbook?

It is the same idea: a graduate-level entry straight into a diploma. The details differ a little. The handbook describes exams three times a year on end term dates, while the Diploma website shows one exam for the September 2026 batch. Follow the Diploma website. More in direct entry to the diploma level.

Can I work full time while doing either route?

Yes. Both are online, with in-person quizzes and end term exams each term. Read IITM BS with a full-time job for planning tips.