Internships for IITM BS Students: When and How to Get One

You can look for an internship on your own at any level of the IITM BS. To get one through the placement cell (IIC), you must first finish at least one diploma. In the September 2025 term, 43 Data Science students got internships through the IIC. The IIC stipend median in the January 2026 report was Rs 20,000 a month. Far more students report internships they found themselves: 1,609 in the September 2025 survey.

Three ways to get an internship

Internships through the placement cell

From the Career Choices Report of January 2026 (Data Science):

The May 2025 row shows more students getting internships (37) than applying (24). That looks like an error in the report, so do not read much into that row.

The report gives the IIC stipend as a mean of Rs 22,000 and a median of Rs 20,000 a month. It does not say which terms these cover. The April 2025 report had a median of Rs 27,705 and a minimum of Rs 10,000, based on fewer terms.

Two rules to know:

• The IIC aims to give each student one internship. Once you get an offer through it, you cannot apply for more internships there.
• If you find an internship yourself after registering, you must update your status on the portal.

The full process is in how the placement cell works.

Internships students find on their own

The same report has a survey filled during course registration. It counts only students who said the BS knowledge helped them get the internship. The report says many students find these through their colleges and networks.

In the September 2025 survey, 635 students gave their stipend:

These numbers are from Data Science students. We found no official internship data for Electronic Systems.

How to find one yourself

This part is advice, not official rules.

• Use your other college. If you study elsewhere too, use its internship cell as well.
• Build two or three projects you can explain. Course projects are a good base. See building a portfolio from your projects.
• Apply widely. Use company career pages and job sites. Keep a simple sheet of where you applied and when.
• Describe your level honestly. Write the programme name, your level and "ongoing". See how to write IIT Madras on LinkedIn.
• Plan around exams. Quizzes and end term exams are in person on fixed dates. An internship does not move them.
• Never pay for an internship offer. Read how to spot fake internship emails.

The apprenticeship at the BS level

At the BS level, you can do an optional apprenticeship with a company or on a research project and earn credits. In Data Science, 4 to 8 months earns 4 credits and a full 8 months earns 12. You pay Rs 5,000 per credit. You can take at most 2 courses a term during it. The stipend is agreed with the company, and the company may give a pre-placement offer at the end. Electronic Systems has different credit numbers. Details in the IITM BS apprenticeship.

Common questions

Can I do an internship during the Foundation level?

Yes, if you find it yourself. The IIC route starts only after one diploma. The survey shows Foundation students reporting internships too: 537 in the September 2025 term.

Does a normal internship give me credits?

The handbook describes credits only for the apprenticeship at the BS level. It does not describe any credit for internships at the Foundation or Diploma level.

A company wants a bonafide certificate. How do I get one?

Bonafide certificates are issued on request, on Thursdays. The handbook says you get none if you have not submitted the medical certificate, so do that first. Steps are in how to get a bonafide certificate.

Can I do an internship from home?

For your own internships, that depends on the company. For the apprenticeship, the handbook says remote or on-site depends on the company's policy.