From IITM BS to MS, MTech or PhD at IIT Madras: All Routes

The Data Science (DS) handbook lists five ways to move from the IITM BS to a masters or PhD at IIT Madras. Two of them say plainly that you need no GATE score, and two more do not ask for one. Most need a CGPA of 8 or more in the BS. The Electronic Systems (ES) handbook describes only one of them: the upgrade to the on-campus MS.

The five routes at a glance

The DS handbook adds that these details are tentative guidelines and may change. Check the current rules on the IIT Madras website before you apply.

MTech or MS: what is the difference?

Route 1: GATE

Write GATE and apply for an MTech, MS or PhD at IIT Madras, or at hundreds of other institutes. Which programme you can apply for depends on the other degrees you hold besides the BS. The institute pays a stipend if you join the MS, the PhD or an MTech under HTTA. The DS handbook calls this its most recommended option for all students, partly because a GATE score also lets you apply for PSU jobs. Details are in the GATE route.

Route 2: MS as a CFTI student with CGPA 8

If your IITM BS CGPA is 8.0 or more, you can apply for the MS without GATE. You go through the normal selection, which may be a test, an interview or both. Expect at least 1 year of coursework and then 1 to 2 years of research, with a monthly stipend. The handbook notes this clause for the MST and DSAI departments. Read the CFTI route.

Route 3: MS as project staff

If you are hired as project staff on a project with an IIT Madras faculty member, you may qualify for project admission to the MS. You take campus courses approved by your project faculty. You need two approved courses with a CGPA of 7.5 or more and at least a C in each. No GATE score or BS CGPA is needed. The project pays you, at an amount the PI fixes. Read the project staff route.

Route 4: Upgrade to the on-campus MS

This is the only route both handbooks describe. You finish the BS level on campus and then move into the MS.

The 28 campus credits complete your BS degree. The full rules, including the DS research version with the DSAI department, are in the MS upgrade.

Route 5: Online PG Diploma or MTech after the BS

After the 142 credit BS, 20 more credits (3 core and 2 elective courses) earn a PG Diploma. A further 20 credit project earns an MTech from IIT Madras. You can opt in any time between 106 and 142 credits, with a CGPA of 8.00. The handbook recommends this for working professionals. It strongly advises students who joined straight after Class 12 to write GATE and join a college instead. Read the online PG Diploma or MTech.

Common questions

Which route does the handbook recommend most?

The DS handbook calls GATE its most recommended option for all students. For students who joined right after Class 12, it also advises GATE and a campus masters over the online PG Diploma or MTech.

Can I get into an MS without GATE?

Yes. The CFTI and project staff routes say plainly that GATE is not needed. The DS upgrade route does not list GATE as a condition either. Each route has its own conditions instead, such as a CGPA of 8 or a project staff job.

Are all five routes open to Electronic Systems students?

The ES handbook lists only the MS upgrade. It does not describe the other four. ES students should confirm with the programme before planning around them.

Do all the routes need a CGPA of 8?

No. The CFTI route, the upgrade and the online PG Diploma or MTech all use a cutoff of 8. The project staff route has no BS CGPA rule but needs a CGPA of 7.5 in two campus courses. The GATE route, as written, has no BS CGPA condition.