IITM BS Minor in Economics and Finance: Courses and Rules

The IITM BS Minor in Economics and Finance needs three courses: Corporate Finance, Managerial Economics, and Game Theory and Strategy. Each course is 4 credits, so the minor takes 12 credits. These credits count inside the 142 credits of the BS in Data Science. No prerequisite is listed.

Courses in the Economics and Finance minor

The minor list in the handbook gives only the course names. The codes, credits and levels below come from the degree level course table (updated 18 March 2026).

The handbook notes that Game Theory and Strategy was already an elective before the minor came in. None of the three courses has a prerequisite or corequisite in the course table.

Rules for this minor

These are the general minor rules from the DS handbook. They apply here too.

• The 12 credits count within the 142 credits for the BS degree. They are not extra.
• You get the minor only with the BS degree. If you exit with the BSc, you do not get it.
• IIT Madras gives you a separate document that says you finished the minor.
• Your transcript and degree certificate do not change.
• You can hold this minor along with other minors, if you finish every course of each.
• A course can count for only one minor. None of these three courses appears in any other minor list, so this rule should not affect you here.
• If a minor has a prerequisite, it is checked when the minor is given, and the order does not matter. This minor has none.

See the full list of IITM BS minors for the other options.

Who this minor may suit

It is the only DS minor where every course carries the HM tag in the course table (Game Theory and Strategy is tagged HM/BD). The course names point to business and money topics, not coding. If you want some economics and finance next to your data work, this is the closest fit.

How to plan it alongside your electives

After the five mandatory BSc level courses, you have about 36 credits of electives across the BSc and BS levels. This minor uses 12 of them. The DS electives list shows what else competes for those slots.

Not every course runs every term. The March 2026 course table marks them like this:

Offering also depends on how many students register. So do not leave the last course to your final term.

The BS level asks for 4 credits from the HS/MG stream. These courses carry the HM tag. Ask support whether one of them can cover that requirement. Our guide to the BS degree level explains the other BS level rules.

Common questions

Can I take these courses as normal electives without claiming the minor?

Yes. They are in the degree level elective table, so you can take them like any other elective. The minor is simply given when all three are done and you finish the BS degree.

Do I need a commerce or economics background?

The handbook does not list any prerequisite for these three courses. It does not say anything about the background you need.

Can I use NPTEL courses in place of one of these?

The handbook names only these three courses for the minor. It does not say that an NPTEL course can replace one, so assume it cannot unless support confirms otherwise.

Will "Economics and Finance" appear on my BS degree certificate?

No. The degree certificate and transcript stay the same. The minor is confirmed in a separate document.