IITM BS Minor in Internet of Things (IoT): Courses and Rules

The IITM BS Minor in Internet of Things (IoT) needs three courses: Communication Systems, Internet of Things, and Computer Networks. Both DS and ES students can earn it, and neither handbook lists a prerequisite for the minor. Each course is 4 credits, so the minor is 12 credits inside the 142 credits of the BS degree.

Courses in the IoT minor

Two courses come from Electronic Systems and one from Data Science. The DS handbook added this minor for DS students on 4 September 2026. The ES handbook lists it for ES students as a minor from ES.

The two ES courses have no credit value printed next to them. The ES handbook says its five department electives make 20 credits, which is 4 credits each. Computer Networks is 4 credits in the DS course table (updated 18 March 2026).

Course prerequisites to watch

• Communication Systems and Internet of Things have no prerequisite in the ES tables.
• Computer Networks lists Programming in C (BSCS3005) as a prerequisite in the DS course table.

For DS students

• Computer Networks is also part of the Computer Systems minor. One course can count for only one minor, and the handbook does not name a replacement. Ask support if you want both minors.
• After the five mandatory BSc level courses, you have about 36 elective credits across the BSc and BS levels. This minor uses 12, or 16 if you also take Programming in C for Computer Networks.
• The DS course table (March 2026) marks Computer Networks for September 2026 and January 2027, but not May 2026. Offering depends on registration numbers.
• The DS handbook does not say how DS students register for the two ES courses. Ask support before you plan.

For ES students

• Communication Systems and Internet of Things are both on the ES department elective list. The ES degree level asks for five department electives (20 credits), so these two can fill two of those slots.
• Computer Networks is not in the list of DS courses the ES handbook offers as open electives. That list does include Operating Systems (CS4022), but not CS4024. The ES handbook also does not say how the Programming in C prerequisite applies to you. Ask the ES support team.
• The other ES minors are Application Development, Machine Learning, and VLSI Design and Testing.

Rules that apply to everyone

• The credits count within the 142 credits for the BS degree.
• You get the minor only with the BS degree. DS students who exit with the BSc do not get it.
• IIT Madras issues a separate document for the minor. Your transcript and degree certificate do not change.
• You can earn more than one minor if you finish every course of each.
• The DS handbook adds that a minor's prerequisite is checked when the minor is given, whatever the order. This minor has none.

See the full list of IITM BS minors to compare.

Who this minor may suit

The course names point to connected devices, communication systems and computer networks. It mixes ES and DS courses, so it may suit you if you want a little hardware and a little software.

Common questions

Is the IoT minor the same for DS and ES students?

Yes, the three courses are the same in both handbooks: EE4103, EE5101 and CS4024. The DS handbook calls it the Minor in Internet of Things (IoT). The ES handbook calls it the Minor in IOT.

Does the IoT minor need any lab work?

The handbooks list only the three courses above for this minor. Neither handbook adds a lab course to it.

Can a DS student do this minor without any electronics course?

Neither handbook lists a prerequisite for the minor, and the two ES courses have no prerequisite in the ES tables. The only course prerequisite is Programming in C, for Computer Networks.