12 Things to Know Before You Join the IITM BS Degree

By Editorial TeamLast reviewed 24 Sept 2026

6 min read

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Before you join the IIT Madras BS, know these twelve facts: fees rise at each level, exams are in person, checkpoints can remove you, a missed quiz scores zero, two mandatory submissions block services, the BSc or BS exit needs an alumni card fee, your student email comes only after document checks, campus facilities are not included, jobs are not guaranteed, course limits apply, you pay per course each term, and the rules change often. None of this is hidden, but most of it sits deep in the handbook.

1. Fees rise at each level, and they rose again in 2026

For DS students joining Foundation from January 2026, the handbook charges Rs 1,500 per credit at Foundation and Rs 3,000 per credit at the Diploma level. Degree level courses cost Rs 3,000 or Rs 5,000 per credit depending on the course level. The full BS costs Rs 3.86 lakh to Rs 4.50 lakh. Students who joined up to September 2025 stay on the old structure, where Foundation was Rs 32,000 instead of Rs 48,000. For ES students joining from January 2026, the official fee sheet totals Rs 5,80,000. See the DS fee breakdown.

2. Every exam is in person

Both quizzes and the end term exam are written at an exam centre in India. You must go to the centre on your hall ticket, and no other centre will let you in. Remote proctoring is only for students living outside India, and wrongly declaring your location counts as malpractice.

3. Checkpoints can remove you

For DS students who joined Foundation from May 2024, you are removed if you have not passed 4 courses in 4 terms, 6 in 6 terms and all 8 in 9 terms. Skipped terms count. Warnings start from term 3. The Diploma level has its own checkpoints. See Foundation checkpoints.

4. A missed quiz is a zero

Each course has two quizzes, at the end of weeks 4 and 8. A quiz you miss scores 0, and there is no make-up quiz. To write the end term, you must attend at least one quiz and have an average of at least 40 in your best 5 of the first 7 weekly assignments. More in Quiz 1 and Quiz 2.

5. The medical certificate and POSH training are compulsory

Since the September 2025 term, every student must submit a medical certificate in the programme's format. Without it you get no letters of support, no placement support and no bonafide certificate. Since April 2026, every student must also finish the POSH course, "Becoming Gender Sensitive". If you do not, you cannot register for the next term. See the medical certificate rule.

6. A BSc or BS exit needs an alumni card fee

To get the original BSc or BS certificate, you must register with the IIT Madras Alumni Association. The fee is Rs 6,000 plus GST, shown as a one-time Rs 7,080. The handbook says it is collected in two halves, in your first two terms at the degree level. Diploma and Foundation exits do not need it.

7. Your student email comes after document checks

You first register and pay using your personal email. Only after your uploaded documents are approved do you get your roll number email ID, which you then use for everything. Upload clear, correct documents to avoid delays.

8. You do not get campus facilities

The DS FAQ says learners will not have access to IIT Madras campus facilities. You get an electronic ID card, subject to conditions. ES students must visit campus for labs, but must arrange their own stay.

9. There is no placement guarantee

The FAQ says IIT Madras will try to make internship and recruitment opportunities available. The placement cell (IIC) supports internships only after one diploma and jobs only after a BSc, and you need an eligible plan, training and an assessment.

10. Course limits apply

In your first term, your qualifier score decides how many courses you may take: 2 below 50%, 3 from 50% to under 70%, and 4 at 70% or more. After that, a Credit Clearing Capability (CCC) based on your marks suggests how many to take. At Foundation, CCC is now only advice, not a hard limit. The BSc level allows at most 4 courses a term.

11. You pay per course, every term

There is no single upfront fee. Each term you pay for the courses you register for. If you fail a course, you pay its full fee again to repeat it. If you finished the coursework but missed only the end term exam, the DS academics page lists a smaller fee: Rs 1,000 at Foundation and Rs 2,000 at the Diploma or Degree level.

12. The rules change often

The handbook itself says all information, policies and procedures can change without notice. Many sections carry "updated on" dates from 2025 and 2026. Read the handbook at the start of every term, not just once. Our who should not join post covers whether this style of programme suits you.