What Is the IIT Madras BS Degree? A Simple Explanation

The IIT Madras BS degree is an online degree run by IIT Madras. You learn from recorded video lectures and weekly online assignments, but you write the quizzes and end term exams in person at an exam centre. There are two programmes: Data Science and Applications (DS) and Electronic Systems (ES).

You do not get in through a rank-based entrance test. You go through a qualifier process with fixed cut-off marks. Anyone who meets those marks can join, so a large number of people can get in.

What are the two programmes?

The ES programme started in March 2023. Both handbooks use the same credit rule: 1 credit means about 14 hours of study work, following the UGC system. One credit here equals 3 credits in the IIT Madras campus credit system.

To learn more about each one, read the Data Science programme overview and the Electronic Systems programme overview.

How is the degree split into levels?

Both programmes are built in levels. You finish one level, then move to the next. You can stop after a level and leave with the certificate for it.

• Data Science: Foundation certificate, then Diploma in Programming, Diploma in Data Science or both, then BSc degree in Programming and Data Science, then BS degree in Data Science and Applications. The BSc needs 114 credits and the BS needs 142.
• Electronic Systems: Foundation certificate, then Diploma in Electronic Systems, then BS in Electronic Systems. ES has three exit points and no BSc level.

One point confuses many new students. Passing the qualifier does not admit you to the full degree. It only lets you register for the Foundation level courses. You get a diploma or degree only when you complete the required credits and meet any other compulsory conditions. Being allowed into a level does not promise you the diploma or degree at the end.

How does studying work?

A 4-credit course runs for 12 weeks. Each week, new recorded videos come out, about 2 to 4 hours in total, split into lectures with theory and tutorial videos. These videos are also put on YouTube as a public playlist. Along with the videos you get:

• a short self-test for every video lecture
• a practice assignment for the week, with solutions
• text transcripts and any notes for the course
• a weekly graded assignment that counts towards your marks

Every course has three kinds of assessment: weekly online assignments, monthly quizzes written in person, and an end term exam written in person. You choose your own pace every term, and you travel only for exams.

ES has one big difference. Its lab courses are hybrid. You do experiments at home using process videos, then come to IIT Madras in person to show your work and finish the lab. The ES handbook says these visits last about 1 to 2 weeks. It mentions three visits a year in one place and two in another, so check the current plan before you join.

Who can join?

• Data Science: people from any background can join, including engineering, science, humanities, arts, medicine and law. There is no age limit and no limit on where you live. If you have passed class 12 or equivalent, you can apply for the qualifier.
• Electronic Systems: you must have passed class 12 or equivalent with Physics and Maths. There is no age limit. You must be ready to travel to IIT Madras for labs.

Students still in school can also apply after their class 11 final exams, but can join only after passing class 12. The exact rules, including the equivalents that are accepted, are on the qualifier eligibility page. The steps to apply are in the IITM BS admission process.

What does it cost to try?

The handbooks list a qualifier entry fee of Rs 4,000, which is non-refundable, with lower fees for some categories. The first year fees are kept low on purpose so that learners can try the programme before spending more. There are fee waivers based on your category and family income. For the full numbers, see the Data Science fees and the Electronic Systems fees.

Common questions

Is this a real degree or only a certificate course?

It is a degree programme with certificates along the way. If you complete 142 credits and meet the other conditions, you get the BS degree. If you stop early, you leave with the certificate, diploma or BSc for the level you finished.

Do I have to live near IIT Madras?

For DS, no. You study online and only go to an exam centre for quizzes and end term exams. For ES, you also have to visit IIT Madras for lab courses, so plan for that travel before you apply.

Is there a rank list?

The handbooks say the programme works on fixed qualifying criteria, not on picking a small number of people by rank. If you meet the cut-offs, you qualify. This is why a large number of learners can enter.

How long does the full BS take?

You must spend at least 4 years (12 terms) from your first term before the original BS certificate is processed. The whole programme must be finished within 8 years (24 terms). Each level has its own limit of 3 years (9 terms).