IIT Madras Degree Program

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IIT Madras, India's top technical institute, welcomes you to the world's first 4-year Bachelor of Science (BS) Degree in Data Science and Applications with options to exit earlier in the foundation, diploma or BSc degree level.

For the first time, you can work towards an undergraduate degree / diploma from an IIT regardless of your age, location, or academic backgrounds.

DEGREE PROGRAM

BS in Data Science and Applications

Content taught by experienced IIT Madras faculty and industry experts that can be accessed by learners from anywhere with options to exit earlier.

DIPLOMA PROGRAM

Diploma in Programming / Diploma in Data Science

Open to anyone who has completed any UG or at least two years of any UG education.

DEGREE PROGRAM

XI and XII Students

Anyone who has passed Class 12 or equivalent can apply irrespective of age or academic background. Those who qualify can join the program immediately.

School students who have appeared for their Class 11 final exams can apply irrespective of their group / stream / board. Those who qualify can join the program after passing Class 12.

Make your study the start of something special and get one of the best student experiences.

You will join a supportive, diverse, vibrant community of students and scholars who share your passion. Our reputation for excellence attracts some of the best minds in the world.

The students are divided into 12 houses. Alongside the academic activities, you can have fun and develop your interests through clubs and extracurricular activities. It helps you build on your social skills and career goals while enjoying a great social life.

Timeline

Next Batch Qualifier Applications -
Next Batch Qualifier Applications Close -
Next Qualifier Phase Week 1 Starts -
View all important dates

Key Events

17th March 2022; 7:00pm - About RBCDSAI and Opportunities for BSc Data Science & Programming students - by Prof. Balaraman Ravindran View video
View all older events

IIT Madras started this unique BS program to provide access to IIT quality education to the learners across the country. Data Science is a growing field and the demand for skilled resources in the market is very high. IIT Madras has a rich history of providing high-quality education and this program is designed to underline the fact that IIT is within the reach of everyone. This BS program is meticulously drafted and is aligned with the goals of the National Educational Policy. We are planning to make IIT Madras a ‘Vishwa-guru (Global Teacher)’ through innovative approaches to enhance the quality of education. In order to support the students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue this program, scholarships are being provided.

Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras

Who can join?

No age or stream restrictions.

Can learn from anywhere.

Check out Eligibility.

What is being offered?

BS Degree in Data Science and Applications

Option to exit earlier with a Foundation Level Certificate or Diploma(s) or BSc Degree

Are these official Diplomas and Degree of IIT Madras?

Yes. IITM senate approves and offers the Diploma(s) and Degree(s).

Degree holders become alumni of IIT Madras.

What is the Qualifier Process?

4 weeks of online courses and assignments to be completed.

Those who get minimum required scores in weekly assignments in the 4 weeks will get to write Qualifier Exam broadly based on the 4 weeks of content.

Those who get minimum required scores in Qualifier Exam get to register for Foundation Level courses.

What is the Structure of the Program?

The program is split into four levels that have to be completed strictly in sequence:

1: Foundation Level (32 credits)

2: Diploma Level (Programming: 27 credits + Data Science: 27 credits)

3: BSc Degree Level (28 credits)

3: BS Degree Level (28 credits)

For more detailed information about the IIT Madras Degree program, our courses and fee structure, check out the

Why learn Programming & Data Science?

Decision making is increasingly becoming data driven within the commercial sector and the government. There is a large quantity of data readily available for this at present. Smart devices connected to the internet bring more input sources, apart from those generated by humans as they interact with services and one another. Data driven decision making involves the analysis of large volumes of data to identify patterns and build predictive models. This requires a combination of skills ranging from computing, statistics and mathematics, and is broadly labelled data science.

As formal academic programs in data science are only just emerging, there is a huge gap between the demand for data scientists and the supply of suitable qualified applicants in the job market. The throughput of traditional classroom programs is limited and will not be able to provide the numbers needed to meet the upcoming requirements. Online teaching has the potential to train much larger numbers, but delivering scale without diluting quality has proven to be a challenge until recently.

This program therefore aims to create a thoroughly trained programmer, proficient in application development, data sciences and machine learning. View Less

Testimonials from our learners

I just want to let you know that IITM and its team is doing an amazing job running this program. I'm really lucky to be enrolled into this program. I have never ever received replies for any emails within one day from other universities. I know how difficultit is to reply to a lot of emails. Not only that, right from the program design and course content, every minute things are well planned and carried out. Hats off to your team. Thank you for your support and guidance.

S Nithish Kumar

from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India

I would like to thank the whole team of IITM Online Degree for coming up with the concept of solving questions with the professors. It has not only helped me in improving my performance drastically in graded assignments, but also it plays a relevant role in making the concepts more clear. Though because of my college schedule I am not able to attend all the live sessions, its recorded form is proving to be very effective for me. A special mention for Prof.Andrew Thangaraj - his tips on problem solving are really helpful. Once again thank you very much for understanding the requirements of the students.

Parth Shukla

from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India

I want to thank the team of IIT Madras who are making this Degree happen for us. I am one of those students who had to face many financial and health issues in the early part of their lives. And studying in IIT is only a dream for students like us. However, this degree program (while maintaining the standard of IIT) has given us a chance to grow and improve in our lives.

Also, I have personally checked many online programs by many Institutes and Universities - however, none of them is so inspiring, innovative and challenging (at the same time).

It's such a great initiative of IIT Madras. I can't thank you enough and all the people who are involved in making it happen. I want to specially thanks Prof. Andrew and Prof. Pratap for clarifying all our doubts and also the professors and course support team - without which I could have never qualified this process.

Yash Raj Karthikey

from Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

My name is Akriti Vishwas, I come from Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh.

I came across this online degree program on the internet. I just completed my 12th standard and was enrolled in a bachelor degree in Hansraj College of Delhi University pursuing physics honours. Apart from my degree I wanted to explore something new. This program from such an esteemed institution like IIT MADRAS seemed exciting to me. The unique program captured my attention and I enrolled for the qualifier level. The ever increasing career opportunities in data science also contributed in a positive way. After taking the classes from such qualified faculty, my interest in the program grew. The unique pedagogy used by the teachers is what I found most engaging. The dedicated support team also helped many learners like me at all times if we faced any difficulties. Now, after qualifying the first level and being a student of the foundational level, I am looking forward to this course and learning in a unique and first of its kind way.

Akriti Vishwas

from Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, India

This is Satej.

I want to just like appreciate the IIT team. They are doing a fabulous job. Even though we haven't met, it doesn't like that due to amazing interaction and course planning of BSc course of IIT Madras. They are managing at such a level without disturbing the standard of IIT. Hats off to the team at IIT Madras.

Feeling proud to be a part of such a great program.

Satej Sunil Zunjarrao

from Pune, Maharashtra, India