IIT Madras: Class XI-XII students can apply for BSc in Data Science

Admission to the BSc in Programming and Data Science programme at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras is now open. Students of Classes XI and XII, college students, working professionals, and those taking a career break can apply.

The last date for submitting applications for the May term is April 20

In an effort to take pressure off students by giving them an opportunity to secure admission in IIT Madras while in school, students are allowed to apply for the qualifier process right from Class XI. Students who complete Class XI by May 2022 or those currently in Class XII can apply for the May 2022 term qualifier process and, if they qualify, they can start the coursework after completing their Class XII.

There is no limit on the number of seats and hence anyone who qualifies can enter the programme. Learners who are eligible for JEE Advanced 2021 can directly join this BSc programme in May 2022.

“With this programme, we wish to ensure that high-quality education is accessible to anyone who dreams to study at an IIT or build a career in Programming and Data Science. This programme, we hope, will be a game changer in the field of education, paving the way for many other large-scale programmes to be offered by us and other institutes,” said Andrew Thangaraj, professor in-charge, BSc in Programming and Data Science, IIT Madras.

More than 60,000 applications have been received for the BSc qualifier process so far and currently more than 12,500 students from all over India and abroad are pursuing this programme.

Vignesh Muthuvijayan, professor in-charge, BSc in Programming and Data Science, IIT Madras, said, this programme opens doors to the world of Data Science and programming where the demand for skilled resources is very high. “This tailor-made programme now admits students who qualify to write JEE Advanced, providing them with an option to fulfil their dream of studying from an IIT and ensuring their hard work and toil is rewarded,” he said.

Weekly content is released on a portal for anytime access, while all examinations have to be attended in person at designated centres in more than 130 cities across India to ensure credibility of the learning assessment.

IIT Madras offers fee waivers of up to 75% based on annual family income, along with additional scholarships through CSR partners.

The application process includes four weeks of training, which includes video lectures, weekly assignments, discussion forum and live interactions with professors and course instructors. Applicants have to write the qualifier examination in person, which is based only on these four weeks of content, and if they get more than the minimum cut-off, they can join the foundation level of the BSc in Programming and Data Science.