IIT Madras opens admission to BSc data science programme for Class 11, 12 students

NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has now opened admission to its BSc data science programme for Class 11, 12 students. College students, working professionals, and students taking a career break are also welcome to apply. The last date to apply for the May Term of BSc Data Science programme is April 20, 2022. Interested students can apply through the website - onlinedegree.iitm.ac.in.

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“In an effort to take pressure off students by giving them an opportunity to secure an admission in IIT Madras while in school, the institute now permits students right from Class 11 to apply for the qualifier process. Students who complete Class 11 by May 2022 or those currently in Class 12 can apply for the May 2022 term qualifier process and if they qualify, they can start the coursework after completing their class 12,” said an official statement from IIT Madras.

BSc data science: Structure, application process, eligibility criteria

The programme is highly flexible keeping the convenience of the learner in mind, where weekly content is released on a portal for anytime access, while all exams have to be attended in person at designated centres in more than 130 cities across India that ensures credibility of the learning assessment.

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

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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 4 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.

BSc programme highlights

According to the IIT Madras statement, over 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 outside India are pursuing the BSc programme.

IIT Madras is also offering scholarships to eligible students. IIT Madras provides fee waivers of up to 75% based on annual family income, along with additional scholarships through CSR partners.

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Highlighting the changes in the application process, Professor Andrew Thangaraj, Professor In-Charge, BSc in Programming and Data Science, IIT Madras, said, “Through 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 program, we hope, will be a game changer in the field of education paving the way for many other large scale programs to be offered by us and other institutes.”

Sharing her feedback on the overall experience with the program, Ms. Sayantani Ghosh, a BSc student said, “I have greatly benefited from the program so far. The content that is provided is excellent. It has certainly improved my coding skills as well as made me look deep into the subjects and increased my problem-solving ability.”