The Indian Institute of Technology Madras’ four-year B.Sc degree course in programming and data science has announced new features. Students can do an eight-month apprenticeship or project with companies or research institutes. Class XII students may also apply but they will start the programme after they pass the final examinations.
The course is open to students from any stream, provided they have studied English and mathematics in Class X. Candidates of any age and from anywhere can apply. Classes will be held online.
Of the more than 13,000 candidates who have enrolled, the maximum number is from Tamil Nadu, followed by Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. Candidates will have to appear for in-person examination to be held in 116 examination centres across 111 cities in the country. Exam centers will operate in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and Sri Lanka as well.
For the session beginning in September, candidates must apply before August 19. For details, visit: https://onlinedegree.iitm.ac.in.
Institute director V. Kamakoti said the programme offered access to IIT quality education in an inclusive manner to learners across the country. “Data science is one of the emerging topics. It is a highly employment-oriented programme in a domain where the demand is high for skilled resources,” he said.
Andrew Thangaraj, professor in-charge, said since data science was a multidisciplinary domain, and students pursuing commerce or humanities could also earn a degree from the institute. “The in-person exams are conducted on Sunday. This degree can also be pursued while attending an on-campus degree or while working full-time,” he said.
According to the institute, the course will benefit students from rural areas and those with economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Deserving students also get a 100% scholarship.
The course has included new subjects, such as reinforcement learning, data visualisation, design industry 4.0 and algorithmic thinking in bioinformatics. Those who complete the four-year course can take the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) and pursue M. Tech in India or apply for postgraduate degrees abroad.