A webinar we'll remember

Mandatory credits went down and elective credits went up — meaning students have more choice in their 3rd and 4th year. This is true for all branches. The number of "core" courses you must take is now smaller, freeing up space for open electives and interdisciplinary exploration.

Computing credits are simply a category of courses in IITM's credit framework. For CS students, these credits are already embedded in their Engineering courses — so the computing category shows zero, but the content is there.

The first two years are typically heavier due to lab work and mandatory foundational courses. But with good time management, students find plenty of room for clubs, coding practice, and other interests. Professors have also become more approachable over the years.

Yes — you can take more electives within your semester credit limit. Each semester you have to fill choices in a portal. For allocation, your preference ranking is taken into account (like in JoSAA). Some courses have a CGPA filter, and some others have a pre-requisite course you should have taken. If you change your mind, there's a 3–4 week window at the start of each semester to drop a course.

Yes — open electives can make up roughly 40–50% of your total credits and branch doesn't restrict you. Aravind Srinivas (founder of Perplexity AI) studied AI while being an EE student at IITM — that's the kind of flexibility the system offers.

Technically yes to both — you can do a minor and a dual degree simultaneously, and you can even do two minors. In practice, two minors will give you some very heavy semesters. Plan carefully.

IDDD requires a minimum of 8.0 CGPA and highly competitive specialisations like quantitative finance or data science might require CGPA as high as 8.5 by the end of the 5th semester.

Yes — CGPA matters more than branch. Each IDDD program has a limited number of seats, so departments set their own CGPA cutoffs. Some IDDDs may also expect certain foundational courses to have been completed.

Yes. We have examples of students doing a BS in Bioscience or Physics who went on to do an MTech in CEM, Quant Finance, and more via the IDDD route.

All IDDDs are available to ED students. Dept-offered dual degrees open up in 5th semester; all other IDDDs open in 6th semester. You cannot pursue two simultaneously.

Yes — IITM's Department of Management Studies offers a Tech MBA as an IDDD. You need a CGPA of 8.00 or more by the end of 5th semester to be eligible.

This was answered in detail by Prof. Prathap Haridoss during the webinar. In short: the BS and BTech are different structures but companies don't treat the BS degree negatively during placements. The quality of the student matters far more than which degree structure you enrolled in.

Branch changes are no longer allowed for students from the 2024 batch onwards. However, the flexible elective system means you can still explore other departments deeply through open electives and minors.

Yes — IITM's online BS programs (e.g. BS in Data Science) are open to students enrolled in other institutions. You can do an on-campus BTech elsewhere and pursue an online BS from IITM simultaneously.

CEM is a combination of Mechanical Engineering, Mathematics, and data-driven engineering (which includes ML and simulation techniques). It focuses on using modern technology to solve complex engineering problems. It's particularly strong for careers in quantitative finance, computational biotech, CAE, FEA, and energy systems.

Yes — CEM is an excellent alternative. You share foundational CS courses and gain strong mathematical modelling skills that are in high demand in fields like quant finance and computational biotech. It's not a consolation prize — it's genuinely a different and compelling course.

IBME is an interdisciplinary programme that sits under the Department of Applied Mechanics and Biomedical Engineering. It leans more towards engineering than biology — the biology content is introductory-level. Career opportunities are mostly in tech. You can combine it with a minor in AIDA or Quant Finance.

IITM is introducing a new on-campus BS in Mathematics this year with approximately 20 seats. This was the only new programme added for 2026 (CEM and IBME were introduced in 2025). Professor from the Maths department answered questions about this live during the webinar.

No — AIDA is offered by the Wadhwani School of AI (WSAI), while CSE is offered by the CS department. They are meaningfully different courses. AIDA explicitly focuses on what's needed for AI (ML, deep learning, reinforcement learning, data science). CSE covers a broader range including computer architecture, systems, and OS. Both are excellent — they suit different interests.

AIDA's core curriculum focuses on AI, machine learning, deep learning, and reinforcement learning. Quantum computing is not a mandatory part of the curriculum, but students can choose to study it through open electives.

Engineering Design is one of IITM's most distinctive programmes — it's interdisciplinary by design, drawing from mechanical engineering, product design, manufacturing, and more. It leans more industry/startup oriented. Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain, who founded Ather Energy, were both ED students.

Yes, you can do that. You can choose a branch related to ED, such as Mechanical, and take ED electives alongside it. While it is technically possible to choose a less related branch and still take ED electives, but there would be less overlap and the electives may be less relevant to your core coursework.

Yes. The EE curriculum covers ECE topics like semiconductors, VLSI, electronics, communication systems, and signal processing, and students can further deepen these areas through electives, minors, and dual-degree options.

Absolutely. This is one of the most popular combinations at IITM.

The name doesn't matter for MS admissions abroad — what matters is your GRE score and recommendations from reputed professors. Many IITM alumni have applied to CS programmes at top universities (like CMU) from non-CS branches and gotten in. Engineering Physics has a strong research orientation and opens doors to fields from semiconductors to photonics.

For core branches, the median package is around ₹25 LPA and max packages can go above ₹50 LPA. Interpreting placement data is tricky — categories overlap (e.g. a PWC infra consulting role is effectively "core" to Civil) so the numbers don't always tell the full story.

Yes. Most major recruiters visit IIT Madras, Bombay, and Delhi, and branch eligibility is generally very similar. There are a few exceptions where companies target institutes with specific departments (for example, shipbuilding firms often recruit more from IIT Madras and KGP because of their Naval Architecture programs).

There is no discrimination in placements—companies evaluate students on merit. In fact, some firms run special initiatives for women (for example, women-focused hiring or early engagement programs), and IITM women alumni have gone on to diverse careers across consulting, ML/AI, finance, core engineering, research, entrepreneurship, and academia.

Yes — there are enough opportunities. You'll need to work hard to compete, but most IITM students have an excess of opportunities to choose from in coding and related fields. Many Mech/Chemical/Civil students end up in software, quant, and consulting roles.

Caterpillar, Honda R&D, Bajaj Auto, Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Steel, Reliance, Chevron, BPCL, Collins Aerospace, Airbus, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, and many others. These span automotive, aerospace, energy, oil & gas, manufacturing, and industrial engineering sectors.

IITM has a top-notch research environment. There's a Young Research Fellowship for undergrads, professors are generally open to collaborating with young students, and the Office of Global Engagement has connected students to research internships across Europe, USA, Japan, and more. Roughly 15–20% of students per course go into further studies or research.

Both are possible — there's no restriction. Many BS Physics students lean toward research (one alumnus went to CERN after IITM), but others take industry jobs. The degree opens doors in both directions.

The build ecosystem at IITM is the most systematic of the old IITs. The main building blocks are CFI (Centre for Innovation), Nirmaan (pre-incubator), the Research Park, and the Incubation Cell — all now organised under the School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. It's accessible from Day 1 as a fresher.

IITM Aerospace is doing very well. Airbus, Boeing, ISRO, DRDO, and major defence companies all hire from here. Many go abroad for higher studies. What we're particularly proud of are the startups that began here — Agnikul Cosmos (rockets) and GalaxEye (satellites).

Naval Architecture is a growing field — the Prime Minister has identified shipbuilding as a key focus for India's growth. IITM has one of the best NA departments in the country. Some students join it for the field itself; others use IITM's flexible curriculum to broaden their scope. A good student in NA does very well.

Our advice: if you already have a very clear idea of what you want to do, find your best option in that field. If you're still exploring (which most JEE students are), pick the better institute. Old IITs have enough elective flexibility that you can always explore CS or other areas, regardless of your branch.

This is a perception issue more than reality. Students from all branches at IITM have strong outcomes. The placement data is confusing partly because many core Mech/Civil/Chemical roles are lucrative but hard to categorise. The key is what you make of your time there — not the branch name on your degree.

Core job availability ebbs and flows. When Amrut graduated in 2008, there weren't many core Mech jobs — but by the late 2010s the situation had reversed. Aerospace and Naval Architecture have seen similar cycles. The fundamentals remain strong, and the current wave in EVs, defence, and infrastructure is creating a lot of core demand.

Not really. English is the default on campus and in classes. Hostels are genuinely multicultural — students from Jammu, Kerala, Assam, Gujarat all share the same common rooms. Regional bodies like Hamara Vihar and Gujarati Mitra Mandal also exist for students who want that connection.

Hostel stay is not compulsory—you may also choose to be a day scholar. 1st years are usually allotted double or triple sharing rooms. From 2nd year, we are free to choose our roommates, and by third year many hostels offer greater flexibility, with many getting single rooms depending on hostel availability.

Hostels are not air conditioned, but fans are provided and coolers are allowed in rooms. Most students get by fine — the campus is well-shaded and temperatures are moderated by the large forest cover.

Snakes live in the forest areas of campus (IITM has a large forested reserve inside). They're not in day-to-day living areas. In 5 years on campus, most students see one or two from a distance. It's not something you need to worry about.

Bicycles are the most popular option. There are also internal electric, air-conditioned buses that run on a schedule within campus.

Approximately 20% by design — IITM applies this across all branches, not just the traditionally female-heavy ones. So every branch has a meaningful cohort of women students.

IITM is adding ~20 seats in the new BS Mathematics programme. New programmes typically affect cutoffs in their first year as seat matrices are unpredictable. JoSAA hasn't released the seat matrix yet — historical trends are available at our cutoffs predictor.