IIT Madras Launches World’s First-Ever Online B.Sc. Degree In Data Science

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) announced the launch of India’s first online B.Sc. degree in Programming and Data Science. The programme is open to anyone who has passed Class XII, with English and Maths at the Class X level and enrolled in any on-campus UG course.

The programme will be delivered on an online portal and will attract learners from even remote parts of India where outreach of digital literacy is minimal and will help them stay ahead in their career journeys. 

To ensure that the online learning platform is closest to a classroom learning experience, the program will have videos from the faculty, weekly assignments and in-person invigilated exams just like any other regular course. 

The program will hone students’ skills in managing data, visualising patterns to gain managerial insights, model uncertainties and build models that assist in producing forecasts to make effective business decisions.

IIT Madras has addressed the need of the Data Science sector using online education processes and presented this inclusive and affordable education model that will extend IIT’s reach by orders of magnitude.

Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Director, IIT Madras, said, “We are delighted to offer a program that will make quality education inclusive and address a pressing need in today’s challenging higher education environment. This programme not only embraces the trend of moving education online but also provides a platform to create skilled and employable women and men in a data-driven world. We are confident that this program will maintain the high standards that the Institution has set for itself.” 

This unique online offering will be offered in three different stages - Foundational Programme, Diploma Programme and Degree Programme. At each stage, students will have the freedom to exit from the program and receive a Certificate, Diploma or a Degree, respectively, from IIT Madras.

Based on the eligibility, interested candidates will have to fill a form and pay a nominal fee of Rs. 3,000 for the qualifier exam. Learners will get access to the 4 weeks of the course content of 4 subjects (Mathematics, English, Statistics and Computational Thinking). These students will go through the course lectures online, submit online assignments and write an in-person qualifier exam at the end of 4 weeks.

Watch The Launch