Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) announced the start of the second qualifier process for its online BSc Degree in Programming and Data Science. The first batch of 8,154 students will start their classes from January 2021. Students from Arts and Commerce backgrounds have also enrolled for the course.
Students can fill the application form to enrol in the second qualifier process, upload the required documents and pay the application fee of Rs 3,000. The fees paid will give them access to four weeks of course content for the qualifier training process as well as the qualifier examination. The last date to apply is February 6, 2021. The second qualifier process will start in the first week of March 2021. Aspirants can fill their applications at https://www.onlinedegree.iitm.ac.in
The 8,154 students included 1,922 female candidates and 6,232 male candidates across India. Students from various age groups and educational backgrounds applied for the qualifier. As many as 1,593 aspirants were from Arts, Science and Commerce background while 3,450 of them were from an engineering background. “I would like to congratulate all the learners who have successfully cleared the qualifier process. IIT Madras is happy to welcome the first batch of students to the Foundation Level of BSc Degree program. IIT Madras is doing everything possible to give a great learning experience to the students. The courses are delivered through a state-of-the-art online portal. Students are given the opportunity to participate in LIVE sessions to clarify their doubts. The exams are conducted in-person so that the academic rigor of the program is maintained,” said Dr Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Director, IIT Madras.
A total of 30,276 candidates had applied for the first qualifier process. They were given access to the first month online classes of the programme. A content support team, specifically selected for this purpose, conducted nearly 400 hours of live sessions, to support the learning process of the learners. Learners enjoyed a vibrant and lively experience — the discussion forum in each of the courses had more than 2000 threads.
IIT Madras launched this new degree programme building on its experience with online education obtained through the NPTEL programme. The specialisation of this degree, Programming and Data Science, pervades almost every aspect of human endeavour today and therefore a learner qualified in this area can expect a significant increase in professional opportunities. Dr Andrew Thangaraj, Professor In-Charge, IIT Madras Online Degree Programme, while talking about the admission announcement said, “This program gives a lot of flexibility to students to learn at their own pace. There are three different stages in this program — Foundation, Diploma and Degree. Students can choose their own pace while registering for courses and, upon completion, receive a Certificate, Diploma or a Degree at various exit points from IIT Madras.”
The unique features of this new programme have enabled the creation of a qualifying process in which training is imparted to the prospective students itself! The dream of studying in an IIT is now open for realisation to all learners, as long as they have an interest in this field of study and are willing to put in the effort within the programme. “Since the launch of the programme, we have been receiving very good response from the learners. We are glad to know that nearly 30% of the learners who have applied for the qualifier process are working professionals from IT, banking, manufacturing, finance, law, healthcare, marketing and other sectors,” said Dr Prathap Haridoss, Professor In-Charge, IIT Madras Online Degree Programme.