Arushi Shinde with her JEE advance rank could secure a seat at an IIT. But admission in top IITs meant compromise on her preferred branch. She wanted to study Computer Science from a reputed institute and also prepare for civil services on the sidelines. So she enrolled in the B.S. Data Science and Applications programme delivered in hybrid mode by IIT Madras. “The hybrid mode option gives me enough time to prepare for UPSC and meanwhile I also get a degree from a top-ranked institute. It felt like a win-win situation”, she said.
IIT Madras offers four-year B.S. programmes that aim to provide quality education to all, irrespective of age, educational background, or location. The lectures for these programmes are delivered online, whereas quizzes and exams are conducted in person at exam centres in different cities. The institute is currently offering B.S. in Data Science and Applications and BS in Electronic Systems through hybrid mode.
Who can apply?
Anyone who has passed Class 12 with Physics and Maths is eligible to apply to these courses irrespective of age or academic background. While candidates eligible to appear for the most recent JEE Advanced are directly admitted to the foundation level, a student doesn’t necessarily need to clear JEE to secure admission.
Dr. Janakiraman Viraraghavan, Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Madras, highlights that JEE is an elimination-based exam. The admissions to full time programmes at IITs are governed by lack of resources such as hostels, classrooms, etc. “Every year around 15 lakh students apply through JEE and only 15 thousand get admission. It doesn’t mean students who are not selected are not good enough”.
Hence these programmes were launched to complement the JEE, not replace or do away with it. Their aim was to make them more accessible and selection based, not elimination.
All regular entry applicants must go through the qualifier process to reach the foundation level. Four weeks coursework is taught to these students. “If a student gets above 50 percent, they are there in the programme. It is easy to get into the programme, but a student has to put in sustained efforts to reach the end”.
Multiple exits
The B.S. programme has multiple levels, which provide flexibility to students to exit. Depending on the courses completed and credits earned, the learner can receive a Foundation certificate from IITM CODE, Diploma from IIT Madras, or B.Sc or B.S. degrees.
As Mr. Viraraghavan points, only a few students complete the four-year course but many have important takeaways. While currently there are around 25,000 students who have enrolled in the data science course, only around 60 have successfully reached the degree level qualification.
Students get an easy entry, but down the line some figure out it is not their cup of tea. Some students drop out due to constraints at home. The most common enrolment type is a double degree. “Sometimes such students start feeling if they should put so much effort into the course while they are at a regular college”, said Mr. Viraraghavan.
The numbers fall sharply from entry to qualifier to foundational, diploma and finally degree. Mr. Viraraghavan says the industry needs are different for the kind of people they want to hire. Each exit point has been discussed with industry to maximise employability of students. The course is structured in such a way that the right kind of training will be done at every point.
Ms. Shinde, who is completing her second year, says the course is rigorous enough that even if someone just completes foundational level, they can get some internships. “Sticking to a course consistently isn’t too hard if you have a decent interest in the field — because the curriculum does provide you with actual knowledge and skills that are needed in the real world and technical field,” she says.
Ms. Shinde finds the course engaging as it teaches practical, real-world material and how to apply it. The regular assignment deadlines are what keep her on track. “The main challenge is taking personal responsibility for your progress, but even that gets easier if you have a mentor,” she said.
The course offers a mentor, who is usually a senior student, to guide students. “Clearing doubts can be tricky since one-on-one time with professors is less. But you can work around it by joining group discussions, online forums, or reaching out to peers, which is not that difficult,” says Ms. Shinde.
Beyond academics
The students gather for city-wise meetups, some arranged by students, some by the institute. “It is to enable interaction among students. In hybrid mode, regular college interaction is not there. Such meet-ups are important for the growth of students,” says Mr. Viraraghavan.
Ms. Shinde says she has become a part of various clubs, houses and attended online fests and also an in-person fests at the campus. She also frequently collaborates for extra-curriculars with other students via regional and UPSC clubs. “The community feeling is there,” says Ms. Shinde.
Assessments
Students are supposed to write an in-person exam every month, in their own city. Ms. Shinde says the exams are rigorous. If one has not studied, they won’t clear. “In regular colleges if one subject is not clear, you can give re-exam. But here you need to give one term time for it again,” says Ms. Shinde.
Students can choose how many subjects they want to take up in each term. If one takes four subjects in each term it can be completed in four years.
Applications for the next batch of programmes will close on January 02, 2025.
Published – November 29, 2024 09:28 pm IST
This post was originally published on here
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