r/IITMadras_datascience

I want to know how much time weekly I will have to spend if I take computer thinking and maths in data science for foundational lvl pls tell

I am a 25 year old CA Final and CFA L1 student. I have registered for the Qualifier exam for BS in management and data science program of IITM. I haven't received any formal communication from IITM regarding the registration. I only got a mail from razorpay for payment of fee. Is this how it is supposed to be

And I have some doubts regarding this qualifier exam

Since it's been 8 years since i completed my schooling most of the concepts I don't even remember anything

Will the lecture provided by IITM be enough for me to recall the same and clear qualifiers?

How many hours should I allot daily from June 12 to July 19 for the preparation of the qualifier?

Will the classes be in any app or in the website only?

Anything else should i know, I'm fairly new to the undergrad setup itself.

Hey everyone, I’ve just filled out the application form for the IIT Madras BS program for the current May 2026 intake, and my Qualifier Phase officially kicks off on June 12. I just finished my Class 12th boards (results came out on May 13th)

I wouldn’t say I’m completely terrified, but I am definitely feeling pretty nervous about what to expect. Going from school boards straight into an IIT-designed curriculum feels a bit intimidating.

To the seniors or anyone who has recently cleared the qualifier round, I would love some honest advice and guidance on a few things:

1. What is the actual difficulty level? How steep is the jump from standard Class 12 Mathematics and Computer Science to the Qualifier modules (especially Computational Thinking and Stats)?
2. What does the study material look like? Is relying purely on the weekly portal videos and transcripts enough to score well, or do I need to look at external books/channels?
3. Time Management: Since we get 4 weeks of content before the July 19 exam, how many hours a day should a fresh school graduate realistically dedicate to stay on top of the assignments?
4. Resources: Are there any specific YouTube channels, past assignment archives, or notes that saved you during these 4 weeks?

I really want to clear this on my first attempt and build a solid foundation. Any tips, hidden traps to avoid, or resource links would be incredibly helpful!

Thanks in advance!

I’m a 1st year BBA student and I’ve always had deep interest in data science/analytics along with business but my parents didn’t allow me to pursue a specialization from outside my state and hence I’m stuck with a local college and the general BBA degree.

I don’t have a maths background in 10+2 and according to their website they said maths is only required in class 10. Any seniors who are pursuing this degree along with another degree? do you find it difficult to juggle both degrees?

I joined the foundation in sep 2025 term . Failed maths 1 and stats 1 end term ( cause had to do a job to fund myself) again took only maths 1 and stats 1 in Jan 2026 term and failed both of them again . I am not asking for ur guys sympathy cause I know it's all my fault , haven't even told my parents about it but the guilt is eating me up . I would appreciate any advice / thought from you guys

From last year's GATE 2025, we've seen that IITM BS produced incredible ranks in DA paper.

But the thing is, it is pretty weird that GATE 2026 toppers are kind of hidden, including DA paper, isn't it?

Normally we would find tons of celebration for top 100 rankers in GATE but this year let alone celebration, I'm struggling to find top 10 in GATE DA paper. What's more interesting is IITM BS hasn't even published any rankers this year...

What even is happening...?

So guys I'm gonna give qualifier on 16 july and I'll be pursuing this degree and I'm also thinking of doing second degree

As I'm pcb student so btech cs is not an option and offline bsc and bca are just shit ass ( I don't wanna live indore rn)

So I'm thinking of doing online either bits pilani bsc hon in cs or Uopeople BS in cs

I wanna do masters abroad and settle there i wanna increase the chances of good position in companies

So which should I choose ? I'm also kinda interested towards AI/ML which bits offer in 4th year but for abroad maybe Uopeople is more recognised

Guys help!!

Yesterday I got result of bits maths qualifier and I passed they gave me 10 days deadline

And I might will not go for masters if I land a good salary

Plzz seniors help

I genuinely don’t understand why so many people call this degree a gimmick or a money making scheme for IITM.

For people like me, this program honestly feels like a lifesaver. I was a neet dropper, but my health deteriorated badly and I ended up hospitalized for months. Even now I still need support while walking, so a flexible online degree from a reputed institute is one of the few realistic options I have as of now.

But whenever I scroll through Instagram or Reddit, I constantly see people calling the degree useless or bs, and it honestly makes me anxious sometimes.

Is the criticism actually valid, or is it mostly just internet negativity

After reading so many Reddit arguments about IITM BS, I honestly feel both sides are overreacting and emotionally biased.

Some BTech people act like the BS degree is completely worthless just because it’s online. On the other hand, some BS students try way too hard to prove it’s equal to IITB/IITD CSE. Reality is somewhere in between.

First of all, the degree is definitely not fake or “easy”. A lot of people saying “anyone can do it” have probably never even looked at the coursework properly. The program is rigorous, exams are proctored, assignments are time-consuming, and a huge number of people drop out before reaching the BS level.

At the same time, let’s also be realistic. IIT BTech and IITM BS are not viewed the same in the market right now. That’s just a fact.

JEE Advanced is an insane filter. Top IIT BTech students spent years competing at a national level and survived one of the toughest entrance systems in the country. That filtering itself creates value. Companies trust the brand because historically those students performed well.

So when BTech students say the IIT tag exists, they are not wrong.

But some of them also behave as if clearing JEE at 17 makes them intellectually superior forever, which honestly sounds immature. After a few years in industry, nobody serious cares about your AIR if your actual skills are average.

Your projects, communication, internships, consistency, and problem-solving matter much more in the long run.

Another thing people ignore is that the IITM BS degree is still very new. People are comparing it with IIT BTech ecosystems that were built over decades. Obviously the placements, alumni network, and recruiter trust are not at the same level yet.

But BS students should also stop using one Bloomberg intern or one high package to prove the degree is already equal to top IIT BTech programs. Outliers don’t define the overall reality.

I think the biggest misunderstanding is that people are treating this degree as a replacement for IIT BTech, when it was never meant to be that.

It’s more like:

- a second chance,

- an alternative route,

- or an opportunity for people who didn’t have access to elite colleges, want career transition, or want to study alongside another degree/job.

And honestly, for many students from tier 3 colleges, this is probably one of the best opportunities available in India right now.

But the degree alone won’t carry anyone. IITM BS students still need to prove themselves through projects, coding skills, internships, research, networking, etc. The burden of proof is naturally higher because the program is new and online.

So yeah, both sides are partly right and partly coping.

IIT BTech has:

- stronger filtering

- stronger placements

- stronger peer group

- stronger market reputation

But IITM BS is still:

- legitimate

- rigorous

- valuable

- and capable of producing genuinely skilled people

In the end, companies care more about competence than Reddit debates.

So I had registered for one subject this term for my diploma (pdsa) as just finished my foundation level but now after some advice people are telling me to take 2 or 3 courses....

Was it a mistake registering only for one course?

(I am doing my btech along with this)

Can I get a waiver on the basis of last year's EWS certificate? Might won't be able to get any EWS of less than a lac this term less than 5 would be possible.

Hello everyone,
I completed MLF, MLT, and BDM in Term 1 - 2026 and scored well in all three courses. Along with the IITM BS degree, I’m also pursuing an offline engineering degree.

I’m currently confused about course selection for the upcoming term. Should I focus on completing the Data Science diploma first, or should I take a mix of both Data Science and Programming courses this term?

It would be really helpful if someone share their suggestions regarding workload, balance, and long-term benefit.
Thank you

HEY GUYS !!

IF ANYONE IS DOING IIT MADRAS 4 YEAR BS DEGREE IN DATA SCIENCE ONLINE .

PLEAS CONTACT ME WANNA WANT REAL REVIEW OF THIS COURSE.

how many terms are you guys thinking of completing diplomas in?

And is there any group for diploma related stuff or can we simply connect somewhere for resource sharing?

Hey guys, so I would like to share my journey with you all so that I get a refined advice. I assume there is a lot of fresh out of school and early 20s crowd on this subreddit so, pardon if few things don't make sense to you. Currently, my profile is that I am a 28 year old studying law from Delhi University. My past has been of different fields; I studied commerce in my high school, got into college studying the same and after that, spent 3 years as a CA student (completing articleship and leaving the course mid way) due to lack of interest, then worked as an accountant for an year almost, then studied mass media for one of the top media institute, multiple internships, worked as political consultant for a couple of years (handling politicians) before leaving it all for law. Amongst different things, one of the most important thing I have lacked in my life is self discpline and consistency, always being the end days study guy, no practice or note making or revision whatsover, just reading and somehow sailing through decently challenging task in school, college and office but being stuck in hard challenging task like CA and IITM DS, which require rigor. I joined this course while studying mass media, when I was fresh out of dropping CA. There were a lot of reasons for joining it: i was really fascinated by the potential to use technology for socially impactful work (mind is more wired towards inter-linking things and creating something meaningful out of it), wanted to learn it for genuine interest in tech tools plus felt like it would help me become self-discplined. But, as they say, old habits die hard. I gave 2 attempts for qualifier and didn't study even a bit for them. Just completed assignments from youtube videos (a mistake). Once I was done with it, I felt it like an achievemnt (lol!). Then in Jan 2024, I registered for Foundation. I paid for Jan 2024 but didn't appear for finals, and scored average in qz-1. For May 2024, I just continued with re-attempting those papers and cleared 3 of them out of 4 with just basic understanding of things but score was just pass worthy, except in English of course. Then in Dec 2024 (end sems for Sep 2024 session), I had an injury because of which I couldn't appear for end terms plus no preparation. Did RKA for Jan 2025 session. Then in May 2025, took up Python and Maths 1. Flunked again. Then again dropped. This time, in the recent one, again had zero preparation so didn't appear. One thing is that I have been funding this from my salary, when in job and then savings, post that. I find the subjects and questions interesting, enjoyed watching videos whenever I tried, especially python ones, but the issue has been consistency, lack of discpline and practice. Not the difficulty. Difficulty/easy can only be decided once I make effort towards studying them.

Now, the thing, I have completed just 4 subjects till now and as per the rule, I have just 2 more attempts to clear foundation. I seriously read that handbook today only. My CGPA has been 6.75 and I have spent a considerable amount of my money on this course, sometimes out of stubborness that "I can and I will" even after disappointing in past. Will cost me around 50-60k to complete foundation in total provided I clear the 4- python, m2, m1, and s2 in next 2 terms. I don't want to make a career as a data scientist or be extremely professional about it. I am research oriented, curious about the way technology works and I just want to develop decent skills and knowledge of tech tools so as to merge it with my legal and social science knowledge towards something socially impactful. Just a decent enough hands on and it's extremely difficult to trust anyone else when the IIT rigor exists.

Lately, I have been searching for meaning and satisfaction with my work along with intellectual stimulation. Of course, I am not here to ask about how to work on self-discpline or consistency. Overtime, I have researched and over analysed a lot about myself and my behavior, you know, delving in the territory of neurotypical brain v/s neurodivergence, the brain wiring, novelty seeking, pattern spotting, etc. So, before I come to my question, I want to give advice, if any of my young friend here feels a bit related with my habits. You won't change just by "trying harder". You will just burn out. Don't push yourself the neurotypical or linear way of reaching goals. There are different tools and strategy for you to achieve goals and they work well. All this clarity is a recent understanding. Also, it seems I have had a huge meltdown so I won't mind connecting with you guys on LinkedIn. Feel free to connect.

So, my question is, if I keep CGPA around 6-7 overall, would it even matter? Of course, from my side I will try to keep it more. Are there are any minimum CGPA requirements (other than failing) for you to proceed to next level?

Sorry for such a long post. Have a habit of overexplaining so as to bring clarity as much as possible.