INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (IIT)
Indian Institutes of Technology (‘IITs’) are prestigious premier autonomous public technical institutes owned by the Ministry of Education, the Government of India. These are governed by the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961 declaring them as “Institutes of National Importance”.
Each IIT has autonomy and is linked to others through a common a council called IIT Council, which oversees their administration. Currently, there are 23 IITs across the country.
Undergraduate Courses
The Bachelor of Technology (B. Tech) Degree is the most common undergraduate degree in IITs in terms of students enrollment, although Bachelor of Science (BS) degree, Dual Degrees Integrating Master of Science or Master of Arts are also offered. B. Tech course is based on a 4-year program while the Dual Degree and Integrated courses are 5-year programs.
Post Graduate Education
The IITs offer a number of Post Graduate Programs including Master of Technology (M.Tech), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Science (M.Sc.). Some IITs offer specialized programs such as Master of Design (M.Des.), Post Graduate Diploma in Information Technology (PGDIT), Masters in Medical Sciences and Technology (MMST), Masters in City Planning (MCP), Master of Arts (M.A.), Post Graduate Diploma in Intellectual Property Law (PGDIPL) and the Post Graduate Diploma in Maritime Operation & Management (PGDMOM). Some of the IITs Offer an M.S. (by research) Program; the M. Tech and M.S. are similar to US Universities non-thesis (course based) and thesis (research based) Masters Program respectively. Admissions to Masters Programs in Engineering are made using the scores of Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE). while those to Master’s Programs in Science are made using scores of the Joint Admission Test for M.Sc. (JAM)
Bachelors - Masters Dual Degrees
The IITs also offer an unconventional B.Tech amd M. Tech integrated educational program called ‘Dual Degree’. It integrates undergraduate and postgraduate studies in selected areas of specialisation. It is five year program. Integrated Master of Science Programs are also offered at few IITs which integrates the Undergraduate and Postgraduate studies in science streams in a single degree program.
Doctoral Program
The IITs also offer the Doctor of Philosophy Degree (Ph.D.) as a part of their Doctoral Education Program. The IITs along with NITs and IISc, account for nearly 80% of all engineering Ph.Ds in India. IITs now allow admission in Ph.D. Programs without mandatory GATE score.