M. Tech Programs and eligibility

These days the most number of questions I get over email are about M. Tech eligibility. Although, I would like to answer each and every one of them, the problem is that eligibility criterions for M. Tech are not straight forward, and most of all, they can change every year. Read this post to find out how to check if you are eligible for a certain course or not.

Understand

The first thing you need to understand is that all IITs are autonomous institutions who can change any of their rules independent of others, at any time. The biggest mistake people make, while trying to figure out eligibility is that they think there is a simple common criteria that can tell who is eligible for what. This is very far from truth. Not only each IIT forms its own rules, each program within each department can have its own rules. So the application procedure, eligibility, cutoffs, selection procedure etc. could be different even within one IIT, leave alone across institutes. 

How to get eligibility information

Given that there is no predicting the rules each program has, there is one and only one authentic source of information for all the queries, and that is the Admission Brochure or the PG Brochure of each institute. It is very, very, very important to read the PG brochure of each IIT you are planning to apply. 

Most IITs release their PG brochure immediately after the GATE exam is over. From this time, to the time GATE result is announced, one should make it a priority to read the PG brochures and familiarize himself with the programs, their eligibility criterions, admission procedures, deadlines etc. Things become very hectic after the results are announced and it is not a good idea to wait till that time to do this research. 

Eligibility is not simple

One more thing one needs to bear in mind is that M. Tech eligibility is not straight forward. Institutes can have arbitrary complex rules for eligibility into a particular program. Most institutes have a general eligibility requirement for masters (like minimum 60% in B. Tech), and then a program specific requirement. For example, see the sample eligibility requirement in IITB PG brochure (2012) in  the following three courses:

Chemical Engineering: B.E./B.Tech. in Chemical Engineering or equivalent. Valid GATE score in CE only.

Computer Science: Bachelors degree in Engineering / Master’s degree in Science / MCA (with Physics & Mathematics at B.Sc. level) or equivalent degree with a valid GATE score in CS discipline. Valid GATE score in CS is required for all applicants (including Project Staff (PS)/ Institute Staff(IS) and Sponsored candidates. 

Communication Engg. (EE1): Bachelor’s degree (B.E./B.Tech.) in Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering, Engineering Physics OR Master’s degree (Master of Science) in Physics(with specialization in Electronics), Electronic Sciences. Valid GATE score in GATE subjects CS, EC, EE

Note that a person with B. Tech in CS and GATE in CS is obviously eligible for Computer Engineering and is not eligible for Chemical Engineering. But what can surprise you is that he is also eligible for Communication Engg run by the electrical dept. Likewise, there are many other courses at IITB that a B. Tech CS is eligible. These things can only be understood from the PG Brochure.

What if we are still not clear

If you are still not clear about your eligibility, as a last resort you can try contacting the respective department via email or phone to confirm. Ensure you have done your homework before contacting them explicitly. Usually the office staff is very supportive and may help you in deciding the eligibility. 

Do not depend on anything else

As I have mentioned earlier, IITs can change any of the rules any time. This means rules could be significantly different from previous years and hence depending on your seniors, web resources etc. alone could be dangerous. Sometimes new M. Tech programs are added, older programs are cancelled, eligibility criterions, selection procedure etc. changed significantly. A student could find himself in a lot of trouble if he is not aware of these things. Hence it is always a good idea to be aware of the current rules and procedures. Therefore, at the risk of sounding repetitive, I would re-iterate that, please, please, please read the PG brochure thoroughly before applying.