Chennai: Due to the craze for AI and data science courses, IIT Madras has received more than 25,000 applications for its online BS data science and applications programme for May 2024 term.
IIT Madras launched its first ever online degree in data science programme in 2020 and 29,051 students are actively pursuing the programme.
“After the launch year, it is the largest number of applications we have received for the course. The interest in AI and data science is one of the main factors. The feedback from the students also helped to get more applications this year,” said professor Vignesh Muthuvijayan, professor-incharge, BS (data science and applications), IIT Madras.
Last year, it had received more than 22,000 applications and roughly about 25% qualified to study the programme every year.
“We are teaching large language models (generative AI), national language processing, deep learning, reinforcement learning and algorithmic thinking and big data as well,” he added.
As many as 240 companies have signed up as hiring partners for the programme. Students get job roles such as full stack developers, programmers, data analysts, business analysts, data engineers and cloud engineers in IT and data science companies.
Of the students pursuing the course, 75% of them are from an engineering background, 21% arts and science and 2% of them from management.
As many as 26 students have received online BSc data science and applications degrees from IIT Madras at an event on Thursday. About 151 students have received diplomas in data science and applications as well.
“About 259 students completed the BSc degree and are now continuing the BS degree,” Vignesh Muthuvijayan said.
Ten students received their course completion certificates for BS degree as they have fast tracked their credit requirements for four-year BS degree in three years.
The course has three terms instead of two semesters. They will get their final degree after Dec 2024.
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/over-25000-applications-received-for-iit-ms-online-bs-data-science-programme/articleshow/110605559.cms
