Congratulations

on making it through
jee advanced !

We have put together a guide for you to help

you through the process of applying to various
IITs, with a focus on showing you what life at
IITM is like, an introduction to the counselling
process, tips from seniors and most importantly,
an overview of what every department is about.
We hope you find this useful! You can find an
online copy of this guide in a few days at t5eiitm.
ac.in.

T5E or The Fifth Estate is the official campus news body

of IITM, and you can visit our site (t5eiitm.ac.in) to get a
flavour of institute life in all its dimensions, from news
on internships, placements and academic affairs, to
cultural and social events and competitions, interviews
with professors and students, and much more!
 JEE Counselling Guide
The counselling and seat allocation process for admission
to the 22 IITs and 70 other institutes will be managed by the
Joint Seat Allocation Authority and will take place online,
with candidates registering to fill in their list of preferred
programmes on the website from the 24th to 28th of June
The JoSAA 2016 webpage can be found at: http://josaa.nic.
in/seatinfo/root/InstProfile.aspx?instcd=110)
The schedule can be found at this link: http://josaa.nic.in/
webinfocms/Handler/FileHandler.ashx?i=File&ii=70&iii=Y).

The allocation takes place in a series of rounds. At the end

of each round, an applicant may accept the allotted seat
or withdraw from the process. Naturally, this means that
allotted seats may change every time some applicants choose
to withdraw. A choice is offered at the time of acceptance. If
you choose to freeze your seat, that would be equivalent to
confirming your acceptance of the seat allotted in that round.
Even if another seat becomes available in a programme that
had taken a higher place on your list, you would retain the one
allotted previously. If you opt to float, you declare yourself
open to being allotted a programme higher on your list if it
becomes available. The slide option is similar, except that it
means one is open to being allotted another programme only
if it is available in the same institute as the seat currently
allotted. The details of the allocation rules can be found at
the link below and must be thoroughly read before you go
ahead with choice-filling.
http://josaa.nic.in/webinfocms/Handler/FileHandler.
ashx?i=File&ii=74&iii=Y
The list of preferences can be edited until it is locked by the
applicant, and at the latest until the deadline for choice-filling.
All subsequent rounds of seat allocation are carried out on
the basis of the preference order submitted at this time. It
is therefore extremely important to make sure that if any
programme is above any other programme in your list, it is the
one that you would actually have chosen, given a free choice
between the two. Imagining this situation might sometimes
help you make decisions while filling choices; it would be
wise not to allow other factors, such as previous years trends,
to sway you too much particularly in the event that you
are quite sure about which of any two disciplines you would
enjoy studying more.
Of course, data from previous years may be used as a pointer
(like a reality-check) to help you identify programmes that you
are likely to be allotted. If there are programmes which you
would like to join but seem unlikely to be offered, there can be
no harm in including them in your list. On the other hand, one
must make sure that the list includes enough programmes to
rule out the slight possibility of not being allotted any of the
choices given. This is where previous years data is useful: if it
suggests that there is a high chance of being allotted one of your
preferred courses, 20 or 30 items may suffice. The authorities
often recommend mentioning at least 50. If the beginning of
the list consists of branches that you have included just in
case the trends change, it is best to continue adding items to
your list of preferences until there are at least a few that you
feel confident about getting into.
A list of available programmes with descriptions of each is
usually published each year; the list of programmes at IITM
for 2015 is available at this link:
http://josaa.nic.in/seatinfo/root/InstProfile.aspx?instcd=110
Life at IIT
You might have heard a lot about the IITian life by now!
Perhaps it seems like one where you can take a well deserved
break after years of hard work and perseverance, or even
one where the cut-throat competition you may have faced
till now, rises to another level. But let us tell you that despite
whatever you may hear, at its core, life at IITs is what you
make of it!

If you have an inclination to chill out and carry out a super

relaxed lifestyle, you can do so. If you wish to make the most
of your four or five years at an IIT, we can assure you that
you will be exposed to more opportunities that you will know
what to make of, and not just with respect to academics!
Some of the things you will learn to cultivate here are
independence, personal discipline and the chance to try out
new things and develop a sense of direction and purpose.
IITs are places positively buzzing with new opportunities
and experiences to offer you, and places where if you choose
to join as a student, you come into your own in many ways.

IIT Madras is one of the big brothers, making it to the

news twice recently, once when it was ranked as the top
engineering institution in the country by MHRD and then
as one of Asias top 100. Life at IITM is one hell of a roller-
coaster and the uniqueness about this institute, as everyone
would agree, is the exposure it provides to almost everything
under the sun. It prepares you for life as a few graduating
seniors say.
Apart from pursuing ones interests in their chosen academic
fields, the institute (or insti as we like to call it) has a plethora
of other activities to offer. Centre for Innovation (CFI), which
is founded and managed by students, student clubs, tech-soc,
lit-soc, schroeter, etc hone your skills in different co-curricular
and extracurricular activities.
The annual festivals- Shaastra and Saarang, mark the most
active period of the year where everyone gets a chance to
show their non-academic prowess.
IITM also has a one of its kind Research Park, which is the
best and most well-established among all the IITs. Student
start-ups are often incubated here.

A vibrant campus, insti is like a second home for all its

inhabitants - and especially its students.

Our Dean of Students, Prof. Sivakumar Srinivasan, puts this

another way: Small minds discuss people. Average minds
discuss events... and many great minds enter IITM! Want to
be a part of our family?
A new curriculum
Starting with the incoming batch of 2015, the IITM curriculum
was changed to make it more effective and flexible. The
following changes have been incorporated as a part of this
new curriculum:

The courses which were traditionally 3 credits now carry 9

credits and the 4 credit course will now carry 10 credits. Each
2.5 hour laboratory session will be awarded 3 credits and 1
credit hour tutorial classes will be awarded 1 credit. A 9 credit
course will involve 3 hours of lecture and 6 hours of effort
outside the classroom (every student is expected to put in
about 2 hours of effort outside the classroom for every 1 hour
of classroom work).
In any given semester, the total credits for every student are
limited to 60. The number of courses, every semester, will be
limited to five theory and two laboratory. The first year students
can now opt out of CS1100 ( Introduction to Programming ) if
they clear a basic test and do a free elective instead.

Academic credits will not be awarded for non academic

activities like NSO, NSS, NCC, Industrial Training and the Life
Skills course, even though they shall continue to be a part of the
curriculum. The new curricular framework complements the
growing trend in research which promotes interdisciplinary
projects involving collaborations between people with varied
backgrounds. It is a step towards improving the undergraduate
experience in the institute.
You can read more on the curriculum change here if you wish:
http://www.t5eiitm.org/2015/07/changing-with-the-times
Overview of Departments:
What to Expect
At the time of deciding which universities and branches to pick,
there may be a lot of factors affecting your decision- parental or
peer pressure perhaps, or preconceived notions of what particular
branches entail and what job opportunities they offer. Having been
prospective applicants ourselves (we feel old writing this now!), we
know that having some solid information- on what exactly being in
Mechanical or Metallurgy would mean, for example- may help a lot
in making an informed decision.
So in this section we provide a brief overview of all the branches
in IITM, including at least one branch that is unique to our campus
(such as Ocean Engineering and Engineering Design). We give you
an introduction to the branch, the kind of research work or projects
to expect under them, internship and placement opportunities and
some words from profs and students from the department alike, to
give you a flavour of what it is like to be in a particular branch!
The institutes annual research magazine, Immerse, contains a glimpse
of ongoing research in each department and may be of interest. You
can browse copies at http://www.t5eiitm.org/immerse/

A couple of disclaimers:
We have not explicitly delved into placement statistics, but you
can find more detailed info on placements at IITs at: http://www.
t5eiitm.org/2016/03/placements-2015-2016-trends-statistics-2/
We have intended to provide an overview of what you can expect
in each department, but this is not comprehensive, thus we have
included links of each department website where you can read up
more based on what interests you from this guide.
Using the department website links, you can find out more
about the faculty, their interests and ongoing research work, the
opportunities open to students, the list of courses that students can
take in that department, and much more.
1. Aerospace Engineering
http://www.ae.iitm.ac.in/index.htm
There seems to be some glamour associated with flying devices and
aviation but the irony is not lost when roughly only 2% of engineers
worldwide are Aerospace Engineers. The field is multidisciplinary with
an amalgamation of electrical engineering, mechanical engineering
and a wide variety of vivid engineering disciplines and courses.

The department of Aerospace Engineering at IIT Madras, established

in 1969 is as old as the institute itself. The department is multi-faceted
with further branches ranging from Aerodynamics and Propulsion to
Flight Controls and Structures. The department being more research
oriented than private sector inclined, boasts of collaborations with
public sector companies like ISRO, NAL, HAL, DRDO, etc. And who
knows, you might end up working for them one day!

Facilities and Research Culture:

The department houses a few of the countrys best research lab
facilities. Massive wind tunnels and combustion test facility (NCCRD),
structural facilities like thrust rigs, drop towers, flow visualisation
facilities, fluid labs to name a few, can be found here. All this being said,
Aerospace is not for the faint hearted considering that the professors
expect a considerable amount of enthusiasm and dedication, be it in
research or academics. Professors range from younger profs to senior
most profs and are regular contributors to research conducted by
various Indian organizations. The research areas are highly diverse
and some of the renowned research groups include the Propulsion
Group Structures Group and Aerodynamics Group.

Placements, Internships and Higher Studies:

When it comes to placements in core companies the department fares
well. Multinational giants like Airbus, HoneyWell, Rolls Royce and GE
have marked the placement season in the recent past. Internships in
the public sector companies like HAL, NAL, DRDO, etc. are a regular
feature. Not to forget our very own IIT-M Research Park where there
are ample opportunities to work with budding start-ups in the field of
Aerospace Engineering. Many students have also gone on to pursue
higher studies in reputed institutions.

2. Biological Engineering
and Biological Sciences
https://biotech.iitm.ac.in/welcome

It wasnt Plastics as Dustin Hoffman was advised in the movie The

Graduate, but Biotechnology that Bill Gates recently suggested is a
ticket to a great future. We dont lack for challenges - the climate
is changing, billions need clean water, millions are without food,
microbes are becoming resistant to our antibiotic arsenal, dementia
or cancer will strike almost all of us if we live long enough and we
dont live long enough, by any account - and biotechnology lies at the
heart of the solutions to the big problems. If youre looking for a major
that is meaningful, interesting, relevant, challenging and secure, you
neednt look any further. At the Department of Biotechnology in IIT
Madras, you will be equipped with both the technological skills as
well as the biology knowhow to be best suited to solve the problems
of tomorrow.
Curriculum
The programs are designed to be broad and the core courses are
structured to give students an overview across the areas at the interface
of biology and engineering. The first 3 years of the program, includes
learning mathematical modelling, statistics, programming along with
basic courses in biology. With this training, the student will embark
on courses and labs from the chosen specialization as well as a 2 year
long research project that prepares the student for a career in research.
Alumni from the department are currently engaged in research across
disciplines in the best universities in the world - Harvard, Stanford,
University of Tokyo, Johns Hopkins University, National Centre for
Biological Sciences at Bangalore.
 Facilities and Research Culture
The lights never go out in the the distinct steel and glass structure
that houses the newest department in IIT Madras. Filled to the brim
with research and training labs, classrooms, a computational facility
and a state of the art seminar hall, the department is always buzzing
with activity. The faculty members in the Biotech department at
IITM have trained at the best universities in the world and have
collaborations across the industry and the academia. Their research
interests are diverse and lie in the frontier areas of biological sciences
and biological engineering - using experimental and computational
approaches in the study of molecules, cells and organisms.
Students also participate in several international competitions
such as iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machines,
conducted by Harvard and MIT) and BIOMOD (an annual
biomolecular design competition sponsored by Wyss Institute at
Harvard). Teams from IITM have won several awards in the past
and have qualified to represent India at iGEM 2016.

Placements, Internships and Higher Studies

The skills gained are also transferable into several other disciplines,
with alumni from the department currently employed at companies
ranging from finance to electronics, business consulting to business
development roles at startups, R&D in biotechnology industries to
software development jobs.
Apart from the conventional opportunities listed above, IIT Madras
as well as the department together provide a favourable ecosystem
for startups. Several successful startups have been incubated in the
department in the past. Be it, biofuels (Sea6 Energy) or paper based
detection of adulterants in milk, budding entrepreneurs receive all
the support they might need in terms of grants, infrastructure or
mentorships. Students generally prefer opting for further studies in
the department, with several students going on to reputed universities
including Harvard, UCSD and so on. However, in the recent past
internships and placement offers have been provided by companies
like Dr. Reddys, Capgemini, Cerner healthcare, etc.
3. Chemical Engineering
http://www.che.iitm.ac.in/

Chemical Engineering is that branch of engineering where- Wait a

minute! Did I just hear chemical? Chemistry has creeped me out since
11th, no way am I taking Chemical Engineering! If thats what youre
thinking right now first lets bust some myths and misconceptions
about Chemical Engineering before discussing any further.

Chemistry vs Chemical Engineering:

The name unfortunately conjures the image of Snape-like professors
forcing students to memorise reams of organic (or worse still,
inorganic) reactions before a fuming smelly cauldron in a sweaty
dim lit dungeon to many. But let us spill some truths here. Chemical
Engineering is NOT chemistry and neither is it dripping wet with
chemistry as many think.
A chemist studies matter and materials to understand their properties
at the molecular and atomic level. A chemical engineer solves the
practical problems which arise in manufacturing materialsn handling
it and doing all this safely and efficiently. Traditionally chemical
engineers design and run extremely complicated chemical plants
which churn out products at a massive scale.

Making that deceptively simple chemical equation happen in

reality at industrial scales is an engineering challenge in itself. For
most engineering purposes, basic JEE level chemistry knowledge is
quite sufficient.To put in JEE parlance its more like physics, maths,
programming and common sense applied with some advanced
physical chemistry. At the same time this is the best branch for a
chemistry lover as it offers opportunities to go deeper into chemistry
related fields like catalysts, polymers, colloids, etc if one chooses so.

Facilities and Research Culture

A salient feature of Chemical Engineering at IITM is its extraordinary
flexibility and interdisciplinary nature. It can easily accommodate
students with interests as distinct as polymer chemistry to
programming under one umbrella. Being not strenuously rigorous
students find enough time for a variety of other things.The diverse
set of courses in chemical engineering also complement their varied
interests. An open mind would enjoy the limitless opportunities
the department has to offer. Moreover, all faculty headed labs at the
department invite highly motivated students to take up undergraduate
research projects to get a flavour of innovation and research early on
in their career.
Curriculum
The courses require a strong hold of basics of physics and math and basic
physical chemistry. The central themes of the undergraduate courses
at IITM include- Transport Phenomena: Covered over 5 courses across
4 semesters, transport phenomena is the physics of how material, heat
and momentum move. Momentum Transfer deals with the application
of fluid mechanics in chemical engineering. Heat Transfer deals
with basics of heat conduction and thermal equipment design while
Mass transfer deals with processes like diffusion, evaporation, etc
and their applications in engineering design. Computation, Control,
Systems: Courses in computer simulation, numerical methods and
basic control systems help build key engineering skills. Reactor and
Reaction Engineering: These courses intensely use chemical kinetics,
thermodynamics and to model, analyse and design reactor systems
and are mathematical in nature.

Placements, Internships and Higher Studies

Students take up industrial internships mainly in their 3rd year
summer. Companies like HUL, ITC, Shell, Wipro etc offer paid
internships on campus. Pre-placement offers are made to promising
candidates. Placement track records are very sound. Extraordinary
opportunities are open to students internationally too. Companies
like Schlumberger, Asian paints, Reliance, ITC, HUL, Shell, Wipro,
Murugappa Group, etc visit campus for placement. IITM also offers an
excellent springboard for students willing to pursue higher studies in
top universities abroad either for a career in research or for advancing
job prospects.
4. Civil Engineering
http://www.civil.iitm.ac.in/

Civil engineering is an engineering discipline that deals with the

design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally
built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams,
and buildings. Civil Engineering is offered as B.Tech (4 yrs) as well as
Dual Degree (B.Tech + M.Tech) (5 yrs) at IIT Madras. Students seem
to prefer Dual degree over B.Tech as they get more time to explore
their career options and get an extra degree in their specialization by
studying just one more year.

Facilities and Research Culture

Civil Engineering at IIT Madras is considered the best in the country
and 49th in the world according to QS rankings. There are fully
equipped laboratories in the institute. The department has highly
qualified professors who are eminent researchers and are offering
consultancy and technical support to various construction companies.

Placements, Internships and Higher Studies

Some companies that have hired Civil Engineering students
regularly from the institute in the recent past are American Express,
ASC InfraTech, Capgemini India, Clean Max environment energy
solutions, Schlumberger, Shell, L&T constructions, Shapponji Pallonji
etc. On being asked, why there is so much difference in pay, Head
of Department, Dr. A. Meher Prasad stated: Our industry cant pay
you more than this at start. More than that it will become difficult
to manage. Some years down the line when you will be experienced
enough, you will be earning more than others in non core jobs.
According to the trends, very few graduates from the department
prefer going for higher studies. One of the seniors who took a core job
in a reputed firm remarks, Financial stability is important but more
important is whether you are doing justice to your talent. I know that
I am skilled enough and after some years I will be financially stable as
well as satisfied that I am using the knowledge that I have studied for
these 4 years and doing something productive.
Students of the branch have one compulsory graded internship (at
least 6 weeks) which has to be a core internship and must be related
to the courses taken. People go for research internships under
various professors in other institutes and others go for industrial civil
engineering internships.

5. Computer Science
http://www.cse.iitm.ac.in/

Computer Science is one of the most sought after branches of

engineering. A computer scientist specializes in the theory of
computation and the design of computational systems. Computer
science can be divided into a variety of theoretical and practical
disciplines: some, such as computational complexity theory (which
explores the fundamental properties of computational and intractable
problems), are highly abstract, while fields such as computer graphics
emphasize real-world visual applications. Still other fields focus on
challenges in implementing computation. Today the availability of
powerful computational resources has only enhanced the importance
of computer science.
The computer science department at IIT Madras has a reputation
for bringing out the best in its students. For example, a study conducted
by Brown University in May 2014 showed that IIT Madras was one of
two Indian universities that contribute computer science professors
to top American universities.

Facilities and Research Culture

The CS department at IITM houses 13 laboratories under different
research disciplines, including the Network Systems Lab, Theoretical
Computer Science Group, Visualization and Perception Lab, Artificial
Intelligence and Databases, and Algorithms and Complexity Theory.
The computer science department here has an active research culture.
The faculty encourage the students to take up challenging and
interesting open problems for their course projects thereby paving
the way for the students research career.
 Curriculum
The CS department offers both a B.Tech program and a Dual degree
program. The courses are broadly classified into three categories,
namely Core, Electives and Research Courses.
The second year courses form the foundation for many core &
elective courses in the later semesters. The third semester course
has 4 departmental core courses (2 theory and 2 lab) and two
interdepartmental core courses. Additionally, the student can take
one free elective course.
In the fourth semester the student has to take 5 courses of which 4
are departmental core courses and one is an interdepartmental core
course.
In addition to this, the student can also take summer courses
conducted under the ambit of GIAN, or the Global Initiative of
Academic Networks. Courses at the CS department span a diverse
breadth and examples include Computer Organization, Data Mining,
Foundations of Cryptography, Computational Engineering, and Data
Structures and Algorithms.

Placements, Internships and Higher Studies

The computer science department at IITM enjoys a significantly high
placement ratio. In addition to the usual placement giants like Google,
Microsoft and Goldman Sachs, IITM also plays host to several startups.
Students can sit for internships at the end of their second and third
year and regularly receive offers from various academic and non-
academic institutions, including, apart from the names mentioned
above: Amazon, Dolat Capital, Algorithmic Trading Group, Samsung,
Nvidia and so on.

In the last two years itself, 18 students have gone on to pursue their
research interests in top universities including MIT, Stanford, CMU
and Purdue. Students interested in pursuing a research career are
typically encouraged to sit for research internships in their second
and third years as it will boost their chances of getting into a good
research program at a reputed institution.
6. Electrical Engineering
http://www.ee.iitm.ac.in/

Adrenaline probably isnt the first thing that comes to your mind
when someone mentions Electrical Engineering, right? But you are
not quite correct. Occasional jolts of electrical charges hit you when
you arent paying attention and when you touch the leads of a charged
capacitor, or when you connect two wires that you shouldnt, or when
an electrical component more or less explodes in front of your eyes
because you didnt connect it properly to the testing board.
What really is Electrical Engineering? Think of the quadcopter in 3
idiots or Google Glass or even a smartwatch to control things in your
home? You can call all of it Electrical Engineering.
The field can be broadly divided into five sub-divisions:
1. Communications, networks and signal processing
2. Photonics
3. Control systems and instrumentation
4. Power engineering
5. Micro and nano electronics

Facilities and Research Culture

IITM has one of the most experienced and renowned faculty for
Electrical Engineering. Dr. Ashok Jhunjhunwala is a Padma Shri
winner and heads the Telecommunications and Computer Networks
(TENET) group here. All the professors here are highly experienced,
ingenious and hold degrees from the best universities from around the
world. They help maintain a rich research culture in the department,
with ongoing projects in the department on a variety of topics
ranging from absolute fundamentals to component design to system
integration to deployment or even commercialization being carried
out at a large scale.
Examples of some major ongoing research projects include:
LIGO ( Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory ) : A
research team comprising of senior IIT-M professors and research
students are to construct a third-generation gravitational wave
 detector and support the photonics side of it.

IITM SAT : The IITM satellite project is one of the major projects
going on under the purview of the Electrical Engineering
department. The team expects to get a complete working product
in a matter of time. The satellite teams manager, Akshay Gulati
speaks enthusiastically about his attachment towards this project
and hopes to own a space startup himself post this project. The
enthusiasm of the team is prominent by the fact that now the
department has its very own space lab exclusively tailored for this
project.

Placements, Internships and Higher Studies

Electrical Engineers in IITM are recruited by a variety of companies
and organizations, including Amazon, American Express, Analog
Devices, ARM, Adobe, Ebay, LinkedIn, IBM, McKinsey & Company,
Intel, Google, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Oracle, Bosch,
Shell, Tata Consultancy Services, Vodafone, The Boston Consulting
Group and Fuji Xerox. IITM also has MOUs with different colleges
like the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and Nanyang
Technological University (NTU), where students can go for foreign
exchange programmes.

In addition, the department is very flexible in terms of the type of

internship a student can undertake. Each student has to complete
one compulsory internship before the start of 4th year. Many student
also undertake research internships. These internships are taken
up at various organizations and companies including CERN, TIFR,
Microsoft, Texas Instruments (TI), GE, Samsung, Siemens, Bosch,
Goldman Sachs, Infosys, Philips, Johns Hopkins University, etc.

Many students opt for further studies in various foreign universities,

be it an MS or a PhD. Recent alumni have studied at renowned
universities across the world, including Johns Hopkins, Stanford,
University of California at Berkeley, Princeton and many more.
7. Engineering Design
http://ed.iitm.ac.in/

What is Engineering Design? How does a degree in Engg. Design

differ from an engineering degree, and from a degree in Design?
There is a lot to share here because Engineering Design is a novel
programme- the only one of its kind in the IIT system. Started in
2006, it has a uniquely designed curriculum with an emphasis on
innovation. Studying engineering design involves studying various
engineering disciplines with simultaneous training in the principles
and processes of design.

The task of a designer is to give a product not only an aesthetically

pleasing form but a design that ensures that it can be smoothly used
to fulfil its intended function. Making an automotive or a biomedical
device requires a collaboration between mechanical engineers,
electrical engineers, computer engineers and so on. Innovations in
these fields further require the application of design theory. However,
one with immense expertise in design still relies on engineers to
change a design to an executable project. Meanwhile, an engineer
trained in only a particular discipline has in-depth knowledge of the
logical and scientific aspects of that field but cannot easily comprehend
other considerations going into a project, whether from engineers
trained in different fields or from designers and creative contributors.
Heres where the Engineering Design engineer comes in handy. The
Engineering Design Department creates engineers who understand
design so that collaborations can proceed apace - within the same
mind(s) - for every engineering project involving new or improved
technologies in the worlds of automotive and biomedical engineering.

Design is not just what it looks like and feels like, but how it works,
said Steve Jobs. Engineering design involves understanding both
engineering and design, figuring out how to make something work,
with a rich interdisciplinary knowledge and insight into the present
day scenario.
 A host of factors need to be considered while designing and
developing any product; for instance, one needs to look at how,
when, where, how often and by whom it will be manufactured and
operated. A student of engineering design learns to juggle all these
factors along with the engineering aspects of the product and to
creatively apply engineering knowledge to solve problems. He or
she also learns to work in teams, which is important in any product
development scenario (whether academic or industrial). The unique
advantage of such a person in a team of engineers and designers is his
or her good background in each of the fields to which the other team
members belong, and therefore a better and broader understanding of
the problem and the solution.

ED at IITM
The department is known for its rich lab experience. It houses teaching
labs with state-of-the-art equipment and 16 research labs with exciting
research going on in a broad variety of fields under the guidance of
highly motivated faculty. There is also a thriving culture of industrial
collaboration, with the department hosting centres set up by giants
like Caterpillar, Ashok Leyland, Trivitron, Autodesk and Bosch.

The dual degree students may spend their final year working in one of
these labs (in addition to the final year courses) for their Dual Degree
Project.

Curriculum
The department offers a dual degree programme that is a B.Tech. in
Engineering Design with an M.Tech either in Automotive Design or in
Biomedical Design. The curriculum ensures a thorough understanding
of engineering, with mechanical and electrical engineering-related
courses covering, for instance, electronics, controls, embedded
systems, solid and fluid mechanics, material science and engineering,
manufacturing and, of course, mathematics and programming. At the
same time, it includes theory as well as lab courses on both art and
design, on Computer-Aided Design and modelling, and on principles
and methods of product design. One of the most unique experiences
of the department is tasted in the Product Design Laboratory, where
students are encouraged to understand the working of various
products, ranging from a hand blender to an IC engine, and the reasons
behind every aspect of their design through systematic dissection and
a scientific analysis. They also work in teams on hands-on product
design and prototyping, often in collaboration with industry.

Starting with common basic courses, the curricula slowly diverge

to include more courses on automotive and biomedical design
respectively. Apart from theory courses in the two areas, students take
lab courses in automotive systems and engines, vehicle dynamics etc.
in the automotive design stream, and medical equipment dissection
laboratory, biomechanics lab etc. for biomedical design.
The ED curriculum has been carefully designed to provide breadth
without compromising on depth, and there is a constant effort to
improve this design with small changes based on students feedback.
In 2015, many modifications were made, one of which is the choice
between automotive and biomedical design being provided after some
time spent in the programme rather than at the very beginning. While
the curriculum spans many fields, those seeking to explore a field
further may do so through the wide range of electives offered (both
within the department and by other departments) and by choosing an
appropriate minor programme (at the end of second year).

One of the many unique features of the programme is the compulsory

semester-long industrial internship, which provides valuable exposure.
Another difference from other B.Tech and Dual Degree programmes
in IIT Madras is that the provision for branch change after the first
semester is not available to ED students; this is because the structure
of the curriculum is different from the very beginning.

Placements, Internships and Higher Studies

Graduates go out in a variety of directions. Many choose to start their
own enterprises (some of which are mentioned in this article:
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2015-07-27/
news/64919305_1_design-course-engineering-design-ather-energy),
pursue higher studies (in automotive/biomedical engineering or other
engineering fields) or join engineering or development positions in
industrial settings.

The interdisciplinary nature of both automotive and biomedical

design means that students from the department are able to join,
and benefit from, internships in a large variety of fields. The eighth-
semester internship may be done in a company in any city, or within
the department, or even at IITMs own Research Park. Students may
also opt to intern during vacations, and their knowledge of a little bit
of every field opens doors to many exciting areas of work.

A graduating student of the department who will be going for higher

studies in biomedical engineering at a highly-reputed university says
that the breadth of the ED programme is its most striking feature,
which may be a huge advantage or a disadvantage depending on how
students make use of the opportunity. There is a lot of flexibility in
deciding ones path, whether in terms of area of work or in terms of
career domains.

For more information, please refer to the Department Website at

http://ed.iitm.ac.in, Department Brochure at http://www.oir.iitm.
ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/ENGINEERING-DESIGN.pdf, and
this 2013 report by a Peer Review Committee: https://www.iitsystem.
ac.in/Externalpeer-uploads/dff6b2092bf99efd0b864f48.pdf.

8. Engineering Physics
https://physics.iitm.ac.in/program/3

EP is a perfect combination of physics and electrical engineering

and a degree in EP paves the way for opportunities to pursue
world class research and work.
Previously, for a PhD in Physics, graduates of electrical engineering
would pursue an MSc in Physics first. A BTech in EP was instituted
to train students inclined towards physics; it is great for students who
wish to do research in Physics. Most of the physics research involves
sophisticated electronic instruments, principles of measurements
etc.Therefore, having an extensive knowledge of the core electrical
engineering will give EP students an edge over other researchers in
same field.
Facilities and Research Culture
At IITM, fully equipped laboratories and highly qualified professors at
the Physics department who are eminent researchers and physicists,
provide great opportunities and learning for students. The Physics
community of IITM has a particularly encouraging and enthusiastic
learning environment.

Placements, Internships and Higher Studies

Few EP undergraduates choose to get placed; most opt for studying
further. EP coursework includes a lot of mathematics and analytical
principles which are actually used in investment banking and
prediction models. So, if the student has such inclinations, it also
creates avenues for a career in finance.

EP students have many choices when it comes to internships. There

is one compulsory graded internship (at least 6 weeks) which has to
be a core internship and must be related to the courses taken. The
compulsory internship is usually done by students after their second
year. After their third, many students do one more internship. By then,
they are usually clear as to what they want to pursue after B.Tech
and choose their internships accordingly. People go for research
internships under various professors in other institutes Others go for
industrial electrical engineering internships.Some also take non-core
internships and go into IT and data analytics.
Coming to higher studies, it is suitable to do research in experimental
physics, where knowledge of both electrical engineering and physics
is required.
So if you are interested in both, you can do research in the interlinking
areas like photonics, solid state physics and electronics. Or if interested,
you can branch out into pure theory. You can take up areas of electrical
engineering if you do the relevant courses.

9. Mechanical Engineering
https://mech.iitm.ac.in/meiitm/

Mechanical engineering is traditionally attributed to design,

production, and operation of machinery. However it has come
a long way from that. It gives a mix of engineering, physics and
material science. Usually it so happens that this statement is often
misunderstood or vague for many. So lets break it down. What
does it mean to study mechanical engineering? And why should
you choose mechanical engineering ?

Mechanical engineering is a diverse subject that derives its breadth

from the need to design and manufacture everything from small
individual parts and devices (e.g., microscale sensors and nozzles)
to large systems (e.g., spacecraft and machine tools). The role
of a mechanical engineer is to take a product from an idea to
the marketplace. In order to accomplish this, a broad range of
skills are needed. The mechanical engineer needs to acquire
particular skills and knowledge. He/she needs to understand the
forces and the thermal environment that a product, its parts, or
its subsystems will encounter; to design them for functionality,
aesthetics, and the ability to withstand the forces and the thermal
environment they will be subjected to; and to determine the best
way to manufacture them and ensure they will operate without
failure. Perhaps the one skill that is the mechanical engineers
exclusive domain is the ability to analyze and design objects and
systems with motion.
Since these skills are required for virtually everything, mechanical
engineering is perhaps the broadest of engineering disciplines. It
can be called as the big boss considering that it plays a central role
in industries ranging from automotive, aerospace, electronics to
biotechnology, computers, etc.
To put it simply, mechanical engineering deals with anything
that moves, including the human body, a very complex machine.
Mechanical engineers learn about materials, solid and fluid
mechanics, thermodynamics, heat transfer, control, instrumentation,
design, and manufacturing to understand mechanical systems.
Specialized mechanical engineering subjects include biomechanics,
energy conversion, combustion, MEMS, microfluidic devices,
fracture mechanics, nanomechanics, mechanisms and vibrations. The
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) currently lists
36 technical divisions, from advanced energy systems and aerospace
engineering to solid-waste engineering and textile engineering.

Sooraj Narayan, who has now completed his 3rd year at IIT Madras,
chose mechanical engineering, despite getting an AIR of 54 because
of his love for mechanics. He is now an integral member of IITMs
very own formula racing team, Raftar (see http://cfi.iitm.ac.in/raftar/).
I knew that Mechanical engineering offers a lot of cross-platform
learning opportunities much more easily than other branches, says
Pranav. Pranav is the branch opener of mechanical engineering at IIT
Madras and has finished his first year now.

Facilities and Research Culture

The Department of Mechanical Engineering at IIT Madras is as old
as the Institute itself. Needless to say it covers almost all of the above
mentioned domains with state-of-the-art facilities and laboratories.
IIT Madrass focus with respect to mainstream curriculum is on
traditional design, manufacturing and thermodynamic studies.
However the department offers a plethora of extra minors (https://
sites.google.com/a/mitr.iitm.ac.in/iitmcivil/minors) and electives from
other departments (https://www.iitm.ac.in/curricula/B.Tech-B-2015.
pdf) with something for everyone, enabling interdisciplinary learning
and research with ease.
Primary research activities in IITM are covered here .

Placements, Internships and Higher Studies

For those interested in applied scientific and mathematical aspects of
the discipline, graduate study in mechanical engineering can lead to
a career of research and teaching.

The reasons for choosing the department varies a lot from student
to student every year. The breadth of the mechanical engineering
discipline allows students a variety of career options beyond what
you can imagine. Regardless of the particular path they envision for
themselves after they graduate, their education will have provided
them with the creative thinking that allows them to design an exciting
product or system, the analytical tools to achieve their design goals,
the ability to overcome all constraints, and the teamwork needed to
design, market, and produce a system. These valuable skills could also
launch a career in medicine, law, consulting, management, banking,
finance, and so on.

10. Metallurgical
and materials engineering
https://mme.iitm.ac.in/

Want to build a spiderman suit that can help you scale skyscrapers?
Want to make materials that will do what you want them to do?
Want to explore the amazing world of shape memory alloys, self
cleaning materials and carbon nanotubes? Then the department
of MME is where you need to be. A field as old as the modern man
and yet still filled with unharnessed potential, this department is
perfect for anyone with an inquisitive mind and the urge to build
new things.
The role of a metallurgical and materials engineer is too vast
to be defined. But put concisely, he or she should be equipped
with the skills and knowledge to design processes and material
structures that will have certain properties and perform certain
functions.
From the alloys that are
used to build aeroplanes
and turbine blades to
biomaterials that are used
in implants to designing
thermal barrier coatings,
the areas of research are
vast. The subject uses
quite a lot of chemistry
and physics with the help of a lot of applied mathematics. As a student
of this department, you need to have a good understanding of solid
state physics and chemistry, thermodynamics, transport phenomena
and most importantly, a logical frame of mind with an eye for detail.

Curriculum, Facilities and Research Culture

The department, which is as old as the institute itself, is currently
headed by Dr. B.S. Murthy, who is a recipient of the Shanti Swarup
Bhatnagar award. The department has various facilities spread across
6 buildings in the institute. You can find details of the various facilities
available in our department at https://mme.iitm.ac.in/research/
facilitieshere. The curriculuma (https://www.iitm.ac.in/curricula/B.
Tech-B-2015.pdf) is quite varied and offers a lot of potential for
interdisciplinary learning. Added to this, IIT Madras also offers you
the option of choosing from a long list of minors (https://sites.google.
com/a/mitr.iitm.ac.in/iitmcivil/minors) based on your interests.

Moreover, the department also has its own in-house magazine Etch
run by the students of the department. You can use this to get more
info about the department, areas of research and other activities. It
can be found at https://mme.iitm.ac.in/node/566. Aaditya Lakshman,
who graduated this year after a dual degree from the department, says,
I was admitted as an undergraduate student in the department with
a misconception about metallurgy and materials science that there
was nothing quite interesting to be learnt. Five years of exposure
 to some very good teaching, interactions with professors and fellow
students, and an opportunity to explore this vast area has cleared
this misconception. Aaditya is currently headed to the University of
Michigan, Ann Arbour for his PhD.

Placements, Internships and Higher Studies

Last year, 61.11% of those who registered got placed. Many of the
students also opted for higher studies in various universities abroad.
As for internships, apart from various non-core interns, many students
also used various scholarship schemes like DAAD, MITACS etc to go
for research interns in reputed universities abroad.

11. Naval Architecture

http://www.doe.iitm.ac.in/

Naval architecture, also known as naval engineering, is an

engineering discipline dealing with the engineering design
process, shipbuilding, maintenance, and operation of marine
vessels and structures. Established in 1977, the Ocean engineering
department of IIT Madras has strived to create opportunities
at graduate and doctorate level at national and international
platforms. This particular course is offered at only 2 IITs: IIT KGP
and IITM.

Naval Architecture, often shortened to Nav Arch, is not a branch

which you find at every college, which is what makes the branch
special. It is a branch usually chosen by the people who are
passionate about the subject and what it has to offer since it is not
a conventional engineering branch. A naval architect is a fusion
of mechanical engineering and civil engineering, the glue holding
them together being the aptitude and passion of the student
towards the working and development of marine structures.
Together with the constant guidance from experienced professors
and the exposure that IITM has to offer, an IIT aspirant would never
regret opting for naval architecture at IIT Madras.

The department at IIT M has to offer various state-of-the-art facilities;

wave basin, random wave flume, marine geotechnological lab,
materials laboratory to name a few of them.

Future prospects
Naval Architecture has relatively good placement statistics. The
placement percentage varies from 75-90 for undergraduates with some
undergraduates opting for higher studies. All these sided wWith the
a relatively high number of offers from core companies, this ensures
that a truly enthusiastic graduate in Naval architecture could follow
his or her dream. Aside from this, the department has ties with a
number of multinational companies and foreign universities which
often provide the students with platforms for hands-on experience
concerning the department. Career prospects in Naval architecture are
immense due to the shortage of efficient graduates and the diversity
of the subject, the same resulting in high demand for graduates from
an institute as reputed as IIT.

Higher studies in naval architecture are also an option for graduates

from this department. A number of prestigious universities abroad
offer the course with IIT-M having student exchange programmes
with the best of them. More details regarding the department can be
found on the following web page: http://www.doe.iitm.ac.in/

12. Physics
https://physics.iitm.ac.in/

This department is ideal for those who are interested in pursuing

a research career in Physics. The department offers a very wide
range of basic and higher level courses which cover almost all
disciplines in Physics. The limited BS+MS programme offered
 by the department it is an extremely well-structured one that, notably,
is improved every year based on the suggestions of outgoing seniors.
It is also guaranteed to give you an exposure to the frontiers areas of
research.

Placements and Higher Studies

The coursework gives a very good flavor for research and helps
prepare one for PhD. Some students have gotten into PhD programs
of top universities in the world. Placement opportunities in this
department are similar to those of B.Tech. students, although most
students choose to study further.

11. Humanities and

social sciences electives
http://www.t5eiitm.org/2016/03/
importance-humanities-engineering-education/

Apart from taking up your core courses and electives in

engineering and science departments, you will also be required
to take at least a few courses from the Humanities and Social
Sciences department. This has been made a requirement for all
engineering students because of the expectation that an exposure
to the social sciences and humanities is essential for engineers to
broaden their perspectives, enrich their minds beyond their own
discipline and receive a basic understanding of social perspectives
and influences which can go on to help them become even more
effective engineers. The HSS department offers a variety of
courses in different areas so that there is something interesting
for everyone to take up!
Wrapping Up - Tips From Seniors
Weve compiled some tips for insti life for you from
seniors! Without any ado, here they are:

Just because you are in IIT doesnt mean that you have achieved
something great. Now is the real struggle - to find what you really
want to achieve.
You are in one of the most enchanting campuses in the country. Live
it. Indulge in a brisk walk/cycle ride now and then.
There are a lot of opportunities to follow your passions and like-
minded people to help you. Volunteer for the different student bodies
to get to know them.Explore, pitch in where you can, find what you
are enthusiastic about, be it becoming a mentor in Avanti, a volunteer
for I&AR, a regular in Finance Club, an amateur photographer...or
just about anything. Remember, enthusiasm is the only prerequisite!
Attend the Extra Mural Lectures (EMLs): they are rare opportunities
to listen to lectures from extremely distinguished people and make
value additions to your knowledge and perspective.
Do not slack, as tempting as it may be to relax after two years of
grueling cramming. As a point, your first ever quizzes will be easy
on you if you study decently. Do not lose heart if you do not do your
quizzes to your satisfaction, the end semesters hold the maximum
weight and have a big say in the grade points.
Some of you might not be joining in the discipline you want and
might plan on changing your branches. To students who are looking
to change or slide their branch : for the first semester, study well and
leave out anything else you are hard pressed to find time for. It is
alright to miss out on some things for one semester if you are bent
on getting a good CGPA. If you find yourselves in a branch which is
not to your best interest, do not fear. You in all probability do not yet
know what the branch actually is about and you might come to love
your studies.
All the branches in the institute, despite the way they might be
perceived by people outside, are equal. You also need not resign
yourselves to the branch you graduate in.
Credits:
Content :
Aerospace : Abhishek
Biotech : Aparnna
Chemical : Soorya
Civil : Akash
Computer Science : Patanjali
Electrical : Pradyumna, Sanchit
Engineering Design : Akhil, Shivani
Mechanical : Rupesh
Metallurgical : Parvathi
Naval Archirecture : Nihal
Physics & Engg. Physics : Anvitha

Editors : Isha, Shivani & Abhishek

Design : Shiraz & Divya