Information - Prospective Students

If you are an engineering graduate interested in higher studies, the Department of Electrical Engineering (EE) at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) offers you a rewarding and challenging learning experience. We admit students for Masters as well as Ph.D. programs. We have two kinds of Masters level programs – M Tech program, which is course-based, and M Tech(Res), which is thesis-based.

Students whose highest degree is a B.E. or B.Tech. must have a valid GATE score to be considered for admission. We admit students with a Bachelor’s degree also into the Ph.D. program. Normally, every year, the application process starts in February and applications are accepted until the end of March. Please visit IISc home page for more details regarding the application procedure.

M Tech degree programmes:
posters:

The Master of Technology (M Tech) is a degree program of two-year duration. The students have to complete a specified number of credits by taking courses and then doing a Masters project. There is lot of flexibility in choosing many of the courses, which the students can use to specialize in some subjects. The project work will allow ample opportunity for the students to explore a small area on their own initiative and conduct some research.

The selection of candidates for M Tech programmes is based entirely on the GATE scores. The EE department offers three M Tech specializations as listed below. (Please click on them to get a list of courses under that programme).

M Tech (Electrical Engineering)
M Tech (Systems Engineering) - jointly with Department of Computer Science and Automation
M Tech (Signal Processing) - jointly with Department of Electrical Communication Engineering

The M Tech programme is designed to be challenging with courses that have rigorous and intellectually stimulating content. Unlike most undergraduate studies, the emphasis here is on deeper understanding of the chosen specialization. The project work prepares you to excel in a research and development oriented career also. All students are assigned a faculty advisor as soon as they are admitted. During the first year of M Tech, the faculty advisor assists the student in choosing courses as well as in choosing a project. From the end of the second semester, the project guide becomes the faculty advisor for the student. An M Tech degree prepares you both for a career in an industry as well as for continuing for a Ph.D. to build a career in academics or industrial research labs.

Research Programmes
We offer research programmes leading to two degrees

Master of Technology by Research - M Tech(Res)
Doctor of Philosophy – Ph.D.

Students with a B.E. or B.Tech. qualification are eligible for admission to both the programmes, while students with a Masters degree are eligible for admission to Ph.D. The selection is based on the performance in an interview, which is conducted during June every year. Students with B.E./B.Tech. qualification are shortlisted for the interview based on their GATE score. Students with a Masters degree are shortlisted for the interview based on their academic record.

These degrees are awarded based on a research thesis submitted by the candidate. Each student admitted to the research program is assigned a faculty member as his research guide based on the research interests of the student. The research guide helps the student in conducting research and writing a thesis. The students have to first complete a credit requirement by taking some courses (called the Research Training Program) as chosen by their guides, which allows them to acquire the background knowledge and skills needed to conduct research in their chosen field.

The thesis for M Tech(Res) should clearly show that the student has good command over current state-of-the-art in the chosen research problem and should also contain some novel research results in that area. A Ph.D. thesis should not only show the mastery of the student in the chosen problem area, but also should record sufficient quantity of high quality research results.

The M Tech(Res) degree is expected to take about 2 to 2.5 years. M Tech(Res) students are given scholarship for 2.5 years and are given time until three years from date of registration for submitting a thesis.

The Ph.D. degree is expected to take about 4.5 to 5.5 years. The students are given scholarship for five years and some minimal financial assistance for another six months. They are allowed time until six years from the date of registration to submit a thesis.

In order to be successful in a research programme, students should have aptitude for research, passion for learning new concepts, and feel that the real reward is the thrill of solving a new problem. Research students should enjoy working hard and thus think research is fun. For students with the right level of motivation, joining a research programme would be lot more rewarding than joining the M Tech program.

Please write to chairman@ee.iisc.ernet.in if you have more specific questions.