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IIIT Hyderabad’s Computer Science programme is considered on par with the one at IIT Bombay. Really? Let’s have a look.
About IIIT Hyderabad
The International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT Hyderabad) was started in 1998 to meet the growing needs of the IT industry and to increase research in this field. At the time of its inauguration, computer science study was more of learning to code and get placed in an IT organisation. This institute aimed to encourage research and PhD studies in the field of computer science and electronics.
IIIT Hyderabad offers the following programmes as on 2022.
UG Single degree:
- B.Tech (Computer Science and Engineering)
- B.Tech (Electronics and Communication Engineering)
UG Dual degree:
- B.Tech – MS by Research (Computer Science and Engineering)
- B.Tech – MS by Research (Electronics and Communication Engineering)
- B.Tech (Computer Science) – MS by Research (Computational Natural Sciences)
- B.Tech (Computer Science) – MS by Research (Computational Linguistics)
- B.Tech (Computer Science) – MS by Research (Computing and Human Sciences)
Higher Degrees:
- M.Tech
- M.S by Research
- PhD
We will focus on the UG admissions in this article.
IIIT Hyderabad UG Admission Modes
There are 6 modes of admission to IIIT Hyderabad. Students have an opportunity to apply via multiple channels as per their eligibility. For example, a lot of students apply via both – JEE and UGEE modes.
#1. JEE Mains – For Single Degree B.Tech only
The JEE Mains conducted by NTA is the main criterion for admission to the single degree B.Tech degree and there is no separate entrance exam conducted for these programmes.
The cut-offs are pretty high and you may need a 3-digit rank to get admission to CSE and something below 2000 to get admission to the ECE branch. There are no reservation quotas and everyone is admitted based on merit alone.
Please note that though the admissions are based on JEE Mains, IIIT Hyderabad is not part of the JoSAA counselling unlike many other IIITs. You will have to apply separately on the IIIT portal after JEE Mains results are announced.
#2. UGEE (Undergraduate Entrance Exam) – For B.Tech – MS (by research) Dual degree
IIIT Hyderabad conducts a separate entrance exam called the UGEE for admission to B.Tech-MS dual degree programmes. This exam is conducted at multiple cities across India and is an online centre-based multiple choice test. Please note that the UGEE application form has a couple of essay questions which the student needs to write and will be used later in the selection process.
The purpose of UGEE is to check the subject knowledge and also the research aptitude for the MS by research programme. The exam consists of 2 sections.
- SUPR (Subject Proficiency) – 1 hour
- REAP (Research Aptitude) – 2 hours
SUPR has Maths, Physics and Chemistry questions with 1 mark each and no negative score. Syllabus for this section is based on NCERT books, which is the same as JEE Mains. So no separate preparation is required to attempt this section.
REAP has mental ability and critical thinking based questions for which each question carries 2 marks and there is a negative score of -1/2 for a wrong answer. There is no syllabus or book recommended here and it purely depends on the student’s inherent talent alone. Practicing some mental ability questions a few days before the exam may help in tuning the brain before the exam.
After the written exam, there is a personal interview round before the final selection list is announced. So, just clearing UGEE exam alone does not guarantee you a seat.
Based on feedback from students who have attended the interview round, it is said that the students are given a few problems for solving. They are then asked questions on how they approach the problem, even if they don’t get a perfectly correct answer. Students need to work on their communication skills, because even if they have the knowledge, if they can’t express themselves in front of an interviewer, they lose a chance to get into IIIT Hyderabad.
They are also asked questions based on the essay written when filling the UGEE application form. So, it will help keeping a copy of your application form handy before appearing for the interview.
The final selection list is based on the total of UGEE score and the interview score.
#3. Special Channel of Admission (SPEC) – For Single degree B.Tech
The special channel of admission allocates a certain number of B.Tech seats to students from challenging circumstances.
- Girl students qualified for the UDAAN Scheme of CBSE
- Students who have studied classes 11 and 12 in Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV)
- Students who are in the 4th year of the 12th+B.Tech integrated programme after 10th standard. For example, the one at NMIMS.
The above categories of students also need to appear for an entrance exam, which will only consist of the SUPR section of 1 hour duration.
#4. Olympiad/KVPY Mode – For B.Tech – MS (by research) Dual degree
The following categories of students are eligible to attend the interview round of admission without attempting any of the entrance tests.
- Students who have been selected for KVPY Scholarships. The top 200 ranked students are invited for interviews.
- Gold or Silver medal winners in the past 4 years at the Indian National Olympiad in Informatics (INOI).
- Selected to represent India at International Olympiads in Informatics, Linguistics, Mathematics or Science (Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry and Physics) during the last few years. (The eligible Olympiad list is given on the official website)
#5. Direct Admission for students abroad (DASA) – For single and dual degree programmes
This mode of admission is for students:
- Who have completed 11th and 12th grades with Maths, Physics and Chemistry outside India.
- Hold a foreign passport and completed 11th and 12th grades anywhere with Maths, Physics and Chemistry.
Students applying via DASA mode need to appear for the SAT exam. The cutoff score for admission will be notified every year.
#6. Lateral Admission – For B.Tech – MS (by research) Dual degree
The Lateral Admission mode is for students who are already admitted to other colleges for B.Tech/B.E and have completed 4 semesters with a high CGPA (8+). These students can apply for admission to the 3rd year of the dual degree programme.
Eligibility for Lateral Admission to IIIT Hyderabad
CSE: Students who have completed 4 semesters of B.Tech/B.E CSE or IT.
ECE: Students who have completed 4 semesters of B.Tech/B.E ECE or EEE or EIE or ETE.
Entrance Exam
Students applying for the Lateral Entry scheme will have to appear for the Lateral Entry Entrance Examination (LEEE) in the respective branch.
Life at IIIT Hyderabad
IIIT Hyderabad is located in Gachibowli, Hyderabad which is within the city limits and there is lot to do outside the campus.
Faculty at IIIT Hyderabad is excellent and most of them are PhDs from leading institutions.
Since the institute only offers programmes in CSE and ECE, with a limited number of seats, the campus is smaller in size (66 acres), if you compare it to any of the IITs. (IIT Hyderabad is 570 acres).
As per feedback from students, the first year includes a programme in Yoga, which is mandatory and you will need to get up early. While this maybe a bit of an irritant for a lot of late night gamers, it is a healthy practice, something that students need to try and inculcate in their daily lives. Sports are part of the curriculum and you actually need to earn credits in these subjects! (Check out the CSE curriculum😜)
IIIT Hyderabad’s curriculum is rigorous and research-based. It is not a place where you can bunk classes and expect to clear the final exam by burning the midnight oil the night before.
Students are given the facilities and resources to publish papers and present them at international conferences, even at the UG level – something which a lot of colleges do not offer. Libraries are stacked with the latest international research journals and books.
IIIT Hyderabad provides ample opportunities to pursue summer internships – which helps students gain industrial experience. This is another thing a lot of colleges do not provide or insist on. (especially the local colleges where students get readymade project reports from Ameerpet without doing anything)
Hostels at IIIT Hyderabad
IIIT Hyderabad is fully residential and it is mandatory to stay in the hostel. Rooms are on twin-sharing basis. They provide most of the basic necessities, which includes a washing machine, so you don’t need to manually do your laundry!
Hostels also have gym and yoga facilities, sports facilities, TV room and both veg and non-veg mess. Being in the city limits, there are lots of restaurants and malls in the vicinity of the campus. (And of course Swiggy and Zomato)
Placements at IIIT Hyderabad
IIIT Hyderabad offers some of the best placement opportunities, which can beat even IITs.
The placement stats for 2020-21 is given below.
The average salary for CSE branch is ₹32LPA and for the ECE branch, it is ₹28LPA and most branches have a 100% placement record.
Top recruiters include Microsoft, Google, Meta (Facebook), Adobe, Amazon, Samsung, NVIDIA and Qualcomm. IIIT boasts of a 100% placement record for B.Tech students.
You may get the latest placement stats from their placement portal.
Fees
IIIT Hyderabad, being a private university is more expensive than NITs and IITs. The fee can be in the range of ₹15-18 Lakh + for the B.Tech programme and another ₹4 lakh for the dual degree.
The institute has a tie-up with SBI for an education loan at reasonable interest rates. There is also a need-based financial assistance for students whose family income is less than ₹8 lakh per year.
Should you consider applying to IIIT Hyderabad?
If you are a B.Tech Computer Science or Electronics aspirant, there’s only one answer – a big YES. It is one of the best colleges to study these 2 branches and get placed with a high salary. There is no separate entrance exam needed and you just need to apply with your JEE Mains score. You will need a 99.9+ percentile in your JEE Mains to get a seat into CSE and around 99.7 to get ECE.
To get into the IITs, you need to appear for JEE Advanced. If things do not go as planned in your JEE Advanced, or you are just happy with your JEE Mains score, IIIT Hyderabad is one of the best places to join and is definitely better than most NITs (if fee is not a factor). However, if the IIT brand matters to you, you may write Advanced and try your luck.
If you think you enjoy research and not a conventional coding job, you should consider the B.Tech – MS programme. Also, if you are not very confident about clearing JEE Mains and feel you are good at handling the mental ability part well, you can consider writing the UGEE and trying for the dual degree.
If you lack the aptitude for research, the exam and interview will filter you out. And if you clear it, you can be sure you can handle the research! A lot of students at 12th grade are not sure about whether they want to get into research or a regular industry job. Preferences change, as they progress through the semesters, so it is always better to keep options open.
If you are planning to go abroad for further studies, you can safely join IIIT Hyderabad, as the opportunities are ample. The exposure you get to international conferences at the UG level are immense and will add weightage to your higher study applications.
Overall, IIIT Hyderabad is definitely one of the colleges that should be on the top of your list if you are planning to study engineering.
You may also be interested in knowing about BITS Pilani.
