BTech Program

IIIT Delhi aims to encourage research and innovation in Information Technology (IT) and allied areas. The B.Tech. Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) Program prepares students to undertake careers involving innovation and problem-solving using computational techniques and technologies. It also offers opportunities for advanced research careers or entrepreneurship.

In order to give due importance to applied as well as theoretical aspects of computing, BTech (CSE) curriculum covers most of the foundational aspects of computing sciences. In addition, it develops engineering skills for problem-solving using computing sciences.

Most engineering programs start with general courses in Sciences and then migrate to specialized courses for the disciplines. While these courses are foundational for many engineering disciplines, they are treated as application domains. Hence, the B.Tech. (CSE) program at IIIT Delhi starts with computing oriented courses first and allows the possibility of doing science courses later. Besides being better suited for a CSE program, it also enables students to see newer applications and possibilities of using computing in these subjects.

With this approach, the CSE program can be divided broadly into two halves. The first half focuses on building the foundations and is highly structured. The second part is for developing the skills and knowledge of the students in various topics – computing and application domains. This part provides limited specializations, and different students may follow different paths and take a different set of courses in it.


Objectives

The overall objective of the B.Tech.(CSE) program is to improve the following attributes in students:

  1. To understand the theoretical foundations and limits of computing.
  2. To understand computing at different levels of abstraction, including circuits and computer architecture, operating systems, algorithms and applications.
  3. To instil the ability to adapt established models, techniques, algorithms, data structures to solve new problems efficiently.
  4. To instil the ability to design, implement, and evaluate computer-based systems or applications to meet the desired needs using modern tools and methodologies.
  5. To instil the ability to function effectively in teams to accomplish a common goal.
  6. To understand professional and ethical responsibility.
  7. To instil the ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of audience.
  8. To instil the ability to self learn and engage in life-long learning too.
  9. To instil the ability to use advanced techniques and tools in different areas of computing.
  10. To instil the ability to undertake small research tasks and projects.
  11. To instil the ability to take an idea and develop it into a business plan for an entrepreneurial venture (if desired).
  12. To understand the impact of solutions in an economic, societal and environmental context.



Features

As Computer Science (CS) focuses on the science of computing, to give due importance to applied aspects of computing, it is desirable to have a CS-based education program, which also includes application aspects in the curriculum. IIIT-Delhi aims to have such a curriculum for its Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) program, which is CS-based, and which will also develop in students the engineering skills for problem solving using computing sciences.

Some of the salient points of this program are:

  • It is an IT-focused program. It inverts the pyramid and starts with computing-oriented courses first and the general and sciences courses later.
  • Besides being better suited for an IT program, it also enables students to see newer applications and possibilities of relating IT with these subjects.
  • It has a highly structured core program (mainly the first two years) that focuses on computing fundamentals and communication skills.
  • After the core program, there is flexibility on the courses the students can choose for developing the skills and knowledge in various topics – computing and application domains.
  • Humanities and social sciences is an integral part of the curriculum.
  • Allows motivated students to graduate with a "B.Tech. Honors" by doing extra units.
  • It has a heavy emphasis on practice. Many courses have labs and programming assignments as an integral part of the coursework.
  • It builds research skills through courses like Independent Study, Independent Projects, and Undergraduate Research.



Description of various courses is available here.
Detailed regulations about the program, including the requirements for graduation and the Honors program, are available here.