ISI Kolkata has a great M.Tech CS program in terms of academics and placements.
If you are from a Computer Science background, then you would have already studied most of the subjects covered in first year. During the second year, you will have the freedom to choose courses based on your interest. ISI is particularly reputed for Cryptography. But you can find other interesting thesis topics in Machine Learning, VLSI, Cognitive Science, Image Processing, etc. If your area of interest matches any of these, you will easily find a good research guide.
ISI is famous for Statistics, hence the name Indian Statistical Institute. So, ISI Kolkata M.Tech CS placement includes great Data Science profiles. You will have plenty of opportunities in the Data Science sector. But it’s hard to receive developer profiles through campus placements.
IITs offer better placements for MTech in Computer Science. ISI Kolkata offers fewer core Computer Science job profiles. Most opportunities offered at the institute are for M.Stat and MSQE students. But if you want a career as a Data Scientist, it will be a better choice. ISI Kolkata placements are the best in the country for analytics. However, the recruiting companies usually prefer M.Stat/MSQE students over M.Tech.
According to the recent placement highlights M.Tech CS students of ISI usually receive a median CTC of around INR 18.6 LPA.
In terms of research too, join ISI Kolkata, if you want to work on something related to analytics or big data, etc. If you want a traditional career path in CS, then IITs will be better.
M.Tech CS at ISI Kolkata isn’t just for CSE graduates. The student crowd includes students from all engineering streams. So, in the first year, ISI encourages students from non-CSE backgrounds to learn coding and study computer science courses. While CSE students are encouraged to take Mathematics courses such as Algebra, or Probability.
Second year course curriculum can seem a little boring for students with CS background. As the major chunk of the curriculum includes Algorithms, Networking, DBMS, etc. But you should use this opportunity to brush up on these subjects. You will also have the option to do research work, during the course tenure. Pursuing a research project can be really helpful if you are interested in doing a Ph.D. or an internship afterward.
In the second year, you will be allowed to choose a course of your choice. Try to take a subject that is relevant to your thesis work. The coursework in the third year can get extremely hectic, you will have to work on your thesis, start preparing for placement or PhD, and work on five subjects.
ISI Kolkata M.Tech CSE cutoff for a direct interview is 770/1000 in GATE. But scoring 770 doesn’t guarantee that you will be able to get an interview call. Shortlisting for interviews is done based on the competition that year.
For written tests, ISI does publish a cutoff. Recent years’ record shows the required cutoff for MMA > = 51/120, and MMA + 2PCB > = 117/320, for general category students. To get a shortlist based on interviews, general category students need around 190/480. Naturally, the required cutoff changes each year.
One of my friends is currently in his first year of M.tech CS at ISI Kolkata. Here are some crucial insights regarding the academics and placements according to his experience.
Academics:
Placements:
ISI is particularly famous for statistics. So, most companies coming for placements offer Data science profiles. Very few companies would be offering developer job roles. So regarding the placements, it’s the best place to grab data scientist roles with lucrative packages. In the recent placement highlights, the average and highest CTC offered was 19.80 LPA and 42 LPA.
Overall, ISI Kolkata is an amazing place to pursue your M.Tech in CS. The great academics and placement record indeed make it a haven for students associated with CS, mathematics, and statistics fields.
In my opinion, IISc Bangalore is a way better option than IIT Bombay mainly because it offers core engineering in computer science e.g. Linux Kernel Programming. It is true computer engineering. It helps you understand the science of Computer Engineering and develop a strong grasp of it.
Any science be it Computer Science or any other is solely based on concepts and implementation of these concepts is quite difficult. An extensive knowledge of Computer Science doesn’t necessarily ensure great Computer engineering skills. But it’s true vice versa. So by going for IISC, one is surely choosing the path of excellence through the very foundation of Computer Science.
IIT Bombay is a brand that is known nationwide whereas IISc is known globally mainly because of its focus on core and complex concepts in Computer Science. Moreover the quality and quality of papers submitted by IISc is much more than IIT Bombay and this already reflects how successful it is going to become in the future.
Here's an overview of the internship and Final Placement data for the M.Tech CS 2021 Batch:
Summer Internship
Final Placements
The top recruiters for the year 2021 were Google, Alphonso, Morgan Stanley, Microsoft, Amazon, Flipkart, PayPal, Samsung, KPMG, OYO, TATA, Naukri.com, Reliance, and others.
The MS program is solely research-oriented and has minimal research work, while M.Tech is coursework based and has very less research angle. It's up to you to decide which aspect is more suitable for you and then only choose the program.
The subject or area of your work defines your MS program because the entire research will be based on that area only. Chronologically, an MS student has to go through these
There is no fixed duration of the degree and one can even complete it in 2 years. It all depends on your capabilities and your area of research. Some even convert their MS degree into Ph.D. after the 1st year. The faculty pool is very cooperative and guides you continuously throughout your research work. Some important research topics include
As far as IIIT Hyderabad is concerned, its MTech program is coursework-based will little research in comparison to MS. So make a good choice of both institute and program based on your career prospects and preferences.
One of my friends had both options, MTech in IIT Delhi and MTech in IISc Bangalore, however, despite his hailing from Delhi, he chose IISc Bangalore over IIT Delhi. Some strong reasons which influenced his decision were
All these pointers strongly inclined my friend towards IISc and he eventually completed his MTech from there.
The M.Tech program in Computer Science at IIT Madras is considered a demanding graduate-level degree program that requires a strong grasp of computer science concepts and a high level of dedication and hard work. However, with the right approach and attitude, it can be a very enriching experience.
The level of difficulty of MTech depends on the courses you have specifically opted for and the professors teaching you. Some professors like to take the reins and have strict rules in terms of attendance and assignment submission deadlines while some have a laid-back attitude and leave it up to the students to be punctual and make the most out of the classes.
The project you chose for the second year and your guide also determines whether you will have a hectic schedule or can spare some time for leisure activities and hobbies. Choose wisely as these 2 years are very important in shaping your career. However, one should be ready to commit completely to their course and invest maximum time possible.