The ME programme in Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) is a challenging one with courses that have high standards, interesting and stimulating content.
Graduate vs. Undergraduate Study
A graduate student (yourself) is assumed to be fairly mature academically, and self-motivated to a large extent. Unlike undergraduate studies, your emphasis here should be on obtaining deeper understanding of challenging and interesting subjects, and less on obtaining high grades. The de-emphasizing of grades is more important, since most of you have been top rankers at your respective colleges. Naturally not all of you can become top rankers here, nor is it necessary as long as you gain a sound understanding and mastery of the subjects. Graduate studies have other equally important or superior metrics for measuring performance: how well you do in courses from a focused area of your interest and choice; how well you do in your dissertation work; may be even how well you do in academic work that you undertake beyond the classroom and project. This doesn't mean you do not strive to get the best grades. Getting superior grades is important but is only one of many aspects of the learning process here.
Doing Research as a Part of Dissertation Work
The next important issue is the idea of pursuing research. As a part of ME Programme, you are required to do a Dissertation Work. Over the years, the nature of this dissertation work has become more research-oriented, and you are expected to publish papers in international conferences and journals from your dissertation work. Gradually, facilities have been enhanced to do this kind of dissertation work. In the good old days, papers need to be xeroxed (many times not available) and read, but now everything is available at your fingertips (you still need to read them). At the same time, Gigabytes of storage space is also available. The only additional input you require from your end is your determination to carry out an excellent dissertation work. It is useful to identify your guide and topic of dissertation early.
Exploring Cutting-Edge Research
Considering that you are among the top students of the country, it is likely that you have harboured ambitions of doing cutting-edge research or pursuing an academic career. Factors that are likely to steer you away from pursuing your dreams are lack of good prospects after a Ph.D., fear of not following the crowd to industry, etc.
With regard to job prospects, the Indian job market now has very challenging jobs to offer in the future, especially for researchers. The rigours and challenges of our doctoral Programme have enabled several of our Ph.D. graduates to occupy key, senior positions in corporate R & D institutions.
Suppose you are convinced enough to start thinking in terms of a Ph.D. The next question is: why do so at IISc? Here are a bunch of good reasons: intellectual ambience of IISc coupled with excellent faculty at CSA. You have an opportunity here to do a world-class Ph.D. without losing out on the benefits of living in the environment and culture that you are probably most comfortable in. Now suppose you are convinced that you want to do Ph.D. at IISc. The question that arises is: how can you join Ph.D. here? There are two options available: First, you can convert your ME to Ph.D. at the end of first, second or third term. The only requirement is that you have a certain minimum CGPA (See the students' handbook for details). Second, you appear in our research interview either immediately after completing your ME Programme or after having spent sometime in the industry.
Course Requirements:
Department Core: A minimum of 24 credits comprising at least 8 credits each from Pool A, Pool B and Pool C as given below.
POOL A
| Course No |
Credits |
Course Title |
| E0 220 |
3:1 |
Graph Theory and Combinatorics |
| E0 221 |
3:1 |
Discrete Structures |
| E0 222 |
3:1 |
Automata Theory and Computability |
| E0 223 |
3:1 |
Automated Verification |
| E0 225 |
3:1 |
Design and Analysis of Algorithms |
| E0 231 |
3:1 |
Algorithmic Algebra |
| E0 235 |
3:1 |
Cryptography |
POOL B
| Course No |
Credits |
Course Title |
| E0 227 |
3:1 |
Program Analysis and Verification |
| E0 243 |
3:1 |
Computer Architecture |
| E0 253 |
3:1 |
Operating Systems |
| E0 254 |
3:1 |
Network and Distributed Systems Security |
| E0 255 |
3:1 |
Compiler Design |
| E0 261 |
3:1 |
Database Management Systems |
| E0 271 |
3:1 |
Computer Graphics |
POOL C
| Course No |
Credits |
Course Title |
| E0 219 |
3:1 |
Linear Algebra and Applications |
| E0 230 |
3:1 |
Computational Methods of Optimization |
| E0 232 |
3:1 |
Probability and Statistics |
| E0 241 |
3:1 |
Computer Communication Networks |
| E0 268 |
3:1 |
Data Mining |
| E1 254 |
3:1 |
Game Theory |
Project: 24 Credits
EP 299 0:24 Dissertation Project
0:08 August-December Term
0:16 January-April Term
Electives
The balance of credits to make up the minimum of 64 credits required for completing the ME Degree Programme (all at 200 level or higher) should be covered with elective courses from within/outside the department and these courses can be taken with the approval of the DCC/Faculty advisor only.
Faculty Advisor
While we are sure that all of you have the inherent motivation and abilities to get through the programme with flying colours, we believe a little extra guidance from us will go a long way in smoothing out your adjustment to a new academic environment and in enhancing your academic performance. Your primary source of academic guidance and counseling is the faculty advisor assigned to you. You should make it a point to get to know your advisor well, and meet your advisor frequently in the early part of your stay here, and especially whenever you face any problems. The distinction between students and faculty is more blurred: you will find faculty willing to deal with you on a more equal level, to listen to and value ideas from you that might be contradictory to their current knowledge and viewpoints, etc.
Another person who can help you will be the TA (Teaching Assistant) for each course. The TA is likely to be a student just one year senior to you; occasionally, the TA can be someone from your batch who has done the course a semester before you! This is because graduate studies are also meant to teach you things such as honest and critical evaluation of work done by peers.
Student Advisor
There will also be a student advisor assigned to each student. He/She is
someone with whom you can interact closely in a friendly and informal way to
help yourself acclimatize to the environment here. Apart from the Faculty Advisor, the Student Advisor is another avenue for helping you in adjusting with the environment in the CSA department and the IISc campus in general.
