M.Tech (Research)

Frequently Asked Questions: MTech (Research)

1. How do I get admitted to MTech (Research) in the ECE Dept?

In order to get admitted to MTech (Research) you need to have appeared in the GATE within the last three years. The requirement for GATE is waived for students with a Bachelor’s degree from a centrally funded technical institution (CFTI) with a CGPA of 8.0 or above. You should then apply for the Research programs in IISc (https://iisc.ac.in/admissions/) by mentioning ECE as one of your choices. Shortlisted applicants will then be called for an online technical video interview. The performance in this interview will determine your admission offer. 

 2. How do I prepare for the technical interview for MTech (ECE)?  

 Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview. Please see this page for last year’s call letter containing information on the nature of the interview and the required preparation. 

3. How are campus placements for MTech (Research) students? What are the areas in which students can start a career after MTech in (Research) in ECE.   

Every MTech (Research) student will work with a faculty advisor. The department faculty broadly work on cutting edge technology in the areas of communications, networks, signal processing, microelectronics, photonics, RF & microwave engineering and cyber-physical systems.  Thus research students will specialize in advanced training in their area of research enabling them to advance technology in these areas. 

The placement opportunities are as good as other leading institutes in the country and the world. If you do well in the program, you can be sure of a very good position in top companies with attractive pay packages. 

 4. Suppose I join MTech (Research) but after a term perhaps I wish to switch to ECE/ Signal Processing/ VLSI. Is there a way? 

It must be reiterated that most reputed recruiters look for acquired skills than nomenclature of the degree.  However, once admitted to Research program, one cannot move to a course program.  However, students admitted to either of these programmes may upgrade to PhD program. 

 5. Do I get to choose an area/advisor for my MTech (Research) degree? What is the procedure?  

 The advisor-advisee assignment for the MTech (Research) students is done soon after joining taking into account the area of interest of the student (as expressed during the admission interview process) and mutual consent of the faculty and the student. Please visit this page for current areas of interest and specializations of faculty members of the Department. 

 6.  How exactly is M.Tech (Res) different from M.Tech? Does one get to do more research? 

 MTech (Research) is a research program while MTech is a course based program. Thus the course requirements of MTech (Research) are much less than that of the MTech program. Also, thesis requirements of the MTech (Research) program correspond to those that are typically desired in peer reviewed high quality publications. The project requirements of the MTech program are slightly different and can be achieved through research work, publications, interesting prototypes, system building etc. The scope of work is usually decided based on mutual discussions between the student and the faculty advisor. 

 7. Can I take courses from other departments? Is a course common for students from Masters, PhD, undergrad, other departments? How are they graded considering the wide difference in background? 

 The MTech (Research) program has a course requirement of 12 credits which can be taken from within or outside the department in consultation with the faculty advisor depending on the area of research. It is common for courses to be taken by both Masters and PhD students. We usually observe that Masters students do as well as the PhD students. 

 8. Suppose I have a job after Bachelors in ECE domain, what does the Masters programme at ECE add to my career profile? What are some advantages?  

 MTech (Research) offers to strengthen fundamental concepts in advanced areas. A bachelor’s degree often does not provide enough training to contribute to cutting edge work in these areas. A master’s degree also provides a stronger foundation training such that one is able to seamless move across areas easily during the course of professional career growth. Our master’s students also end up as leaders in their technical teams by virtue of their ability to impact technology in industry. 

 9. Having joined for Masters if I wish to convert/continue for a PhD what is the procedure?  

 Masters students have the option to convert to the PhD program after the second semester based on their satisfying a minimum performance criterion during their first year. In this case, the student is treated like a direct PhD student i.e. students who have been admitted to the PhD program with only a bachelors degree. A graduating PhD student is given both an MTech and a PhD degree in this case. 

 10.  What are the active research areas under ECE?  

 The faculty in the ECE department broadly work in the areas of communication and networks, signal processing, machine learning, microelectronics, photonics, RF and microwave engineering and cyber-physical systems. Please look up individual faculty pages ( https://ece.iisc.ac.in/index.php/people/faculty) for a more current view of topics they work on. 

 11.  What are chances of getting into foreign universities for higher studies after an MTech in IISc? 

 An MTech degree from IISc can significantly improve your chances of getting admitted to a top ranked doctoral programs across the world. 

 12.  What will be the course curriculum of MTech (Research)?  

There is a total requirement of 12 course credits that can be taken from with ECE or other departments in consultation with the faculty advisor. As you can see, the curriculum offers plenty of flexibility to take courses in other areas such as AI/ML, Data Structures, Signal Processing, VLSI Circuits, Antennas, etc, depending on the research group you join with. While working on your masters thesis, you will get a unique opportunity to work on impactful problems and latest techniques. 

 13.  What kind of a student life can I expect at IISc?  

IISc will offer you a memorable student experience during your stay here. You can take a look at this page for some excerpts on student perspectives. 

 14.  Are there any entrepreneurship opportunities that one can pursue at IISc?  

Society for Innovation and Development (SID) and AI and Robotics Technology Park (ARTPARK) at IISc offer several opportunities to translate ideas to technical products.