Courses
Course Structure
IISc follows a credit structure. Each subject has a specified number of credits. Each credit stands for one lecture hour per week or 3 hours of practical. The credit for the course is of the form x:y, where x is the credits for lecture hours and y is the credits for practical. In some cases, where there is limited scope for practical, y refers to the credits for solving problems through tutorial sessions or homework. The total credits for the course is x+y. In practice, you will often have to spend more than 3 hours per week for the 1 credit of practical. Unlike most undergraduate programs, practical and homework don’t have any fixed timings. You have to spend as much time as you require and complete them. You will find numbers associated with each of the subjects. For example,
E0 206 Theorist’s Toolkit 3:1
E0 235 Cryptography 3:1
E1 311 Topics in Combinatorics 3:1
Here E in E0 stands for the fact that the course is offered by in the Division of Electrical Sciences. 0 stands for Computer Science discipline, 1 stands for Intelligent Systems and Automation discipline etc. The number 228 is course number, where the first 2 stands for 200 level. A 200 level course is at Master level. A 300 Level course is at Research level.
Math Requirement Course
Direct PhD and MTech (Research) students may credit any one of the following courses to satisfy the math requirement:
- Courses in Pool A for the MTech 2020-2022 batch.
- Graduate level courses offered in the Math department
- E0 226 : Linear Algebra and Probability
Choosing Courses
Each of you has come in with some idea of the areas of Computer Science that are of interest to you. But the faculty here often finds that your interests are based on misconceptions about the areas! Computer Science is taught in quite a different manner here at IISc, with much more rigour, orientation towards practical aspects, and emphasis on cutting-edge topics. This is very likely to change both your impressions about different sub-areas of computer science and your interests. Therefore, it is very important for you to put aside your prior notions to a good extent, and try out a variety of courses here. Another common phenomenon is the rush towards courses that currently have high job market value. While it is natural for students to lean towards such courses, it is equally important to not lose yourself to herd mentality or short-term prospects. So how does all this affect your M.Tech. or Research Programme here? Given the fast moving Indian industry, it is very important for you to view your stay at IISc as a long-term investment rather than a short-term one, where you focus yourself on one sub-area of today to get a job tomorrow. It is important to broad-base your choice of elective courses. Your objective should be to gain a sound understanding and superior skills in core topics with a long-term perspective. This is where continuous interaction with faculty advisors assumes much significance.