Part-time courses from IIIT Hyderabad

Let me paste here some details of the PGSSP course offered by IIIT-H for the working professionals in Hyderabad, and on the future route that one may wish to take (either a MTech, MS, or PhD). I had written this to one friend who was interested in PhD, but I feel that the same should give anyone (a working professional, looking for a part-time course) a good idea about the PGSSP programme, and a later MTech/MS, as well.

[Disclaimer: The information and the opinion presented here are based on my personal opinion and experience. While I have tried to be as correct and unbiased as possible, the following can not be taken as the ultimate or the final word or information for the part-time courses offered by IIIT Hyderabad. For official information, please go to iiit.ac.in and also enquire from IIIT-H's admission office before taking any decision.]

Q. The offer says that u have to enroll in few courses max of two per semester. Does this course offer a degree of Master? If yes, then how many course we need to take in Total?

>> Part time students can take a minimum of 1 course per sem, or a max of 2 courses per sem. PGSSP is kind of a probation period for professionals willing to enter the masters/doctorate. You get 1 year (2 sems) to prove your worth to your (possible) guide or college.

If it is MTech, it has to be 64 credits. Each course is normally of 4 credits. And you can take a max of 2 courses i.e., 8 credits in sem.
Similarly, MS is 48 credits (24 credits for subjects, and 24 credits for thesis)

Q. Can u tell us about the classes which happens in IIIT, the duration and  time of classes.

>> Each subject will have biweekly classes, each of 90 mins duration. You can check the timetable for this semester to get an idea.

Q. How is your experience with PGSSP program & with faculties? Also please provide some insight on overall pressure.

>> PGSSP is quite good from the learning perspective, but tough when done along with your office load. The faculties are very well qualified, proficient in their areas.
As far as study load is concerned, you can take a min of 1 course, and a max of 2 courses per sem in PGSSP. [each course can have 4 to 6 credits. I have always taken 4 credit courses :P )

Each course will have 2 classes a week (1 1/2 hours) and you might have to jump off the office in between work days to attend the classes (there are grades on the attendance)

Each course can have a max of 3 written exams, 2 projects, and weekly assignments. The particular faculty may relax the rules, to either 2 exams, 1 project, or no exam at all.

As per as I have seen, the 1st year is the toughest! You will feel to drop out many times! Only the passion for research and learning can help you continue!

Q. How flexible is IIIT in research topic, are there any fixed research topics which institute insist on, or we are free to choose research topic of our interest?

>> This is based on your previous Academic and Work Experience. Based on this, and on your planned future research interests, the professor will suggest specific courses.
Once you are formally into the research (either MS or PhD), you are free to choose your subjects. But it is good to chart your path at IIIT, right from the first sem at PGSSP. You need to talk to a professor under whom you feel you can do research in your area of interest.

In my case, I wanted to do a specialization in "Semantic Search" area, so the subjects I took (as my professor/guide suggested) were Cloud Computing, Pattern Recognition, NLP, IR, etc.) and their credits got migrated to my MS credit, when I upgraded my PGSSP to an MS by Research!

Q. Is there any mandatory minimum attendance? In my case this will be deciding criteria as my role requires me to travel based on business need.

>> Yes! For all subject courses, attendance forms a part of your grades. Every research course, MS or PhD, half of the credits are given to subjects, and half to research/thesis.

Q. Is there any entrance exam for PGSSP as well?

>> No. PGSSP is for working professionals. You can show your work and academic experience through a Statement of Purpose (SOP) when you fill your admission form. You might need a recommendation letter from your company, and a statement that your company is okay to allow you study along side your work ... something of this sort.

Q. I'm aware of the process but seems there are exceptions and exemptions, it is mentioned that some students may not require entrance exam or may be exempted from some course as they might already have relevant course in their previous degree, do you have any such experience or know someone who was given any exemption?

>> Correct, it all depends on your earlier academic/work experience in the research area / lab you are planning to work on. The particular professor's decision also matters.
I got into PGSSP through a recommendation letter from my company, and I needed no entrance exams. As far as I know, there is no entrances for PGSSP for certain.

Q. Will be grateful if you could provide details about your journey, will definitely inspire and motivate me :)  

If you plan to continue a part-time course, then starting with PGSSP is the best option available. This first year will give you an indication how you cope with the load, and whether you can sustain working and studying side-by-side.

For me it was hard, but the passion of learning and and the excitement of doing research in my interest areas, have guided me and helped me pass over the difficult first phase of PGSSP (1 year). You need a min CGPA of 7 to get upgraded to an MS/MTech, and a CGPA of 8 for a PhD approval.
I learned to know and work with latest Search and IR processes and technologies, and cloud infrastructures. The feel of getting into a research mode in a research oriented institute / lab is great! But I should warn you, it is tough to do both - work and study/research. You will need to be at the top of your time and priority management skills.