Is getting an online degree from IIT Madras worth it while I'm pursuing my own course?

The increasing demand for data science and artificial intelligence has resulted in people preferring a more promising career among fresh graduates and working professionals. This field has created a number of opportunities and everyone is flocking to it.

These courses are seen as a key to a more high-paying job by UG students who end up pursuing them alongside their main course. Owing to its increasing demand, IIT Madras and IIM Calcutta have started offering online degrees in Data Science 

IITM offers courses at three levels:

1. The foundation level: Comprises a time duration of 8 months to 3 years costing around 32k.
2. The Diploma level: Comprises a time duration of 12 months to 3 years and costs 1,10,000.
3. The Degree level: Varying from 12 months to 3 years, it costs 1,00,000.

While doing an online course that too from IIT Madras may look like a lucrative option here is the dark side 

• The course is extremely expensive 
• The long duration is not suitable for graduates or working professionals who want to move forward in their careers.
• Lack of hands-on experience 
• No placement of internship assistance at all
• Pre-recorded sessions make the learning boring and uninteresting 
• You won’t be allowed to pursue the degree unless you’ve done the diploma.

The IIT tag surely appeals to many and makes your resume look good in front of recruiters however, it does not guarantee that you have a good Data Science career. It might help you get through the first round, but the course does not offer the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in this domain. The reasons why this course is not credible are the lack of hands-on projects, pre-recorded sessions, and absence of interaction in the class or doubt-solving sessions.

The alternative for these online courses are programs offered by various platforms like Learn Bay, Skill Slash, UpGrad Great Learning, SimpliLearn, etc. These are

• Cost friendly
• Ace up your knowledge 
• Offers a hands-on experience by making you work on real-time industry issues
• Placement assistance 

All these make them a more viable option for a career in Data Science than the Online course of IIT Madras.