IIT Madras Admission Through GATE: M.Tech, MS and PhD for DA and CSE

IIT Madras is in Chennai (postal address: Chennai 600036, Tamil Nadu). If you are taking GATE DA or GATE CS, two academic units are relevant.

• The Department of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, part of the Wadhwani School of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (WSAI). The school says it was founded in 2024 and sits on the 6th floor of New Academic Complex 2. It offers the M.Tech in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, an MS, a PhD and a Direct PhD.
• The Department of Computer Science and Engineering, which offers the M.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering, MS, PhD and Direct PhD.

The two departments run separate selection tests. This page follows the 2026 admission cycle, which is the latest one with complete official documents.

IIT Madras does not take M.Tech applications through COAP. COAP only displays offers. You apply on the institute's own portal, mtechadm.iitm.ac.in, and the brochure says a COAP registration number is a mandatory field on that form, so register on COAP first.

The 2026 cycle in brief, from the M.Tech information brochure 2026 and the portal:

Step	2026 cycle
GATE scores accepted	GATE 2024, 2025 or 2026
Application window	28 March to 27 April 2026, extended on the portal to 28 April 2026
Application fee	₹300 (SC/ST/PwD/female), ₹600 (others), per application
Offers	Displayed on COAP in rounds; the portal referred to Round 9 (4 to 6 July 2026) and Round 12
Document verification for CSE and DSAI	21 July 2026, Student Activity Centre
Classes began	27 July 2026

One detail catches people out: each GATE score needs its own application and its own fee. If you hold a 2025 and a 2026 score, that is two applications. Programme choices cannot be changed after you submit.

Table 3 of the 2026 brochure ties each M.Tech to specific GATE papers. For DA and CS takers the picture is clear.

Programme (code)	GATE paper accepted	Qualifying degree	Seats in 2026 brochure
M.Tech in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DA1)	DA	All disciplines of qualifying degree	15 with HTTA, 10 without
M.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering (CS1)	CS	All disciplines of qualifying degree	47 with HTTA, 0 without

So a GATE DA score does not get you into CS1, and a GATE CS score does not get you into DA1. If you want both options, you need both papers.

A few other programmes also list DA or CS among accepted papers, with conditions on your qualifying degree:

• M.Tech in Industrial Mathematics and Scientific Computing (MA1, Department of Mathematics) lists both CS and DA.
• M.Tech in Electrical Engineering, stream Control and Optimization (EE7), lists DA for EC, EE, EP, IN and ZE graduates.
• M.Tech in Robotics (ED2, Department of Engineering Design) lists CS for some qualifying disciplines.

HTTA means Half-Time Teaching Assistantship. The brochure puts it at ₹12,400 per month for up to 22 months, for Indian nationals, in return for 8 hours a week of departmental work. Seats ending in N carry no assistantship. You can opt for one or both.

IIT Madras publishes its M.Tech GATE cut-off scores on the admissions portal. These are GATE scores out of 1000, copied as printed. They apply to candidates whose qualifying discipline and GATE paper match the programme.

Programme	Year	GEN	EWS	OBC-NCL	SC	ST
DA1Y (Data Science and AI, HTTA)	2026	860	836	787	679	600
DA1N (Data Science and AI, non-HTTA)	2026	852	816	763	562	655
CS1Y (Computer Science and Engineering, HTTA)	2026	900	808	796	625	589
DA1Y	2025	866	768	768	690	553
CS1Y	2025	881	770	802	585	564

Sources: 2026 cut-off PDF and 2025 cut-off PDF. The PDFs also give PwD cut-offs. Cut-offs move each year with the number of applicants and seats, so read them as a record of past cycles and not a promise for the next one.

Research admissions run through research.iitm.ac.in. The July 2026 research brochure set the application window from 11 November 2025 to 30 March 2026, and the department then calls shortlisted candidates for a test and interview or an interview.

The CSE admissions page for the May 2026 round lists these points.

• MS eligibility: a 4-year B.E./B.Tech in any engineering area, a 4-year B.Sc./BS or an MCA/M.Sc. in related areas, plus a valid GATE score in CS, MA, DA or EC. CFTI graduates in CSE, EE, ECE, IT, DS or AI with CGPA of 8 or more do not need GATE.
• Shortlisting for MS (HTRA): GATE 650 for General, 585 for OBC-NCL/EWS and 325 for SC/ST/PwD, with UG marks of 70, 63 and 56 respectively for non-IIT applicants.
• Direct PhD: a B.E./B.Tech from outside the CFTIs needs CGPA of 8 or more and a valid GATE CS, DA, MA or EC score. The GATE shortlisting figure was 550 for General.
• Written test: C programming, digital logic, discrete mathematics, data structures, algorithms, computer organisation, theory of computation, operating systems, databases, compilers, networks, and analytical thinking questions.

In May 2026 the MS written test was on 6 May with interviews from 6 to 8 May, and the PhD written test was on 11 May. That syllabus is close to GATE CS, so your GATE CSE preparation carries over directly.

The research brochure sets eligibility for the Department of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence.

• MS: any 4-year UG degree of IITs, CFTIs, UGC or AICTE (a 3-year degree such as B.Sc. needs an additional master's), and a valid GATE score in any discipline. Graduates of the IIT Madras online BS in Data Science can also apply.
• Direct PhD (MS and PhD): a 4-year UG degree or a relevant master's, and a valid GATE score in one of AE, AG, BM, BT, CE, CH, CS, DA, EC, EE, ES, IN, MA, ME, MN, MT, NM, PE, PI or ST.
• PhD: a completed PG degree in engineering or technology.

The WSAI MS/PhD page describes a written test in two parts: objective theory questions and basic Python coding. The theory syllabus covers probability and statistics, linear algebra, and calculus and optimisation. Those who clear it face an online interview on machine learning and AI topics such as regression, classification, search, logic and inference. PhD applicants may also be asked about one specialised area they choose from deep learning, NLP, vision, RL or time-series modelling.

The school itself says the GATE DA model question paper is a good reference because its test is structured in a similar way. If you are preparing for GATE DA, the same probability, linear algebra and ML work serves both.

A few routes do not depend on your GATE paper choice.

• IIT B.Tech graduates with CGPA of 8.0 or above can apply for M.Tech without a GATE score. The department reviews these applications.
• An M.Tech student who has completed at least two semesters with CGPA of 8.0 or more can be considered for upgradation to PhD by a department committee.
• Sponsored candidates need two years of professional experience in the sponsoring organisation. QIP and defence-sponsored candidates are selected separately and cannot apply through the M.Tech portal.

For M.Tech queries the brochure names the Chairperson, M.Tech., M.A. and M.Sc. Admissions Committee 2026, GATE-JAM office, IIT Madras, phone 044-2257 8200, email mtechadm@iitm.ac.in. CSE research admission queries go to admissions@cse.iitm.ac.in. The Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI lists 044 2257 8980 and office@dsai.iitm.ac.in.

A practical order of work for the 2027 cycle:

1. Pick your paper with the programme in mind: DA for DA1 and the WSAI research route, CS for CS1 and the CSE research route.
2. Follow how to prepare for GATE DA 2027 or how to prepare for GATE CSE 2027, and work through previous year questions.
3. Check the GATE 2027 page and the Chennai exam city page for exam logistics.
4. Watch mtechadm.iitm.ac.in and research.iitm.ac.in from March onwards for the 2027 brochures, because dates and seats change every year.

You can compare routes at other institutes on the institutes page, including IIT Tirupati and IIT Palakkad.