Apply for IIT B.Cybersecurity 2026-27 admissions now

The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) Kanpur and Madras have jointly announced the admission process for their new Bachelor of Cybersecurity (B.Cybersecurity) course, set to begin in the academic year 2026-27. The four-year practice-oriented undergraduate program aims to address India’s growing demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals and to strengthen digital infrastructure.

Admission to the inaugural batch will be conducted jointly by both institutions, with selected candidates having the option to choose their preferred campus. This joint initiative comes as industry estimates indicate a shortage of nearly 1.5 million cybersecurity professionals in India.

Admission Process and Eligibility Criteria

The admission process for the current cycle will utilise IIT Kanpur’s existing selection methodology, which includes a JEE-like screening test followed by a hackathon. No prior formal cybersecurity training is required for admission to the program. An IIT Madras spokesperson stated, “This year, because IIT Kanpur has already had such a thing started about a month back, and they have gone through the process of selection, we will essentially join them in the selection process. Every student will be given the opportunity, if they are selected, to choose between IIT Madras or IIT Kanpur.”

The hackathon component is designed to assess candidates’ programming skills and cybersecurity expertise. An IIT Madras spokesperson elaborated, “We will have a hackathon, which will be a much longer duration. The hackathon will actually test their programming skills, their expertise or what they know in cybersecurity. Based on this hackathon and marks obtained during the hackathon, the shortlisting will be done.” From the next academic year onwards, the admission model will incorporate an aptitude test covering basic mathematics, logical reasoning, and cybersecurity aptitude.

Specific eligibility criteria for the B.Cyber. program 2026 have been outlined:

• Candidates should NOT have been admitted to an IIT under any academic program listed in JoSAA Business Rules of 2025, irrespective of whether they continued in the program or accepted an IIT seat.
• Candidates whose admission to IITs was cancelled after joining any IIT are also NOT eligible to apply for the B.Cyber. program 2026.
• Candidates admitted to a preparatory course in any IIT for the first time in 2025 are eligible to apply.
• Candidates allocated a seat in an IIT through JoSAA 2025 but who did not report, withdrew before the last round of seat allotment, or had their seat cancelled before the last round of seat allotment for IITs, are eligible to apply for the B.Cyber. program 2026.

Program Structure and Curriculum

The B.Cybersecurity program is structured as a four-year undergraduate course. For students opting for IIT Madras, the first two years of coursework will be conducted at the IIT Madras campus. The subsequent two years will involve a significant component of field deployment in selected Government organizations, forming a Field Deployment Professional Project during the final four semesters. Successful candidates completing the program at IIT Madras will receive an IIT Madras bachelor’s degree and alumnus status. Both IITs will run their own programs and award independent degrees, as confirmed by an IIT Madras spokesperson: “IIT Madras will run their own course, IIT Kanpur will run their own thing, and the degrees will be given independently.”

The curriculum is designed to equip students with knowledge and practical expertise across various cybersecurity domains. Key areas of study include security operations, vulnerability assessment, and malware analysis. IIT Madras has also appointed cybersecurity researcher Nisarga Adhikary as an engineer at its C3iHub cybersecurity centre.

The academic session for the inaugural batch is expected to commence by the end of July 2026. The detailed curriculum for the initial semesters is as follows:

Semesters 5 to 8 will primarily focus on field deployments and projects, alongside NPTEL electives.

Further reading

• VITEEE 2026: Pay ₹5,900 counselling fee to participate in choice filling
• VITEEE 2026 counselling ongoing: understand rank vs branch, fee categories, campus eligibility
• OJEE: Submit MCA forms by March, take exams in May/June for 2026 admission
• MCA admission 2026 in Bhubaneswar: OJEE registration opens January 27, fees up to ₹2.2 lakh/year

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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