Indian Institute of Science Education and Research – [IISER], Trivandrum Overview

Founded in the year 2008 by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) - Government of India, the Indian Institute of Science Education And Research, Trivandrum is an autonomous university situated in Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

It is one of the seven IISERs established in the country and was built on the recommendations made by the Scientific Advisory Council. Spread over an area of 200 acres, the college is home to 1,082 students (826 undergraduates and 256 doctoral students) and 76 faculty members.

IISER Thiruvananthapuram provides various UG, PG and doctoral programmes in branches of Science consisting of courses like BS + MS, MS + PhD and Integrated PhD. Admission to these courses is conducted on the basis of performance in Entrance Exams organised by KVPY, IIT JEE Advanced or the IISER Entrance Test for Bachelor’s degree and exams like JEST and JAM for Master’s degree. IISER Trivandrum offers a total of four Bachelor’s degree courses and four Master’s programme.

IISER Trivandrum is ranked among the top education and research institutions of the country.

IISER Trivandrum faculty is considered to be highly qualified, with most professors holding a PhD degree in their respective field of study. The teachers are knowledgeable, friendly and motivating. If you want to know more about how to get admission in IISER Trivandrum, you can get ample information on its official website.

IISER Trivandrum Courses offered and Fee Structure

IISER Trivandrum provides courses in branches of Science offering Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in the same along with options for doctoral programmes. Following is a brief discussion of the academic structure of the IISER Trivandrum courses and IISER Trivandrum fee structure.

IISER Trivandrum Course Highlights

• IISER Trivandrum offers a 5-year long Bachelor Of Science (B.S) + Master Of Science (M.S)  programme. Aspiring candidates need to clear their senior secondary examination conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), State Board or any other equivalent board to get into this course. IISER Trivandrum fees for the B.S + M.S degree is 1.73 lakhs.
• The institute provides a Master of Science (M.S) + PhD programme for a period of five years along with a fee of Rs. 1.48 lakhs. Candidates need to have a B.Sc, B.E./B.Tech, MBBS or any other equivalent degree with a minimum aggregate of 55% or 6.0 (on a 10 point scale) CGPA to be eligible for this course.
• IISER Trivandrum also offers a PhD programme for a fee of 1.53 lakhs over a period of 3 years. Willing candidates need to have a master’s degree from a recognised university with a minimum aggregate of 60%.

IISER Trivandrum Admission Process

The IISER Trivandrum admission procedures of 2018 for various courses are as follows –

• B.S + M.S admission - Admission is based on the Entrance Exam organised by the Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY), State and Central Boards Channel (SCB), IIT JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) Advanced or the IISER Entrance Test. For final selection performance in 10+2 is also taken into account.

• M.S + PhD admission -  Candidates are shortlisted on the basis of their performance in the Joint Entrance Screening Test (JEST) or the Joint Admission Test for M.Sc. (JAM).

• PhD admission - Candidates need to clear any one of the following national level examinations - GATE, CSIR-UGC-JRF, UGC NET-JRF, JEST or INSPIRE PhD Fellowship to secure admission to this course.

IISER Trivandrum Placements

Like most IISERs, the one in Trivandrum also does not provide any on-campus placement facilities. Although companies like Infosys sometimes come for on-campus IISER Trivandrum placement. Students prefer to apply in PhD programmes, generally outside India, in countries like America, Canada and Japan.

Many BS + MS students opt to do their PhD in universities like University of Brown, Penn State, Rochester, York, etc. Eventually, almost every student gets successfully placed in some institution or company.

After completing their PhD some students also take up post-doctoral programmes in different institutions around the world like AFIT, SUNY, etc.

IISER Trivandrum Result and Cut-off

Aspiring candidates need to score above the specified cut off, in their entrance exams, to get admitted into their desired streams. The cutoff list of IISER Trivandrum results is prepared on the basis of the marks scored in IISER Aptitude Test or the KVPY examination.

Seats are allotted on the basis of the merit list, the number of seats available and preference of candidates. Mentioned below is the IISER board-wise cut off for 2018 admissions:

IISER Trivandrum Alumni Network

IISER Trivandrum was established quite recently in the year of 2008. Hence owing to its young age the college does not have a functioning alumni association yet. 

IISER Trivandrum Scholarships

Applicants, who are admitted through the Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana to IISER Trivandrum and who have lack of funds to study further will be offered a fellowship according to the KVPY norms.

In addition to that, the Department of Science and Technology awards a certain number of ‘INSPIRE scholarships’, which offer a sum of INR 5,000 every month to candidates who take admission through JEE and SCB channels, if they reach the conditions and regulations set by DST. Students admitted to the Bachelor of Science programme in Economics or Engineering are not entitled to any scholarship

IISER Trivandrum Campus Facility

Following are a few of the facilities available at  IISER Trivandrum campus.

How is the IISER Trivandrum?

Like most colleges, IISER Trivandrum address is easily communicable and well-connected via railway and air routes with the rest of the country. The college has basic facilities like canteens, cafeterias, auditorium, gym, convenience stores and health centres. 

• Library: The library at IISER-TVM owns a rich collection of books, conference proceedings and monographs in subjects like Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology, Computer Science and other fields of study. It is stocked with 10 magazines, eight newspapers, 6,700 monographs, about 18 current journals, e-books and e-Journals for student reference and CD ROMS. They can be searched for through the Library’s OPAC - Online catalogue system. Other volumes available in the library include encyclopaedias, laboratory manuals, dictionaries, general reading books and more.

• Hostel: IISER Trivandrum hostel provides separate accommodations for boys and girls. The rooms in the hostels are equipped with two single beds, a common study table, chairs, a common TV in every hall of residence and ample provisions for recreation. Other services include a Security staff, who is available at all times, ATMs provided by State Bank of Travancore (SBT) and Canara Bank, housekeeping staff for cleaning purposes, maintenance staff and also a complaint/suggestion book, which records complaints made by students against the above hostel facilities.

• Labs: IISER Thiruvananthapuram campus has high tech Chemistry, Physics, and Biology Laboratories all furnished with the latest facilities and equipment. The computer lab assigned for the undergraduate students has more than 50 workstations.

• Location: The official IISER Trivandrum address is IISER - Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala PO, Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala). The college is 45 km from the Trivandrum International Airport, 8.5 km from the Vithura Junction (Railway Station) and 0.54 km from the Ampady Nagar Junction Bus Stop.