# IIT Madras launches cybersecurity degree with 2+2 model 2026-08-25T06:02:53+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet IIT Madras has introduced a new four-year undergraduate degree in cybersecurity, structured under a 2+2 model. Students will spend the first two years on foundational engineering and computer science courses, followed by two years of specialised cybersecurity training. Graduates will receive a bachelor's degree from IIT Madras and be granted alumnus status of the institute. The programme is designed to address the growing demand for cybersecurity professionals in India. Admissions will be through the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Advanced, with the first batch expected to begin in the 2026 academic year. IIT Madras has not yet announced the intake capacity. ## Indian Opinion Analysis IIT Madras is the first IIT to offer a dedicated undergraduate degree in cybersecurity, a field where India faces a shortage of trained professionals at a time when cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, banks, and government portals are rising sharply. The demand for cybersecurity talent in India is estimated to exceed 1.5 lakh unfilled positions, according to industry body NASSCOM. The 2+2 model, two years of foundational courses followed by two years of specialisation, is increasingly used by IITs in flexible degree programmes, such as IIT Bombay's engineering and technology management degree launched in 2020. The Joint Admission Board decides the JEE Advanced cutoff for the new course, and admissions will follow the normal counselling cycle in 2026 for the first batch starting that year. ## Coverage - ndtv.com Leads with the programme structure and alumnus-status benefit, no political framing This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: cybersecurity, IIT Madras, JEE Advanced Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/iit-madras-launches-cybersecurity-degree-with-22-model/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/iit-madras-launches-cybersecurity-degree-with-22-model/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/