B. Tech. and B.S. Programmes: 
Admission to these programmes is made once a year in July through Joint Entrance Examination-Main (JEE-Main) and Joint Entrance Examination-Advanced (JEE- Advanced) conducted on an All India level in April and May by CBSE and IITs respectively. The minimum academic qualification for appearing in JEE is a pass in the final examination of 10+2 system or its equivalent. For the detailed procedure in this regard, visit JEE- Advanced website before the end of December preceding the year in which admission is sought.

M. Sc. (2-year) and M. Sc. - Ph. D. (Dual Degree) Programmes:
Admission is made once a year through an All India level examination known as 'Joint Admission Test for M. Sc. (JAM)'. The underlying philosophy of JAM seeks to provide a single unified national level test for admission to different post-B. Sc. programmes offered at respective IITs, to synergise the admission procedures for M. Sc. programmes in all IITs and thereby ensure a qualitative difference in the students admitted on a wider basis.

M. B. A. Programme:

IIT Kanpur’s MBA program is making great strides in setting new benchmarks in providing relevant and effective Business Management education. A highly talented and energetic faculty team at the Department of Management Sciences (DoMS) at IIT Kanpur leads these efforts with fruitful interactions with the students, industry, and the society. MBA program’s strength reflects in its ratings and rankings, placement records, and remarkable knowledge contribution to the industry and the community.

Admissions to the MBA program occur once in a year. A candidate is required to take CAT examination held around December every year. Advertisement to the admissions is generally released on the next day of declaration of CAT result. For the detailed admissions procedure and admission notifications, visit the website of DoMS, IIT Kanpur (https://www.iitk.ac.in/ime/)

M. Des. Programme:
To meet the new challenge of design - related professions, a comprehensive and formal training through a curriculum is the need of the day. There is a growing demand for specially trained graduates in the field of Design for the national and international industries. The postgraduate programme of Design at IIT Kanpur seeks to meet this requirement. Admission is made once a year through the CEED examination.

Master of Science(MS) by Research Programme
Senate of Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur recently approved a new postgraduate academic programme called "Master of Science (MS) by Research" in the following disciplines: Chemical Engineering; Civil Engineering; Electrical Engineering; Environmental Engineering and Management; Mechanical Engineering; and Photonics Science and Engineering. Objective of this program is to promote project based and industry sponsored research (including sponsored projects based research). The essential qualifications for admission to this programme are B.Tech/BS (4-year) /M.Sc. or equivalent degree with 55% marks/5.5 CPI (on a 10-point scale), and a valid GATE score (GATE is waived for sponsored and part-time candidates). Candidates having B.Sc (3-year) or equivalent degree with 75% marks/7.5 CPI are also eligible to apply for Environmental Engineering and Management, and Photonics Science and Engineering desciplines.

M. Tech. Programme:
Admission to M. Tech. programmes is normally made twice a year, once in July and again in December. Advertisement is released in March/April and September respectively. For eligibility to the M Tech programme, one is required to have passed the qualifying examination, i.e., B. Tech./B. E. or M. Sc. in the appropriate area as well as hold a valid GATE score. Admission is also allowed in the M. Tech. programmes for the sponsored candidates from the industries as well as research organisations and those admitted need not have qualified GATE. Admission forms for the same can be obtained by sending the prescribed fee and a self-addressed envelope, as stipulated in the advertisement, to the Assistant Registrar (Academic), IIT Kanpur-208 016. The normal duration of the course is four semesters.

Ph. D. Programme:
Admission to the Ph. D. programme is generally made in both the semesters in a year, i.e., July and December. The advertisement is released by March/April and September each year respectively. The basic qualification for admission to the Ph. D. programme is Master's degree in Engineering, Science, Humanities and Social Sciences respectively or allied area(s). However, the applicants with Bachelor's degree in Engineering may also be considered for admission based on their performance and attainments. In addition to the basic educational qualifications prescribed in the appropriate area, one is required to have qualified GATE/UGC/CSIR examination for entry to Ph. D. programmes in Science and Humanities & Social Sciences. On the basis of an interview that assesses the candidate's aptitude, proficiency and potential in the area of his/her choice, a candidate is finally chosen. Admission for the sponsored candidates from the industries as well as research organisations is also available in the Ph. D. programme.

Admission is also encouraged in Ph. D. programmes for external registration to the personnel of R & D establishments which are equipped with necessary laboratory, library and computational facilities. External registration is permitted only after the department concerned has satisfied itself that the sponsoring organisation of the candidate is equipped with necessary facilities for research including the availability of a co-supevisor.

Part-time Postgraduate Programmes:
The Institute also offers part-time postgraduate programmes leading to the M. Tech. & Ph. D. degree for the local (professionally) employed personnel such as working engineers, scientists and teachers who can regularly attend classes/courses.