The objectives of the academic programmes at IIT Kanpur are:

• to provide the highest level of education in technology and science

• to produce competent, creative and imaginative engineers, scientists and designers

• to promote a spirit of free and objective enquiry in different fields of knowledge

• to foster inter-disciplinary approaches and inter-departmental involvement in the educational programme by bringing together faculty and students

• to promote contact with, and be of service to industries, government and civic organisations, through research efforts, consultations, conferences and short-term intensive courses on current developments in technology, science and design

• to make a significant contribution towards the development of skilled technical, design and management manpower

• to create an intellectual reservoir to meet the growing demands of the nation

The  academic programmes are designed to achieve these objectives and to inculcate in the student concepts and intellectual skills, courage and integrity, awareness of and sensitivity to the needs and aspirations of the society.

In a world that is fast changing,  engineers and scientists must constantly update their knowledge. Forever interrogating the methods and techniques of the profession, new knowledge continually deepens and broadens the vision of the professional. Intellectual alertness, creativity and talent for innovation will be essential for professional competence more than ever in the future.

At its inception IIT Kanpur benefited immensely from the technical assistance provided by a consortium of nine leading Institutions of the U.S.A.

There is a focus on fundamental coursework and this strong basic knowledge is put to use and tested with the help of a number of options to undertake projects. The combination enables a student to develop science and engineering knowledge along with the imagination and skills that taking on difficult problems requires.

This approach prepares the students to take on the toughest challenges and overcome them. IITK alumni have proven this time and again. 

Besides being an academic powerhouse, IIT Kanpur is also a world-class research institution and its enormous resources contribute to making the IITK academic programmes exceptional. There are a lot of interdisciplinary courses and there is a lot of interdisciplinary interaction.

Quality Faculty

Faculty who themselves have studied at leading universities all over the world teach at IIT Kanpur. They are dedicated to their students and enjoy their teaching. Many introductory level courses are taught by stalwarts in the field. 

The faculty find synergy in teaching some of the brightest students in the world even as they pursue cutting edge research in their areas of specialization. The students in turn benefit from the access to the world-class research facilities set up by the faculty.

Flexible Programmes

IIT Kanpur academic programmes are highly evolved and this reflects in the flexibility offered by the institute.

The compulsory courses in a stream make up only 35% of the total credits.

Of these 12% are compulsory humanities courses. This helps build a stronger connect of the student to society.

There is also flexibility with respect to the degrees awarded by IIT Kanpur. Here are some of the innovative highly flexible programmes offered at IITK:

• Dual Degree (B Tech + M Tech) with just one extra year. A student can even move from a science (B S) to an engineering (M Tech).

• Dual Major (Two B Techs) A student can opt for Dual Major and get two B Tech degrees in select fields

• Major & Minor. A student can opt for a minor by choosing certain electives.

• A student can also opt for an MS by research program, which is aimed at bringing education and industrial collaboration closer.

There are also special streams for students who wish to change their stream after the first year such as the Engineering Science Programme.

The academics at IITK also offer flexibility with an option to undertake projects as part of a course.

The aim is to give the student the freedom to explore the student's talents and passions through experiential learning opportunities.

Individual Attention

IITK has a concept of tutorials where the students are divided into small class sizes and the lecture content is reviewed. This ensures every student has ample opportunity to get doubts clarified.

IITK also has the concept of an Office Hour where a student can interact with the faculty outside of the scheduled class hours.

Individual mentoring is also achieved by the requirement for independent project work which is often a part of even the undergraduate curriculum. 

Post graduate education emphasizes even more on such independent and original work.

At IIT Kanpur a student is able to be curious and explore interests under the able guidance of a world class faculty.

Depth of Education

The academics at IIT Kanpur span many vast fields of knowledge, and each field is addressed in great depth. The over four hundred faculty offer varied learning opportunities. From Biosciences to Nuclear Technology and from Economics to Fine Arts. 

There are also a large number of interdisciplinary programmes that cater to the exciting new areas of research and industry.