What is the difference between M.Tech and MS in Engineering streams in IITs?

M.Tech and MS are master's degrees pursued by undergraduate students who complete their B.Tech/BE courses. To get into these programs, one should be eligible for the entrance criteria of the respective IITs. Here you can find the website links to know the eligibility for applying for these degree programs.

Basically, MTech is a course-based program that has a duration of strictly 2 years. However, MS is a research-based program, and its duration is 2-2.5 years and also can be extended based on the research requirements.  Both programs are eligible to receive HTTA and HTRA with a proper gate score.

Course work :

The number of courses to be credited in MTech is higher than in MS. 

Example: MS students need to credit 5 courses, and MTech students have to complete around 11 courses at IIT Madras. These numbers depend on the institution as well.

Research :

MS students select their guides within one week of their joining date and start their research work in the first semester onwards.

MTech students start their project work in the summer duration after the first year. 

The probability of publishing at least one research article in MS is high compared to MTech.

International conference/workshop travelling allowances: 

MS scholars are eligible to receive international/national travelling allowances for attending conferences and workshops up to 1 - 1.5 lakhs (this varies depending on the institution); however, this facility is not available for MTech students.

Higher Studies(PhD):

Going abroad for higher studies, the acceptance of applications is higher for MS scholars since they gain experience in research as compared to MTech students.

Job Opportunities:

When it comes to the job/placements, both degrees have almost the same opportunities. Companies give preference to MS students for Research and development profiles. In the campus placements, MTech and MS students get recruited by non-core companies as well.