Chandigarh University BE {Lateral} Information Technology: Fees 2026, Course Duration, Dates, Eligibility

Ans. The regular B.E. IT programme is a 4-year (8-semester) programme open to students who have passed 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. The B.E. IT Lateral Entry programme is a 3-year (6-semester) programme designed for diploma holders in Engineering/Technology or B.Sc. graduates, who are admitted directly into the 2nd year (3rd semester). The lateral entry route saves one academic year and the associated fees, making it a cost-effective and time-efficient option for diploma holders who wish to upgrade to a full engineering degree.

Ans. No, JEE Main is not required for lateral entry admission at Chandigarh University. Admission is primarily based on diploma marks or CUCET score. CUCET is CU's own entrance-cum-scholarship test, which is optional but highly recommended as it can fetch scholarships of up to 100% on semester fees. State-level lateral entry tests like LEET (Punjab) scores may also be considered, but they are not mandatory for admission to CU.

Ans. Lateral entry students join in the 3rd semester and follow the same curriculum as regular students from that point onwards. CU provides a bridge course or orientation at the start to help lateral entry students align with the programme's academic requirements. Since diploma holders already have foundational technical knowledge, they typically adapt well. The degree awarded at the end is the same B.E. (Information Technology) degree, with no distinction between regular and lateral entry students.

Ans. B.E. IT graduates from CU's UIE department are recruited by a wide range of top IT companies. Key recruiters include TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Accenture, Cognizant, HCL, Tech Mahindra, Adobe, and Microsoft. The highest package offered to engineering graduates from CU (across all branches) has been 59.9 LPA (Atlassian) and 54.75 LPA (Palo Alto Networks). The IT department benefits from industry-collaborated labs with Microsoft, IBM, Oracle, and Red Hat, which significantly enhance placement readiness.

Ans. B.E. IT students at CU have access to several industry-collaborated labs and certification programmes: Microsoft Innovation Center (Microsoft technologies and development platforms), IBM Software Lab for Emerging Technologies (enterprise-level software solutions), Oracle Academy Lab (database management and enterprise applications), Unisys Innovation Labs (technology-driven solutions), and EMC2 Academic Alliance (data storage and cloud infrastructure). Additionally, CU has been recognised as a Red Hat Academy Ready Partner 2026, giving students hands-on access to Red Hat enterprise technologies. These collaborations provide students with industry-recognised certifications alongside their degree.

Ans. Yes, lateral entry B.E. IT graduates from CU are fully eligible to apply for postgraduate engineering programmes (M.E./M.Tech.) at CU or any other university in India, as the B.E. degree awarded is equivalent to that of regular students. For admission to M.E./M.Tech. programmes, candidates typically need to qualify GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering). CU also offers its own M.E. programmes where GATE-qualified students can avail a fellowship of Rs. 12,500 per month. The lateral entry route does not create any barrier for higher education or career progression.