South Asian Studies
Hindi courses
Tamil courses
South Asian Studies courses
South Asian Studies Council
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Director of undergraduate studies: Mridu Rai, 206 HGS, 432-1354, mridu.rai@yale.edu
FACULTY ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROGRAM OF SOUTH ASIAN STUDIES
Professors
Akhil Amar (Law School), E. Annamalai (Anthropology) (Visiting), William Burch (Forestry & Environmental Studies), Michael Dove (Forestry & Environmental Studies, Anthropology), Sara Suleri Goodyear (English), Phyllis Granoff (Religious Studies), Stanley Insler (Linguistics), Gustav Ranis (Emeritus) (Economics), Kalyanakrishnan Sivaramakrishnan (Anthropology), T. N. Srinivasan (Economics), Shyam Sunder (School of Management), Mimi Yiengpruksawan (History of Art)
Associate Professors
Bernard Bate (Anthropology), Nihal de Lanerolle (School of Medicine), William Deresiewicz (English), Mridu Rai (History)
Assistant Professors
Shameem Black (English), Jacob Dalton (Religious Studies), Ashwini Deo (Linguistics), Mayur Desai (Public Health), Ravi Durvasula (School of Medicine), El Mokhtar Ghambou (English), Karuna Mantena (Political Science), David Mellins (South Asian Studies) (Visiting), Kishwar Rizvi (History of Art), Sarah Weiss (Music)
Senior Lecturers
Carol Carpenter (Forestry & Environmental Studies, Anthropology), Geetanjali Singh Chanda (Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies), Koichi Shinohara (Religious Studies)
Lecturers
Hugh Flick, Jr. (Religious Studies), Zareena Grewal (Ethnicity, Race, & Migration)
Senior Lector
Seema Khurana
The program in South Asian Studies combines the requirements of a discipline-based first major with significant course work in South Asian studies. South Asian Studies can be taken only as a second major. The major is intended to provide students with a broad understanding of the history, culture, and languages of South Asia as well as the region's current social, political, and economic conditions. Work in a discipline-based major coupled with a focus on South Asia prepares students for graduate study, employment in nongovernmental organizations, or business and professional careers in which an understanding of South Asia is essential.
The South Asian Studies major permits students to choose courses from a wide range of disciplines. Programs should provide a balance between courses in the humanities and those in the social sciences. The proposed course of study must be approved each term by the director of undergraduate studies. Students should also identify a faculty adviser from the South Asian Studies faculty in their area of specialization as early as possible.
Permission to complete two majors must be secured from the Committee on Honors and Academic Standing. Application forms are available from the residential college deans and must be submitted prior to the student's final term.
Requirements of the major. In addition to fulfilling the requirements of the primary major, a student choosing South Asian Studies as a second major must complete seven term courses, not including the senior requirement, and meet the major's language requirement. Four courses must be chosen from those listed under "Group A" in the printed YCPS; of these, two must address premodern South Asia. The three remaining courses may be chosen from those listed under either "Group A" or "Group B" in the printed YCPS. At least two of the seven required courses should be seminars.
Language requirement. The language requirement encourages both depth and breadth of language study. Courses are regularly offered in Hindi, Tamil, and Sanskrit. One South Asian language must be studied at the advanced level (courses designated L5); a second South Asian language must be completed through the beginning level (courses designated L2). Courses to fulfill this requirement must be taken while the student is at Yale. Students who matriculate with proficiency in Hindi or Tamil may take a different modern language (Bengali, Urdu, Telugu, or Kannada) through the Directed Independent Language Study program. Students are encouraged to pursue intensive language study through courses or work abroad.
Senior requirement. The senior requirement may be fulfilled by completion of a seminar that culminates in a senior essay. Alternatively, the requirement may be fulfilled by completion of a one-credit, two-term senior research project in SAST 491. The use of primary materials in the languages of the region is encouraged in senior essay projects.
REQUIREMENTS OF THE MAJOR
Prerequisites: None
Number of courses: 7 (excluding senior req and lang req)
Specific courses required: None
Distribution of courses: 4 term courses from Group A, 2 in premodern; 3 term courses from Group A or Group B; at least 2 sems
Language requirement: Advanced study in 1 South Asian lang; study through beginning level in another South Asian lang
Senior requirement: Senior essay in sem, or research project in SAST 491
