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South Asian Studies Certificate Program

Undergraduates interested in cross-disciplinary study of South Asia (generally defined as the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Tibetan region) may earn a certificate in South Asian studies. The certificate can be a valuable addition to a major in anthropology, archeology, business, communications, economics, education, gender and women's studies, geography, history, international studies, journalism, languages and cultures of Asia, political science, zoology, and other departments. Completion of the certificate provides a concentration in the area through language and/or interdisciplinary training that provides enhanced career opportunities or increased preparation for graduate study.

The certificate in South Asian studies can be partially fulfilled through completion of a study abroad program in South Asia administered by International Academic Programs.

Students interested in declaring the undergraduate certificate should contact the undergraduate advisor.

Students declared in the Asian Languages and Cultures: South Asian Studies BA/BS/MAJ are not eligible to declare the South Asian Studies certificate.

Requirements for the Certificate

Complete 21 credits, distributed as follows:

Introductory course

One course from:3-4
Gateway to Asia: Special Topics
Religion in South Asia
History of South Asia to the Present
Making of Modern South Asia

Area courses

9 credits from:9
Archaeology and the Prehistoric World
History of Islamic Art and Architecture
Cities of Asia
Mapping, Making, and Representing Colonial Spaces
First Semester Hindi
Second Semester Hindi
First Semester Modern Tibetan
Second Semester Modern Tibetan
First Semester Persian
Second Semester Persian
First Semester Urdu
Second Semester Urdu
First Semester Sanskrit
Second Semester Sanskrit
Third Semester Hindi
Fourth Semester Hindi
Third Semester Modern Tibetan
Fourth Semester Modern Tibetan
Third Semester Persian
Fourth Semester Persian
Third Semester Urdu
Fourth Semester Urdu
Third Semester Sanskrit
Fourth Semester Sanskrit
First Semester South Asian Language
Second Semester South Asian Language
Fifth Semester Hindi
Sixth Semester Hindi
Fifth Semester Tibetan
Sixth Semester Tibetan
Fifth Semester Persian
Sixth Semester Persian
Fifth Semester Urdu
Sixth Semester Urdu
Third Semester South Asian Language
Fourth Semester South Asian Language
Fifth Semester South Asian Language
Sixth Semester South Asian Language
Advanced Readings in Hindi Language
Advanced Readings in Sanskrit
Advanced Readings in Tibetan
Health and Healing in South Asia
Asia Enchanted: Ghosts, Gods, and Monsters
Tibetan Cultures and Traditions
Religion in South Asia
Topics in Asian Studies
A Survey of Tibetan Buddhism
Modern Indian Literatures
Islam: Religion and Culture
Gods and Goddesses of South Asia
Visual Cultures of India
Indian Cinema and Beyond
The History of Yoga
Topics in South Asian History
Indian Writers Abroad: Literature, Diaspora and Globalization
Proseminar: Studies in Cultures of Asia
Introduction to Asian American Studies
A Survey of Asian American Literature
Universal Basic Income: The Politics Behind a Global Movement
World Regions in Global Context
Economic Geography
Gender, Women, and Society in Global Perspective
International Development and Gender
An Introduction to World History
History of South Asia to the Present
Explorations in Transnational/Comparative History (Humanities)
American Foreign Relations, 1901 to the Present
Making of Modern South Asia
International Business
Contemporary Issues in International Studies
Legal Pluralism
World Hunger and Malnutrition
Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Global Health and Disease
Introduction to Sufism (Islamic Mysticism)
Meditation in Indian Buddhism and Hinduism
Religion in Critical Perspective
Postcolonial Theatre: Drama, Theory and Performance in the Global South
Total Credits9

Disciplinary courses

6 credits from:6
World Hunger and Malnutrition
Archaeology and the Prehistoric World
The Origins of Civilization
Language and Culture
Topics in Asian Art
Health and Healing in South Asia
Asia Enchanted: Ghosts, Gods, and Monsters
Asian Religions in Global Perspective
Tibetan Cultures and Traditions
Religion in South Asia
Hinduism
A Survey of Tibetan Buddhism
Introduction to Buddhism
Modern Indian Literatures
Islam: Religion and Culture
Gods and Goddesses of South Asia
Visual Cultures of India
Indian Traditions in the Modern Age
Indian Cinema and Beyond
The History of Yoga
Buddhist Thought
Meditation in Indian Buddhism and Hinduism
Globalizing Education
Internationalizing Educational Knowledge
Wealth, Poverty and Inequality: Transnational Perspectives on Policy and Practice in Education
Introduction to International Education Development
Indian Writers Abroad: Literature, Diaspora and Globalization
Postcolonial Theatre: Drama, Theory and Performance in the Global South
Politics of Gender and Women's Rights in the Middle East
Women's Global Health and Human Rights
Universal Basic Income: The Politics Behind a Global Movement
World Regions in Global Context
Economic Geography
International Business
Intercultural Communication in Business
Global Marketing Strategy
The Growth and Development of Nations in the Global Economy
Special Topics in German and World Literature/s
Indian Politics in Comparative Perspective
A Survey of Tibetan Buddhism

Capstone

3 credits from:3
Problems in Anthropology
Indian Traditions in the Modern Age
Capstone Seminar in Asian Humanities
Mapping, Making, and Representing Colonial Spaces
Proseminar: Studies in Cultures of Asia
Proseminar in Buddhist Thought
Ethnography in Asia
Sociology of International Development, Environment, and Sustainability
Topics in South Asian History
International Health and Global Society
Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Global Health and Disease
Meditation in Indian Buddhism and Hinduism

Residence & Quality of Work

  • Minimum 2.750 GPA on all certificate courses.
  • At least 11 certificate credits must be completed in residence.

Certificate COMPLETION REQUIREMENT

This undergraduate certificate must be completed concurrently with the student’s undergraduate degree. Students cannot delay degree completion to complete the certificate.

  1. (Historical Grounding) understanding the historical, political, and cultural forces and conditions that have given rise to the unity and diversity in the region today.
  2. (Multi-disciplinarity) analyzing contemporary political, economic, and cultural realities in the region from at least two disciplinary perspectives, ideally including humanities, social sciences and sometimes natural science approaches.
  3. (Depth of knowledge) mastering at the undergraduate generalist level a particular facet of life in the region by taking courses on a particular sub-region or country, or by studying a regional language, or by taking at least two courses on the region in one discipline.

Advising for the certificate is administered by the Institute for Regional and International Studies (IRIS). The IRIS assistant director for students and curriculum can assist you in developing your plan of study for the certificate, track progress towards your certificate, explore study abroad and international internship options, and begin the career exploration process. We offer walk-in advising, advising workshops, and scheduled appointments. We strongly encourage students to begin career exploration early on and to make use of the many resources available on campus.

Contact the certificate advisor (Lindsey Bliefernicht, (608) 262-2630; lindsey.bliefernicht@wisc.edu) to create a plan that includes a well-balanced selection of area studies and disciplinary courses and for approval of appropriate introductory and capstone seminar courses.

L&S career resources

Every L&S major opens a world of possibilities.  SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps students turn the academic skills learned in their major, certificates, and other coursework into fulfilling lives after graduation, whether that means jobs, public service, graduate school or other career pursuits.

In addition to providing basic support like resume reviews and interview practice, SuccessWorks offers ways to explore interests and build career skills from their very first semester/term at UW all the way through graduation and beyond.

Students can explore careers in one-on-one advising, try out different career paths, complete internships, prepare for the job search and/or graduate school applications, and connect with supportive alumni and even employers in the fields that inspire them.

Center for South Asia Advisory Committee: Anthony Cerulli (Director), Sarah Beckham, Uchita Vaid, Jamal Jones, Sumudu Atapattu, Anirban Baishya, Todd Michelson-Ambelang, Felecia Lucht

As a regional center within the Institute for Regional and International Studies, we support and enhance international and global awareness in our student communities and inspire informed thinking about the complexities of our world. We encourage our students to connect to international networks and our regional communities through our program’s lecture series, film screenings, and varied outreach events and activities. We encourage our students to study abroad, do international internships, learn foreign languages, and expect them to gain an interdisciplinary grounding in global and regional affairs. We provide resources and expertise on our world area to students, and prospective students, and more broadly to K–12 teachers and students, postsecondary educators and graduate students, businesses, the media, the military, the community at large, and anyone else who is interested.

Information about resources and scholarships through the Center for South Asia is available from our website. Please contact the Center for more information about the South Asian Flagship Languages Initiative (SAFLI), the South Asia Summer Language Institute (SASLI) and the Annual Conference on South Asia. We also strongly encourage our students to explore funding options available through the Institute for Regional and International Studies (IRIS) Awards Office.