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
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
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
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
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 Credits | 9 |
Disciplinary courses
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
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
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
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.
- (Historical Grounding) understanding the historical, political, and cultural forces and conditions that have given rise to the unity and diversity in the region today.
- (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.
- (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.
- SuccessWorks
- Set up a career advising appointment
- Enroll in a Career Course - a great idea for first- and second-year students:
- INTER-LS 210 L&S Career Development: Taking Initiative (1 credit)
- INTER-LS 215 Communicating About Careers (3 credits, fulfills Comm B General Education Requirement)
- Learn about internships and internship funding
- INTER-LS 260 Internship in the Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Activate your Handshake account to apply for jobs and internships from 200,000+ employers recruiting UW-Madison students
- Learn about the impact SuccessWorks has on students' lives
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.