South Asia
The South Asian Studies named option offers a multidisciplinary range of courses that explore the diverse and vibrant cultures, arts, histories, political systems, and literatures of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Tibet. Students in the South Asian option can study Hindi, Persian, Sanskrit, Tibetan, or Urdu language; and probe the roots of Yoga; methods of Buddhist philosophy and meditation; South Asian religion and politics in the past and present of the Indian subcontinent; and medical history in South Asia. ALC faculty and instructors offering courses in this option include: F. Asif, G. Bühnemann, S. Beckham, A. Cerulli, S. Farsiu, J. Dunne, J. Khedup, N. Tiwari.

To take advantage of the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures’ many relationships with other departments and program units across campus, students may choose to double major or enhance their studies in ALC with one of the certificates offered at the university, such as the global health certificate, the certificate in health and the humanities, or those offered by the area studies centers: Center for East Asian Studies; Center for South Asia; and Center for Southeast Asian Studies.

This major is interdisciplinary and offers a wealth of options. Careful planning and consultation with the ALC advisor, is especially important.

Requirements for the South Asian Studies option

32 credits to include the Introductory and Residence and Quality of Work requirements of the general major, plus these requirements specific to the South Asian Option: 

South Asian Intermediate Language

Complete a sequence:
ASIALANG 233
ASIALANG 234
Third Semester Hindi
and Fourth Semester Hindi
8
ASIALANG 237
ASIALANG 238
Third Semester Persian
and Fourth Semester Persian
8
ASIALANG 235
ASIALANG 236
Third Semester Modern Tibetan
and Fourth Semester Modern Tibetan
8
ASIALANG 239
ASIALANG 240
Third Semester Urdu
and Fourth Semester Urdu
8
ASIALANG 241
ASIALANG 242
Third Semester Sanskrit
and Fourth Semester Sanskrit
8

South Asian Studies Breadth

South Asian Studies Humanities

Complete 9 credits from the following course options:
ASIAN 203 Lost in Translation: Western Experience in Asia3
ASIAN/​RELIG ST  206 The Qur'an: Religious Scripture & Literature3
ASIAN/​RELIG ST  218 Health and Healing in South Asia3-4
ASIAN/​RELIG ST  236 Asia Enchanted: Ghosts, Gods, and Monsters3
ASIAN/​HISTORY/​RELIG ST  267 Asian Religions in Global Perspective3-4
ASIAN 268 Tibetan Cultures and Traditions3
ASIAN/​RELIG ST  274 Religion in South Asia3
ASIAN/​RELIG ST  307 A Survey of Tibetan Buddhism3
ASIAN 311 Modern Indian Literatures3
ASIAN/​AFRICAN/​RELIG ST  370 Islam: Religion and Culture3-4
ASIAN/​ART HIST  379 Cities of Asia3
ASIAN/​RELIG ST  405 Gods and Goddesses of South Asia3
ASIAN/​ART HIST  428 Visual Cultures of India3
ASIAN/​RELIG ST  430 Indian Traditions in the Modern Age3
ASIAN/​COM ARTS  443 Indian Cinema and Beyond3
ASIAN/​RELIG ST  444 Introduction to Sufism (Islamic Mysticism)3
ASIAN/​RELIG ST  460 The History of Yoga3
ASIAN/​HISTORY  463 Topics in South Asian History3
ASIAN/​RELIG ST  473 Meditation in Indian Buddhism and Hinduism3
ASIAN/​RELIG ST  466 Buddhist Thought3
ASIAN/​ENGL  478 Indian Writers Abroad: Literature, Diaspora and Globalization3
ART HIST 203 Survey of Asian Art3-4
ART HIST 305 History of Islamic Art and Architecture3
ART HIST/​RELIG ST  373 Great Cities of Islam3

South Asian Studies Social Science

Complete 9 credits from the following course options:
ASIAN 252 Contemporary Indian Society4
ASIAN/​RELIG ST  306 Hinduism3
ASIAN/​HISTORY/​RELIG ST  308 Introduction to Buddhism3-4
POLI SCI 323 Islam and World Politics3-4
POLI SCI/​INTL ST  327 Indian Politics in Comparative Perspective3

South Asian Studies Capstone

Complete one course for at least 3 credits:
ASIAN/​RELIG ST  505 The Perfectible Body in Religions, Medicines, and Politics3
ASIAN/​ART HIST  621 Mapping, Making, and Representing Colonial Spaces3
ASIAN 655 Ethnography in Asia3
ASIAN 682 Senior Honors Thesis3
ASIAN 691 Senior Thesis3
ASIAN 699 Directed Study2-3
ASIALANG 653 Advanced Readings in Hindi Language3
ASIALANG 675 Advanced Readings in Sanskrit3
ASIALANG 677 Advanced Readings in Tibetan3

See Four Year Plan for the Asian Languages and Cultures Major; course choices for the South Asian Studies Named Option will focus on that region.