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 India administered by International Academic Programs.

Students interested in declaring the undergraduate certificate should contact the Center for South Asia office or 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

Area courses

Disciplinary courses

Capstone

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 (Csanád Siklós, 262-5006; siklos@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

SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps students leverage the academic skills learned in their major, certificates, and liberal arts degree; explore and try out different career paths; participate in internships; prepare for the job search and/or graduate school applications; and network with professionals in the field (alumni and employers). In short, SuccessWorks helps students in the College of Letters & Science discover themselves, find opportunities, and develop the skills they need for success after graduation.

SuccessWorks can also assist students in career advising, résumé and cover letter writing, networking opportunities, and interview skills, as well as course offerings for undergraduates to begin their career exploration early in their undergraduate career. 

Students should set up their profiles in Handshake to take care of everything they need to explore career events, manage their campus interviews, and apply to jobs and internships from 200,000+ employers around the country.

• SuccessWorks
• Set up a career advising appointment
• INTER-LS 210 L&S Career Development: Taking Initiative (1 credit, targeted to first- and second-year students)—for more information, see Inter-LS 210: Career Development, Taking Initiative
• INTER-LS 215 Communicating About Careers (3 credits, fulfills Com B General Education Requirement)
• Handshake
• Learn how we’re transforming career preparation: L&S Career Initiative

Center for South Asia Advisory Committee: Anthony Cerulli (director), Sarah Beckham, Sumudu Atapattu, Sundaram Gunasekaran, Stephen Young, Todd Michelson-Ambelang, Laura Hammond

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.