The diversity and shared histories of South Asia's cultures, religions, languages and nations are an important area of engagement for us in the world today. While India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and neighboring nation-states can be identified on the map as making up a recognizable geographic region, the equally vital diasporic communities from South Asia and their globally dispersed networks extend our understanding of an old and yet changing South Asia.

The South Asian Studies Concentration, and the Brown in India Program are only two of the formal ways in which students can focus on and learn about South Asia. Faculty with teaching and research interests in South Asia and South Asian languages, an array of student organizations reflecting the diversity of South Asia itself, the Haffenreffer Anthropology Museum, RISD, and the RISD Museum, come together to provide scholarly and cultural resources for the study of South Asia at Brown.

For additional information, please visit the department's website: https://www.brown.edu/academics/south-asia/

South Asian Studies

The diversity and shared histories of South Asia's cultures, religions, languages, and nations are an important area of engagement  in the world today. While India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and neighboring nation-states constitute a recognizable geographic region, the equally vital diasporic communities from South Asia and their globally dispersed networks extend our understanding of an old and yet changing South Asia. South Asian Studies is an interdisciplinary concentration in which students work in a specified chronological period (e.g. ancient, medieval, early modern, or contemporary), in a geographical area (e.g. Bangladesh, Bengal, Maharashtra, North India, Pakistan, South India), or in a particular discipline (e.g. anthropology, Hindi/Urdu, history, religion, or Sanskrit) but also take courses outside of their chosen area of emphasis in disciplines such as economics, literature, philosophy, political science, or theatre arts.

Course Requirements

All South Asian Studies concentrators must take and pass 10 courses as approved by their concentration advisor.

Language Requirements

Proficiency in a South Asian language is required for the concentration. Students who are not native speakers of a South Asian language may prove proficiency by taking two years of Hindi/Urdu or Sanskrit at Brown, by successfully passing a course at the intermediate (4th semester) level at Brown or the approved equivalent at another institution, or by successfully passing a special examination administered by an approved faculty member. Two courses taken to fulfill the language requirement may be counted among the elective courses required for concentration.

Study Abroad

All South Asian Studies concentrators are encouraged to take Hindi/Urdu and to participate in Brown in India, a junior-year study abroad program at St. Stephen’s College and Lady Sri Ram College in Delhi. Students can also opt to enroll in any other Brown approved study-abroad program in South Asia.

Capstone Project

All concentrators other than honors concentrators will designate an upper-level course in the area of their primary focus as their capstone course. The student will take this course during the senior year and will produce as part of the written work for the course a substantial paper or annotated translation displaying the unique focus of his or her concentration.

Honors

A South Asian Studies Concentration with Honors requires a high B or A average in courses taken for the concentration as well as an honors thesis in the department of the student’s main focus. Candidates for the honors program should apply to the South Asia Faculty Group through their advisor by the middle of their sixth semester.