Minor in South Asian Studies

About the Minor:

The minor in South Asian studies is administered by the Department of History. It is a CAS minor and can be taken by students in any NYU school.  It provides a broad perspective on South Asia and opportunities to concentrate on specific areas of interest.  Students have many choices of courses and course combinations. The course list (located below) represents current offerings in 2011, and the list may change in the years to come. There are a wide range of options. Students might choose to study a language and its literature, colonial and postcolonial histories, art and architecture, contemporary politics, literary forms, cinema, and the South Asian diaspora, among other topics. The South Asia curriculum is constantly expanding across departments and schools, and now includes courses in anthropology, history, political science, fine art, film studies, cultural studies, literature, and two modern languages (Hindi and Urdu). Through a consortium with Columbia University, students may also study other of the region’s many modern or classical languages.

Declaring the Minor:

In order to declare the South Asian Studies minor, you must complete the South Asian Minor declaration form and submit it to Arianne Rafidi in the History Department.

Requirements:

The minimum requirement for completion of a minor is four 4-point courses (16 points) chosen in consultation with the South Asian studies faculty adviser. Students are encouraged to register for the minor and consult the advisor before completing their course requirements.

One MAP “Cultures and Contexts” course on South Asia may be counted toward the non-language minor requirement. At least two of the four non-language courses must be above the introductory level in their respective disciplines. With prior approval, one independent study course can count toward the four courses required for a minor. At least three of the four courses must be completed at NYU.

The South Asian studies faculty adviser, Prof. David Ludden, will determine the eligibility of courses taken in study abroad programs of institutions not part of the consortial exchange, or other courses that students think might be applied to the minor.

Students can pursue three broad areas of concentration with four 4-point courses (16 points):

Track A: Language and Literature. This track provides students with a solid foundation in a modern Indian language. Students must complete a four-semester sequence of either Hindi or Urdu, provided that these courses are not also used to satisfy the CAS foreign language requirement.

Track B: History, Culture, and Politics: This track fosters a broad interdisciplinary perspective on South Asia. All four courses must be non-language courses. At least two courses must be above the introductory level in their respective disciplines.

Track C: Culture and Language, combining Tracks A and B. Students must take two language courses at the intermediate level (provided that these courses are not also used to satisfy the CAS foreign language requirement) or advanced level, plus two non-language South Asian studies courses.

*Students may apply any course offered by one of the South Asian faculty with the faculty’s approval

South Asian Studies Course Offerings:

*Please note that available courses may vary depending upon the semester

ANTHROPOLOGY

  • ANTH-UA 104 Anthropology of South Asia
  • Graduate Course: Rediscovering Caste and Race: Crosswords of Culture, Power, and History
  • ARTH-UA 530 South Asian Art I: Indus Valley to 1200

ART HISTORY

  • ARTH-UA 530 South Asian Art I: Indus Valley to 1200
  • ARTH-UA 531 South Asian Art II: 1200 to the Present
  • ARTH-UA 550 Painting Traditions of South Asia, Past to Present

ENGLISH 

  • ENGL-UA 708 Post-Colonial Writer
  • ENGL-UA 721 South Asian Literature in English

HISTORY

  • HIST-UA 569 Colonialism and Decolonization
  • HIST-UA 175 Topics in South Asian History

  • MAP Cultures and Contexts: India

LIBERAL STUDIES

  • SAGC-UF 1001 South Asian Cultures

MIDDLE EASTERN AND ISLAMIC STUDIES

  • MEIS-UA 301/302 Elementary Urdu I and II
  • MEIS-UA 303/304 Intermediate Urdu I and II
  • MEIS-UA 405/406 Elementary Hindi I and II
  • MEIS-UA 407/408 Intermediate Hindi I and II
  • MEIS-UA 409/410 Advanced Hindi I and II
  • MEIS-UA 691 What Is Islam?
  • MEIS-UA 717 Modern South Asian Literature
  • MEIS-UA 718 Introduction to Ancient Indian Literature
  • MEIS-UA 783 Seminar: Women and Islamic Law
  • MEIS-UA 863 The Sufis: Mystics of Islam

LANGUAGE COURSES THROUGH CONSORTIUM WITH COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

  • MEIS-UA 422 - 425 Elementary/Intermediate Punjabi I and II
  • MEIS-UA 426 - 429 Elementary/Intermediate Bengali I and II
  • MEIS-UA 430 - 433 Elementary/Intermediate Tamil I and II

MORSE ACADEMIC PLAN

  • MAP-UA V77.516 Cultures and Contexts: India

RELIGION

  • RELST-UA 337 Religions of India
  • RELST-UA 650 Topics in Religious Studies: Yoga and Tantra in History and Today