South Asian Studies

South Asian Studies: Introduction

Lead Faculty of the Collaborative Specialization

Arts and Science

Participating Degree Programs

Anthropology — MA, MSc, PhD
Comparative Literature — MA, PhD
Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies — MA, PhD
East Asian Studies — MA, PhD
English — MA, PhD
Geography — MA, PhD
History — MA, PhD
Music — MA, PhD
Political Science — PhD
Religion — MA, PhD
Social Justice Education — MA, MEd, EdD, PhD
Women and Gender Studies — MA, PhD

Overview

The interdisciplinary Collaborative Master's and Doctoral Specialization in South Asian Studies is designed for students who wish to acquire a nuanced understanding of South Asia as a secondary area of specialization while pursuing graduate studies in another discipline. The focus of South Asian Studies is necessarily broad in that it provides students with an understanding of ancient and modern history, social change, economic development, contemporary politics, religious traditions, literary culture, and a spectrum of related topics.

The Centre for South Asian Studies, which administers the collaborative specialization, provides a nucleus for the participation of South Asian Studies scholars from across the University. Students will benefit from the physical presence of the centre and its regular activities of research fora, conferences, and visiting lecturer and scholar programs. In addition, the University's library collection in South Asian studies is the largest in Canada.

Master's and doctoral students wishing to be admitted to the collaborative specialization must apply to one of the participating graduate programs.

Upon successful completion of the degree requirements of the participating home graduate unit and the collaborative specialization, students will receive the notation “Completed Collaborative Specialization in South Asian Studies” on their transcript.

Contact and Address

Web: munkschool.utoronto.ca/ai/collaborative-masters-specialization-south-asian-studies
Email: ai.asianstudies@utoronto.ca
Telephone: (416) 946-8832
Fax: (416) 946-8838

Collaborative Master's and Doctoral Specialization in South Asian Studies
Asian Institute, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy
University of Toronto
Room 228N, 1 Devonshire Place
Toronto, Ontario M5S 3K7
Canada

South Asian Studies: Master's Level

Minimum Admission Requirements

  • Applicants who wish to enrol in the collaborative specialization must apply to and be admitted to both the collaborative specialization and a graduate degree program in one of the collaborating graduate units. Applicants must meet the admission requirements of the graduate unit in which they intend to enrol. Admission will be subject to the approval of the graduate unit concerned and the collaborative specialization committee.

Completion Requirements

  • A mandatory half-year core course, SAS2004H Issues in South Asian Studies, taught by the core faculty. The core course will be the same for both master's and doctoral students. Master's students who proceed to the doctoral program will not be required to take the core course again. With the permission of the home graduate unit, the core course can be taken in lieu of one of the courses required by the home unit.

  • Attendance at a minimum of two lectures per session from the lecture series organized by the Centre for South Asian Studies during the academic year in which the student takes the core course (September to May).

  • If writing a thesis, it is expected to include a significant South Asian component.

  • For master's students writing a research paper, the home unit will determine whether a South Asian component is required in the research paper.

  • For master's students writing a thesis and master's students writing a research paper, language requirements will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Mode of Delivery: In person

 

South Asian Studies: Doctoral Level

Minimum Admission Requirements

  • Applicants who wish to enrol in the collaborative specialization must apply to and be admitted to both the collaborative specialization and a graduate degree program in one of the collaborating graduate units. Applicants must meet the admission requirements of the graduate unit in which they intend to enrol. Admission will be subject to the approval of the graduate unit concerned and the collaborative specialization committee.

Completion Requirements

  • A mandatory half-year core course, SAS2004H Issues in South Asian Studies, taught by the core faculty (unless already taken in the master's program). With the permission of the home graduate unit, the core course can be taken in lieu of one of the courses required by the home unit.

  • Attendance at a minimum of two lectures per session from the lecture series organized by the Centre for South Asian Studies (CSAS) for a total of two years, including the academic year in which the student takes the core course (September to May).

  • Submission of two short articles responding to CSAS events (one per year during the two years of attendance at the CSAS lecture series), to be submitted to the collaborative specialization administrator for review by the collaborative specialization director and potentially shared online.

  • The thesis to include a significant South Asian component.

  • A research presentation to the collaborative specialization committee on a South Asian topic in Year 3 or Year 4.

  • Language requirement, depending on the student's area of specialization.

Mode of Delivery: In person

 

South Asian Studies: Courses

Core Course

Course CodeCourse Title
Issues in South Asian Studies

Elective Courses

Course CodeCourse Title
Directed Reading in South Asian Studies
Directed Reading in South Asian Studies
SAS4900HSpecial Topics in South Asian Studies