Sanskrit and Indian Studies - Harvard University

Sanskrit and Indian Studies from Harvard University is a Campus Bachelor Language degree that prepares you for a Liberal Arts career. A concentration in the Dept of Sanskrit and Indian Studies provides students with the opportunity to study the languages, literatures and civilizations of South Asia and related cultures. Students develop a competence in Sanskrit or Urdu-Hindi or another South Asian language approved by the Department and examine its literature within the framework of religious and philosophical traditions, aesthetic and artistic traditions as well as tradiditons of moral and social thought. While the Department of Sanskrit and Indian Studies is small, the resources available to the concentrator are quite substantial and include related courses in Anthropology, English and American Literature, History of Art and Architecture, Foreign Cultures, Linguistics , Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations and the Study of Religion. A range of courses in Tibetan and Himalayan Studies are also offered. Upon petition, joint concentrations between Sanskrit and Indian Studies and other related departments are possible. The Department also offers concentration credit for Study Abroad programs that have been approved by the Head Tutor. THERE ARE THREE CONCENTRATION OPTIONS: Option A, Sanskrit Language and Literature, is for those students who wish to focus intensively on the task of learning the Sanskrit language and developing the ability to read, in Sanskrit , such texts as the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, the Epics, and, at an advanced level, works of court poetry and philosophy, grammatical studies of the Paninean system, and various Vedic texts in archaic Sanskrit . This is a challenging but rewarding program of study. In order to undertake Option A, a student must take Sanskrit 101a and 101b no later than the sophomore year. In the second year of Sanskrit study he or she will take intermediate Sanskrit and in the third year advanced Sanskrit . Beyond study of the Sanskrit language, students will work out a program of study with the Head Tutor or a designated adviser, drawing upon Sanskrit and Indian Studies courses and those listed as related courses. Since the emphasis in this option is on developing competence in the language itself, no thesis is required, but candidates for honors will take a written general examination. Option B, South Asian Studies, is for those students who wish to gain a broad understanding of Indian or South Asian civilization as a whole – its complexity and multiplicity, as well as the sources of its unity. While students may develop a particular area of focus or expertise, the emphasis in this option is on the kind of wide-ranging and interdisciplinary studies that are essential to the appreciative comprehension of an ancient and still vibrant civilization. In this option two years of language study in either Sanskrit or Hindi-Urdu are required. In special cases another language may be offered in place of these, if it is culturally related to South Asian Studies and is studied in an academic program approved by the Department.. Beyond the language requirement, students will work out a program of study with the Head Tutor or a designated adviser, drawing upon Sanskrit and Indian Studies courses and those listed as related. Option C, Joint Concentration, allows studetns to combine training in South Asian languages and cultures with a particular discipline in another department. Program of study is jointly agreed upon by both departments. View more details on Harvard University . Ask your questions and apply online for this program or find other related Language courses.