MA in South Asian Studies: The Idea of South Asia

India’s First pracitioner Integrated Master’s Programme in South Asian Studies

The study of South Asia has never been more important. Home to nearly a quarter of humanity, the region stands at the centre of some of the world’s most significant debates on democracy, development, culture, governance, identity, inequality, climate change, and geopolitical transformation. Yet South Asia is often studied through fragmented disciplinary lenses or within the confines of individual nation-states.

The MA in South Asian Studies: The Idea of South Asia, jointly offered by the School of Humanities, Social Sciences & Liberal Arts, SGT University and the Advanced Study Institute of Asia (ASIA), seeks to address this gap through a rigorous, interdisciplinary, and research-led approach. Conceived as an intellectual journey into the region’s shared histories, cultures, political institutions, economies, and knowledge systems, the programme invites students to engage with South Asia as a connected and evolving civilisational space.

What distinguishes this programme is its unique integration with a functioning policy and research institution. Students are not confined to classroom learning alone. Through structured engagement with ASIA, they participate in an active ecosystem of scholarship, public dialogue, policy research, and knowledge production. This makes the programme India’s only think-tank-integrated Master’s degree in South Asian Studies.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

The programme is built around a simple yet powerful idea: meaningful learning happens when academic inquiry is connected to real-world practice.

Students spend the majority of their week in seminar-led academic learning at SGT University and engage regularly with ASIA’s research and policy initiatives. From the very beginning, they gain exposure to ongoing research projects, policy dialogues, publications, archival initiatives, public lectures, and intellectual exchanges involving leading scholars, policymakers, practitioners, and public intellectuals.

Students have opportunities to contribute to initiatives such as:

• Decypher – ASIA’s flagship research and analysis platform
• SenseMaker – conversations and public engagement on contemporary issues
• Woh Dilli – urban history and cultural documentation initiative
• Living Constitution – scholarship on constitutionalism, citizenship, and democratic practice
• Research publications, public events, and policy discussions

This integration allows students to observe how ideas move from research to public debate and policy conversations, providing a rare insight into the functioning of contemporary knowledge institutions.

A Distinctive Academic Experience

The programme departs from conventional postgraduate teaching models in several important ways.

Seminar-Led Learning

Classes are conducted through intensive seminars that prioritise discussion, close reading, critical analysis, and independent thinking. Students are encouraged to question assumptions, engage with competing interpretations, and develop their own informed perspectives.

Writing-Centred Assessment

There are no timed examinations. Assessment is conducted through essays, field reports, research projects, presentations, and a dissertation. The emphasis is on sustained argument, evidence-based analysis, and scholarly writing—the hallmarks of serious academic inquiry.

Interdisciplinary Framework

The curriculum brings together perspectives from history, political science, economics, sociology, anthropology, cultural studies, public policy, heritage studies, and development studies. Students learn to connect historical processes with contemporary challenges and local realities with regional and global developments.

Research as Practice

Research is treated not merely as an academic requirement but as a practical skill. Field visits, archival engagement, documentary projects, oral histories, policy analysis, and independent research form an integral part of the learning experience.

Four Intellectual Pillars

The programme is organised around four interconnected thematic pillars:

History, Memory and the Making of South Asia

Exploring historiography, archives, empire, partition, nationalism, public memory, and the contested construction of the past.

Culture, Heritage and Knowledge Systems

Examining languages, oral traditions, crafts, manuscripts, heritage institutions, religion, cinema, and the transmission of knowledge across generations.

Politics, Power and the State

Understanding constitutions, citizenship, governance, democracy, rights, law, social movements, and political institutions across the region.

Economy, Development and Social Inequality

Analysing development trajectories, economic change, labour, climate challenges, urbanisation, inequality, and regional transformations.

Programme Formats

Students may choose between:

One-Year Accelerated MA

Designed for graduates holding a four-year bachelor’s degree, researchers, journalists, policy practitioners, and working professionals seeking an intensive postgraduate qualification.

Two-Year Flagship MA

A comprehensive programme that includes advanced specialisation pathways, institutional placements, deeper research engagement, and an extended dissertation.

Who Should Apply?

The programme welcomes applicants from diverse academic and professional backgrounds, including:

• Humanities and Social Science graduates
• Aspiring researchers and doctoral candidates
• Journalists and media professionals
• Civil services aspirants
• Heritage and museum practitioners
• Development sector professionals
• Policy researchers and analysts
• Candidates from law, management, design, environmental studies, and related disciplines

Scholarships and Student Support

Scholarships of up to 40% are available based on merit and need. The programme follows a holistic evaluation process that recognises not only academic achievement but also intellectual curiosity, research potential, communication skills, professional experience, and commitment to the study of South Asia.

Academic and Professional Pathways

Graduates of the programme will be well positioned for careers in:

• Doctoral research and academia
• Public policy and think tanks
• Journalism and media
• Museums, archives, and cultural institutions
• Development organisations and NGOs
• Government and public service
• Publishing and research communication
• International organisations and multilateral institutions

Study South Asia. Engage South Asia. Shape South Asia.

The MA in South Asian Studies offers more than a degree. It provides an opportunity to join a community of scholars, researchers, and practitioners committed to understanding one of the world’s most dynamic and consequential regions.

First Intake: August 2026
Limited Cohort: 5-10 students

Email: admissions.southasia@sgtuniversity.org

Programme Page: https://sgtuniversity.ac.in/hsla/programmes/ma-in-indian-studies

Register Your Interest: Explore the MA in South Asian Studies | Register Your Interest

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