South Asian Track

Major Requirements

A minimum of 13 courses is required. These include:

Language:

The equivalent of four courses (the completion of the 2nd year of language study) of Arabic, Bengali, Hindi, Persian, Sanskrit, Tamil, or Urdu, selected in consultation with the advisor. If the student places out of the 2nd year, the student must take one additional full year of that language or, if the student has exhausted the offerings in that language, of another language from the South Asia track.

Core Courses:

1. Asian Humanities

       UN1399 Colloquium on Major Texts

Civilization Classes

2. Middle East UN2357 Introduction to Indian Civilizations

3. And one of the following:

       Middle East UN1003 Premodern Islamic Worlds
       Middle East UN2008 Contemporary Islamic Civilizations
       Middle East UN1630 Introduction to South Asia
       Middle East UN2650 Gandhi and his Interlocutors
       Middle East UN2042 Modern South Asia at the Crossroads of Empires
       East Asian UN1365 Introduction to East Asian Civilizations: Tibet

or another course approved ahead of time by the South Asia Track advisor.

4. Theory Class

       One of the following:
       Middle East UN3000: Theory and Culture
       Middle East BC3991: AMEC Majors Seminar

Electives:

After the language requirement and core courses are satisfied, whatever remains of the 13 courses for the major will consist of electives on the language, culture, and history of South Asia as a region, taken in any department in the university. These must be chosen in consultation with your advisor.

Senior Thesis:

Seniors will write a thesis under the supervision of their advisor and another faculty member chosen through consultation with their advisor. The process of writing the thesis will begin in the fall of the student's senior year in the AMEC Senior Thesis Seminar:

ASST3900: AMEC Senior Thesis Seminar

The thesis will be completed in the spring of the senior year, for which the student may enroll in an Independent Study (UN3999) with their advisor or an appropriate faculty member. That independent study counts as an elective toward the major.

Minor Requirements

Language Requirement (two courses):

The equivalent of four courses (the completion of the 2nd year of language study) of Sanskrit, Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, Bengali, Persian, Arabic, or any other relevant language course taken through Columbia’s Language Resource Center, selected in consultation with the advisor.

If students place out of the 2nd year, they must take one full year of that language or, if they have exhausted the offerings in that language, of another language from the South Asia Track.

Introductory Courses (two):

AHUM UN1399, Colloquium on Major Texts of South Asia and the Middle East

ONE survey class relating to the language and region of study (see the survey courses listed above in
the major requirements).

Electives (two):

Two electives in the world region under study, to be taken in any department in the university at the 3000- or 4000-level, subject to approval by the advisor.