Minor in South Asian Studies

College of Liberal & Creative Arts

Dean: Dr. Ifeoma Kiddoe Nwankwo

Minor in South Asian Studies

Fine Arts Building, Room 366
Phone: (415) 338-6511
Co-Coordinator: Santhi Kavuri-Bauer, School of Art

Science Building, Room 222
Phone: (415) 338-7541
Co-Coordinator: Christopher Chekuri, Department of History

Program Scope

South Asia refers to Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. These countries are members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). The Minor in South Asian Studies is multidisciplinary and designed to provide students with a broad understanding of the culture, history, economics, and politics of South Asia and its diaspora. The region of South Asia is a crucial area of study given its linguistic, ethnic, and religious diversity (its traditions draw from Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism, Christianity, and others), its experience of British colonial rule and independence, its recent economic expansion and technological influence globally, and the widespread migration of South Asians over the last century. The study of South Asia thus offers students opportunities to explore pressing questions concerning colonialism and nationalism, political conflict and government, economic liberalization, cultural diversity and its expression in literature, art, and popular culture, and globalization.

The South Asian Studies minor is useful for students planning careers in education, social service, law, politics, government, business, media, and art, both nationally and internationally. It also prepares students for graduate study in a number of academic fields.

Program Learning Outcomes

  1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the diversity and complexity of South Asian culture, politics, history, immigration, and other social formations.
  2. Articulate and critically evaluate main discourses and debates in the scholarship of South Asian studies through research and response papers, exams, and class presentations.
  3. Apply theory and methodology from a range of academic disciplines in the arts, humanities, and social sciences to communicate the causes of South Asian historical and current debates.

South Asian Studies Minor

The minor consists of 18 units; three courses are taken from the core curriculum, which give students a basic framework for South Asian studies. These courses fully concentrate on South Asia and/or the diaspora and provide students with a broad introduction to the history, culture, and politics of South Asia (one course each needs to be taken from the clusters of “Culture of South Asia,” “History and Politics of South Asia,” and “South Asian Diaspora”).

The remaining units can be taken from the core curriculum or from a long list of electives. Elective courses provide the opportunity for more in-depth or topical and comparative study as well as the study of South Asia in relation to other regions of the world.

The minor is designed to give flexibility to students who can select from courses across disciplines, including Art History, Asian American Studies, Economics, English, Ethnic Studies, History, Holistic Health, Humanities, International Business, International Relations, Philosophy, Political Science, and Women and Gender Studies.

For more information, contact the program directors: Santhi Kavuri-Bauer or Christopher Chekuri.

South Asian Studies Minor – 17-19 units

A minimum of 6 upper-division units are required to complete the minor.

All coursework used to satisfy the requirements of the minor must be completed with a minimum grade point average of 2.0.

Core (9-10 units)

Select one course from each of the three core areas (9-10 units). The core consists of three core areas identified as Culture of South Asia, History and Politics of South Asia, and South Asian Diaspora.

Core Area 1: Culture of South Asia (3 units)

Select one:

HUM 5353
HUM 5363

Core Area 2: History and Politics of South Asia (3-4 units)

Select one:

HIST 370/CLAS 582/HUM 582Tales from Ancient India: Hinduism and Buddhism3
HIST 371
HIST 372India and the British Empire3
HIST 373Contemporary India3
I R 3264
PLSI/I R 412South Asian Politics4

Core Area 3: South Asian Diaspora (3 units)

Select one:

AA S 540South Asians in the United States3
RRS 657/AA S 541South Asian Diaspora3

Electives (8-9 units)

Select electives from core courses not used to satisfy core requirements or from:

AA S 210History of Asians in the United States3
or AA S 510 Asian Americans in California
ARTH/HUM 205Asian Art History3
ARTH 421Special Topics in Art History3
ARTH/HUM 496Art, Architecture, and Space in the Islamic World3
HIST 374/HUM 586Bollywood and Beyond: Indian History Through Film3
HIST 382History of Iran and Afghanistan 1500 - Present3
HUM 366India's Gandhi3
PHIL 509The Buddhist Tradition3
PLSI/I R 416Ethnicity and Nationalism4