Why Minor in South Asian Studies?
The program in Hindi and South Asian Studies is a growing component of the Department of Asian Studies. South Asia is an important world region, home to a quarter of the world’s population and dynamic modern cultures and economies with complex, deep historical roots. The region is comprised of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Afghanistan. South Asia’s diversity is evident in its regional languages, cultures, architecture, and food, as well as its many religions, varied topographies and climates, and transnational flow of goods and people, historically and today.
South Asian Studies at Penn State brings together faculty with expertise in the diverse sociocultural, religious, and political histories and contemporary practices of India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal. Our faculty specialize in the regional and transnational study of colonialism, religion, literary cultures, women and gender, science, technology, and medicine, rural and urban communities, art and architecture, water geographies, neoliberalism, and modernization, among others. See the list of affiliated scholars below to learn more about their specific interests and expertise!
Why should I study South Asia?
India is the world’s largest democracy and a key global player in politics, medicine, and technology. India and South Asia more broadly also boast some of the world’s oldest traditions of art and architecture, literature, and religion. An in-depth knowledge of South Asian cultures, histories, and politics prepares our students to be versatile global citizens whose backgrounds in South Asian studies will be an asset to many careers, including those in business, science, engineering, and tech, and in work that involves significant cross-cultural or international expertise.
Why should I study Hindi?
Learning and communicating in a local language is critical for a deep engagement with the cultures, literatures, religions, and politics of India and South Asia more broadly. We offer language instruction in Hindi, one of India’s official and most widely spoken languages. It is written in the Devanagari script, which is also used for Sanskrit and many other South Asian languages. Hindi is therefore a gateway to learning other Indo-Aryan languages such as Urdu, Bengali, Punjabi, Nepali, and Marathi. Proficiency in Hindi will give interested students nuanced cultural knowledge and the language skills to study, work in, and meaningfully experience the rich cultural and linguistic diversity of the Indian subcontinent. We strongly encourage those who are interested in India and South Asian studies more broadly to learn Hindi. Check out Hindi @ PSU site for student work and more information.
What careers can I have with a background in South Asia?
Given India’s global strategic importance, students with an academic background in South Asian studies and the Hindi language may successfully pursue careers focused on social, environmental, engineering, and economic issues across the globe, through tech companies and organizations such as CARE, Oxfam, Doctors Without Borders, the Gates Foundation, among others. Hindi is among several critical languages identified by the US Department of State as essential for national security. Hindi language skills will therefore prepare students for an array of national government and intelligence work opportunities. Hindi language skills are also essential for jobs as translators and interpreters in the social, medical, business, or legal sector, or for students interested in graduate study of South Asia.
How do I declare a major with a focus on Hindi and South Asian studies?
To focus on Hindi and South Asian studies, declare an Asian Studies major or minor today. See the requirements for the Asian Studies major/minor for details. Below is a sampling of courses offered on South Asia that can count towards the Asian Studies major/minor.
Language Coursework (16 credits)
- ASIA 003 – Religions of the East
- ASIA 103 – Introduction to Hinduism
- ASIA 120Y – South Asia: A Literary History
- ASIA 107N Bollywood: Seeing South Asia Through Cinema
- ASIA 401 – Technology and Society in Modern Asia
- ASIA 403 – Food Cultures of Asia*
- ARCH 312 – Critical Postcolonial and Contemporary Perspectives in South Asian Architecture
- ARTH 215 – Architecture and Art of South and Southeast Asia
- ARTH 440 – Monuments of Asia
- CMLIT 111 – Introduction to the Literatures of India
- CMLIT 404Y – Topics in Asian Literature*
- HIST 169 – The Indian Ocean World
- HIST 170 – South Asia to 1500
- HIST 176 – Survey of Indian History
- HIST 182 – Asian Trade: Economy, Industrialization, and Capitalism in Asia
- HIST 188 – Tibet: People, Places, and Spaces
- HIST 475Y – The Making and Emergence of Modern India
- PLSC 465Y – Democratization in Asia
- PLSC 469 – Government and Politics of South Asia
- WMNST 137 – Gender, Sexuality, and Religion
- WMNST 280 – Gendering the Divine in Indian and South Asian Religions
*Focus varies semester to semester. Check with instructor or Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Coursework with a South Asian Studies Focus
- ASIA 003 – Religions of the East
- ASIA 103 – Introduction to Hinduism
- ASIA 120Y – South Asia: A Literary History
- ASIA 107N Bollywood: Seeing South Asia Through Cinema
- ASIA 401 – Technology and Society in Modern Asia
- ASIA 403 – Food Cultures of Asia*
- ARCH 312 – Critical Postcolonial and Contemporary Perspectives in South Asian Architecture
- ARTH 215 – Architecture and Art of South and Southeast Asia
- ARTH 440 – Monuments of Asia
- CMLIT 111 – Introduction to the Literatures of India
- CMLIT 404Y – Topics in Asian Literature*
- HIST 169 – The Indian Ocean World
- HIST 170 – South Asia to 1500
- HIST 171 – South Asia since 1500
- HIST 176 – Survey of Indian History
- HIST 182 – Asian Trade: Economy, Industrialization, and Capitalism in Asia
- HIST 188 – Tibet: People, Places, and Spaces
- HIST 475Y – The Making and Emergence of Modern India
- PLSC 465Y – Democratization in Asia
- PLSC 469 – Government and Politics of South Asia
- WMNST 137 – Gender, Sexuality, and Religion
- WMNST 280 – Gendering the Divine in Indian and South Asian Religions
*Focus varies semester to semester. Check with instructor or Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Requirements for the South Asian Studies Minor
The South Asian Studies minor requires 18 credits of study. Students must earn a “C” or better in all courses applied to their minor.
South Asia Coursework (6-7credits)
South Asia and Beyond Coursework (12-14 credits)
At least 6 credits must be at the 400-level. Other relevant courses may count toward the minor pending approval by the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
ARTH 120 Asian Art and Architecture
ARTH 125 Islamic Architecture and Art
ASIA 215 Architecture and Art of South and Southeast Asia
ASIA 403 Food Cultures of Asia
ASIA 465Y Democratization in Asia
ASIA 469 Government and Politics of South Asia
ASIA 472 Tradition, Modernity, and Cultural Change in South Asian Societies
CMLIT 111 Introduction to Literatures of India
HINDI 3 Level Two Hindi A
HINDI 110 Intermediate Hindi
HIST 106 Early Modern Empires of Islam: The Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals
HIST 169 The Indian Ocean World
HIST 170 South Asia to 1500
HIST 176 Survey of Indian History
HIST 182 Asian Trade: Economy, Industrialization and Capitalism in Asia
HIST 186 The Silk Roads
HIST 188 Tibet: People, Places and Spaces
HIST 400 Global History of Food and Famine
HIST 475Y The Making and Emergence of Modern India
WMNST 200 Global Feminisms
WMNST 280 Gendering the Divine in Indian and South Asian Religions
WMNST 440W Women in Global Cities
Faculty with a South Asian Studies Focus
- Jyoti Balachandran, History
- Muslim communities; medieval and early modern South Asia (c. 1200-1800); the Indian Ocean world
- Jessica Vantine Birkenholtz, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Asian Studies
- Gender, sexuality, and religion in South Asia; Hinduism; goddess traditions; Nepal
- Trevor Birkenholtz, Geography
- Political ecology; development; social theory; nature-society relations; gender dynamics; urban and rural water resources; India
- Madhuri Desai, Art History
- South Asian architecture, urbanism, and art
- Ritu Jayakar, Asian Studies
- Language pedagogy, technology and language, and Indian cinema
- Bruno Jean-Francois, French and Francophone Studies
- Indian Ocean Studies; migration studies; diasporic studies and creolization
- Prakash Kumar, History
- Colonial history; modernization and development; science and technology; agrarian history
- Seth Ligo, Asian Studies
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Buddhism, Hinduism, pan-Asian Tantra, Tantra and Yoga, Margins and Marginalization, Art History, Ethnography and Ethnomusicology, Plural Religious Spaces, and Indigenous Religions.
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- Aparna Parikh, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
- South Asian comparative urbanism; South Asian and transnational feminisms; Hindutva nationalism
- Mary Shenk, Anthropology
- Fertility, mortality, marriage, family, kinship; quantitative/demographic and qualitative approaches
- Vineeta Yadav, Political Science
- Comparative politics; political economy; political institutions; judicial politics, development survey methods; India, Pakistan, Brazil, and China
Additional Resources for Learning Hindi
- The American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS) offers a number of programs throughout India during both the summer and academic year.
- The South Asia Summer Language Institute (SASLI) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison offers intensive summer language programs in numerous South Asian languages.
Advising
Tom Spencer is the undergraduate adviser for the major and minor in Asian Studies, Chinese, Japanese, and Hindi. To make an appointment, visit Starfish and hit ‘Log Into Starfish.’ Select “Appointments” and click the “Advisers” link at the top of the page to view Tom Spencer’s hours for the week. Please make an appointment if you need help with:
For other information on the Hindi program, please contact Ritu Jayakar.
- Your next semester schedule (language pre-majors and majors)
- Concurrent major planning (feasibility, courses needed)
- Academic difficulty
- Faculty Senate petitions (retroactive withdrawal or registration, etc.)
- Course selection