Bachelor of Arts in India Studies

Students on Summer 2023, Fall 2023, or Spring 2024 requirements INSTBA1

View Degree MapA semester-by-semester path to completing degree and major requirements

Requirements

The major requires at least 30 credit hours, including the requirements listed below.

Language. Six (6) credit hours in one (1) language:
- Bengali
- Hindi
- Sanskrit
- Urdu
- Persian
- Tibetan
- Other Indian languages
INST-B 200 Intermediate Bengali I

Credits
4
Prerequisites
INST-B 150; or consent of instructor
Description
Focuses on listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Special emphasis given to communicative approach to language learning.

INST-B 250 Intermediate Bengali II

Credits
4
Prerequisites
INST-B 200; or consent of instructor
Description
Focus given to listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Emphasis given to communicative approach to language learning.

INST-H 200 Intermediate Hindi I

Credits
4
Prerequisites
INST-H 150; or consent of instructor
Description
Reading mythology, folklore, modern short stories, essays and poetry, including several examples from Hindi literature. Students compose and perform dialogues based on the material read and the usage of role playing cards.

INST-H 250 Intermediate Hindi II

Credits
4
Prerequisites
INST-H 200; or consent of instructor
Description
Promotes rapid reading skills and vocabulary building. Study of grammar is based on Hindi reading material and includes regular grammar drills. Students sharpen composition skills by retelling stories and making brief synopses from the reading material orally and in writing. Increase speaking skill to narrate and describe with short connected discourse.

INST-S 200 Intermediate Sanskrit I

Credits
4
Prerequisites
INST-I 340 or INST-S 150 or consent of instructor
Description
Comprehensive review of Sanskrit grammar followed by the reading of epic Sanskrit. Texts allow students to explore issues of syntax and changes in the language over time.
Repeatability
Credit given for only one of INST-I 349 or INST-S 200.

INST-S 250 Intermediate Sanskrit II

Credits
4
Prerequisites
INST-I 349 or INST-S 200 or consent of instructor
Description
Development of reading skills with a broadening range of materials, including Vedic Sanskrit.
Repeatability
Credit given for only one of INST-I 350 or INST-S 250.

INST-U 200 Intermediate Urdu I

Credits
4
Prerequisites
INST-U 150; or consent of instructor
Description
Urdu short stories, essays, poetry (gazals), dramas, newspapers and magazine articles, etc. will be utilized for reading. Initiate basic communicative tasks related to daily activities and various situations.

INST-U 250 Intermediate Urdu II

Credits
4
Prerequisites
INST-U 200; or consent of instructor
Description
Promotes rapid reading skills and vocabulary building. Study of grammar is based on Urdu reading material and includes regular drills. Students sharpen composition skills by retelling stories from reading material orally and in writing. Increase speaking skill, to initiate, sustain, and close a general conversation on a range of topics.

CEUS-T 251 Intermediate Persian I

Credits
4
Prerequisites
CEUS-T 152 or CEUS-U 178 with a grade of C or higher; or consent of department
Description
Covers a wide range of topics and intermediate to advanced grammar.
Repeatability
Credit given for only one of CEUS-T 251 or CEUS-U 277.

CEUS-T 252 Intermediate Persian II

Credits
4
Prerequisites
CEUS-T 251 or CEUS-U 277 with a grade of C or higher; or consent of department
Description
Concentrates on complex grammatical structures and vocabulary acquisition with emphasis on reading and writing skills, and fluency in modern colloquial pronunciation (Tehran dialect). Studies texts drawn from modern Iranian publications, authentic materials, and Internet resources.
Repeatability
Credit given for only one of CEUS-T 252 or CEUS-U 278.

CEUS-T 271 Intermediate Tibetan I

Credits
4
Prerequisites
CEUS-T 172 or CEUS-U 152 with a grade of C or higher; or consent of department
Description
Further develops skills in Tibetan for effective communication. Speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills are developed throughout the course with attention to grammar. Special attention to classical Tibetan readings.
Repeatability
Credit given for only one of CEUS-T 271 or CEUS-U 251.

CEUS-T 272 Intermediate Tibetan II

Credits
4
Prerequisites
CEUS-T 271 or CEUS-U 251 with a grade of C or higher; or consent of department
Description
Further develops skills with basic features of Tibetan language. Materials such as short stories and articles used for writing and reading assignments.
Repeatability
Credit given for only one of CEUS-T 272 or CEUS-U 252.

INST-L 200 Intermediate Indian Languages I

Credits
3
Prerequisites
INST-L 150 or equivalent in the same language
Description
Language instruction in the specific Indian language named in the Schedule of Classes. Various languages will be offered when available.
Repeatability
These courses may be retaken for credit, but only in a language different from that of the first enrollment.

INST-L 250 Intermediate Indian Languages II

Credits
3
Prerequisites
INST-L 200 or equivalent in the same language
Description
Language instruction in the specific Indian language named in the Schedule of Classes. Various languages will be offered when available.
Repeatability
These courses may be retaken for credit, but only in a language different from that of the first enrollment.
Core. One (1) course:
- INST-I 100
- Additional courses taught by core Dhar India Studies faculty (with program approval)
Culture, Art, Religion. Six (6) credit hours:
- INST-I 370 Literature of India in Translation: Ancient and Classical
- INST-I 371 Songs of Ecstasy: Loving God in Medieval India
- INST-I 380 Women in South Asian Religious Traditions
- INST-I 414 India: Lost and Found in Translation
- INST-X 490 Individual Readings in India Studies
- ENG-L 383 Studies in British or Commonwealth Culture
- FOLK-F 121 World Arts and Cultures
- REL-B 202 Issues in South and East Asian Religions
- REL-B 210 Introduction to Buddhism
- REL-B 220 Introduction to Hinduism
- REL-B 315 Tantric Buddhism
- REL-B 320 Hindu Goddesses
- REL-B 330 Women in South Asian Religious Traditions
- REL-B 333 Seeing the Buddha: Buddhist Art of India and Tibet
- REL-B 335 Bollywood and Beyond: Religion in South Asian Film
- REL-B 414 Buddhist Philosophy in India
- REL-B 420 Topics in Hindu Religious Traditions
- REL-B 420 Topics in Hindu Religious Traditions
- REL-B 433 Embodying Nirvana
- REL-D 375 Religion and Literature
- REL-R 153 Religions of Asia
INST-I 370 Literature of India in Translation: Ancient and Classical
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Survey of the ancient and classical Sanskrit literature of India in translation, presented in cultural context.
- Spring 2025CASE AHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE AHcourse
INST-I 371 Songs of Ecstasy: Loving God in Medieval India
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Explore how some of the poets of medieval India couched their devotion for Krishna in erotic, seemingly transgressive language, and the circumstances that permitted them to do so.
- Spring 2025CASE AHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE AHcourse
INST-I 380 Women in South Asian Religious Traditions
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
A historical view of the officially sanctioned roles for women in several religious traditions in South Asia, and women\'s efforts to become agents and participants in the religious expressions of their own lives.
Repeatability
Credit given for only one of INST-I 380, REL-B 330, or REL-R 382.
- Spring 2025CASE AHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE AHcourse
INST-I 414 India: Lost and Found in Translation

Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
An ethnographic approach to international fictional films produced in recent decades that treat both the political/public and domestic/private spheres of Indian life as sites that invite cultural critique and debate over the success of India as a modern and modernizing nation.

INST-X 490 Individual Readings in India Studies

Credits
1–6 credit hours
Prerequisites
None
Notes
R: Reading knowledge of Sanskrit and Hindi
Description
Selected substantive topics investigated from ancient, medieval, and modern texts about the civilization of India.
Repeatability
May be repeated with different topics for a maximum of 6 credit hours in INST-I 496 and INST-X 490.
ENG-L 383 Studies in British or Commonwealth Culture
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Study of a coherent period of British or Commonwealth culture (such as medieval, Elizabethan, or Victorian England, or modern Canada), with attention to the relations between literature, the other arts, and the intellectual milieu.
- Spring 2025CASE AHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE AHcourse
FOLK-F 121 World Arts and Cultures
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Surveying the customary arts of the world’s peoples offers a means of comprehending the human condition today. This course explores how culture is made manifest, especially in such media as landscapes, architecture, material culture, and expressive performances. A sampling of world arts, it also provides an introduction to folklife studies.
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE SHcourse
REL-B 202 Issues in South and East Asian Religions
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Selected issues and movements in South and East Asian religions.
Repeatability
May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
- Spring 2025CASE AHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE AHcourse
REL-B 210 Introduction to Buddhism
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Introduction to the basic beliefs and practices of Buddhism from its beginnings to the present. Special attention to the life and teachings of the founder, significant developments in India, and the diffusion of the tradition to East Asia, Central Asia, and the West.
Repeatability
Credit given for only one of REL-B 210 or REL-R 250.
- Spring 2025CASE AHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE AHcourse
- Spring 2025CASE GCCcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE GCCcourse
REL-B 220 Introduction to Hinduism
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Beliefs, rites, and institutions of Hinduism from the Vedic (c. 1200 B.C.) to modern times: religion of the Vedas and the Upanishads, epics and the rise of devotional religion, philosophical systems (Yoga and Vedanta), sectarian theism, monasticism, socioreligious institutions, popular religion (temples and pilgrimages), modern Hindu syncretism.
Repeatability
Credit given for only one of REL-B 220 or REL-R 255.
- Spring 2025CASE AHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE AHcourse
- Spring 2025CASE GCCcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE GCCcourse
REL-B 315 Tantric Buddhism
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
This class explores the rise and circulation of tantric practices, ideas, and texts among Indian and Tibetan Buddhists. The class also considers the advantages and limitations of various approaches that modern scholars have taken in their attempts to make sense of these practices, ideas, and texts.
- Spring 2025CASE AHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE AHcourse
- Spring 2025CASE GCCcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE GCCcourse
REL-B 320 Hindu Goddesses
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Introduction to the goddesses in Hindu traditions, including Lakshmi, Saraswati, Sita, Radha, Parvati, Durga, Kali, Ganga, and Sitala. Focus on the mythology, iconography, cultic practices, embodied forms, and theology associated with these goddesses.
Repeatability
Credit given for only one of REL-B 320 or REL-R 348.
- Spring 2025CASE AHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE AHcourse
REL-B 330 Women in South Asian Religious Traditions
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Historical view of the officially sanctioned roles for women in several religious traditions in South Asia, and women\'s efforts to become agents and participants in the religious expressions of their own lives.
Repeatability
Credit given for only one of INST-I 380, REL-B 330, or REL-R 382.
- Spring 2025CASE AHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE AHcourse
- Spring 2025CASE GCCcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE GCCcourse
REL-B 333 Seeing the Buddha: Buddhist Art of India and Tibet
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
An exploration of Buddhist art and its multiple social and ritual contexts, with particular attention given to works produced in India and Tibet. Designed to provoke reflection on the roles played by images in the religious life of Buddhist communities and in other religions over time.
- Spring 2025CASE AHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE AHcourse
- Spring 2025CASE GCCcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE GCCcourse
REL-B 335 Bollywood and Beyond: Religion in South Asian Film
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
A consideration of the nature and meaning of religion in South Asia using film as the lens to explore the South Asian continuum running from the sacred to the secular.
Repeatability
Credit given for only one of REL-B 335 or REL-R 388.
- Spring 2025CASE AHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE AHcourse
REL-B 414 Buddhist Philosophy in India
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Examines ideas, methods, and practices of seminal importance for Buddhist philosophical traditions in and beyond the Indian subcontinent. Explores how certain Buddhist thinkers have asked and attempted to answer questions regarding the self, reality, knowledge, conduct, and liberation.
- Spring 2025CASE AHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE AHcourse
- Spring 2025CASE GCCcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE GCCcourse
REL-B 420 Topics in Hindu Religious Traditions
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Selected topics such as Upanishadic thought, the Bhagavad Gita, Advaita Vedanta, Hindu ethics, monastic traditions, Hindu soteriology.
Repeatability
May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours in REL-B 420 and REL-R 458.
- Spring 2025CASE AHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE AHcourse
REL-B 420 Topics in Hindu Religious Traditions
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Selected topics such as Upanishadic thought, the Bhagavad Gita, Advaita Vedanta, Hindu ethics, monastic traditions, Hindu soteriology.
Repeatability
May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours in REL-B 420 and REL-R 458.
- Spring 2025CASE AHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE AHcourse
REL-B 433 Embodying Nirvana
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Addresses the divergent ways in which Buddhists have understood the figure of the Buddha and the nature of Buddhahood. Draws from a number of primary texts in translation, concentrating principally (although not exclusively) on Indian Buddhist materials.
- Spring 2025CASE AHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE AHcourse
- Spring 2025CASE GCCcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE GCCcourse
REL-D 375 Religion and Literature
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Examines how literature furthers and also critiques religious agendas. Studies specific genres (e.g., poetry, fiction, epic, diaries) with an eye to the interplay between religious realities and literary expressions in specific cultural contexts (e.g., medieval Hindu devotion or twentieth-century North American counter-culture).
Repeatability
May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
- Spring 2025CASE AHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE AHcourse
REL-R 153 Religions of Asia
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Introduction to the religious traditions of Asia as integral to culture and society. Examines sacred stories, beliefs, values, and practices from multiple Asian religions in historical and comparative perspectives. Reveals how concepts of how the world works and what it means to be human vary across time and place, influencing domains not conventionally deemed religious in the U.S.
- Spring 2025CASE AHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE AHcourse
- Spring 2025CASE GCCcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE GCCcourse
Society, History, Politics. Three (3) credit hours:
- INST-I 211 Introduction to South Asian History
- INST-I 362 International Relations of South Asia
- CEUS-R 329 Topics in Central Asian Studies
- CEUS-R 351 Prophets, Poets, and Kings: Iranian Civilization
- CEUS-R 370 Introduction to the History of Tibet
- CEUS-R 371 Tibet and the West
- CJUS-P 407 Terrorism
- GEOG-G 220 Social and Historical Studies Topics in Geography
- GEOG-G 415 Advanced Urban Geography
- GEOG-G 441 Migration and Mobility
- HIST-G 300 Issues in Asian History
- HIST-G 350 Modern South Asia: Eighteenth to Twentieth Century
- HIST-H 238 Introduction to South Asian History and Civilization
- HIST-J 300
- HIST-W 300 Issues in World History
- INTL-I 422 Contested Territories/Conflicted Identities
- INTL-I 423 Postcolonial/Postcommunist Discourses
- INTL-I 425 Gender: International Perspectives
- MSCH-J 448 Global Journalism: Issues and Research
- POLS-Y 300
- POLS-Y 356 South Asian Politics
- POLS-Y 362 International Politics of Selected Regions
INST-I 211 Introduction to South Asian History
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
South Asia today encompasses India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka. Introduction to some of the principal historical themes and cultural features of this diverse region from the Neolithic era to the present day.
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE SHcourse
INST-I 362 International Relations of South Asia
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Focuses on terrorism, nuclear proliferation, inter-state war and ethnic conflict in South Asia as these issues relate to American foreign and security policy.
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE SHcourse
CEUS-R 329 Topics in Central Asian Studies

Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Variable title course for topics in Central Asian studies.
Repeatability
May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 9 credit hours.
CEUS-R 351 Prophets, Poets, and Kings: Iranian Civilization
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Traces the history of Iranians from ancient times through the Arab conquest to today. Focuses on institutions, religious, secular and ecclesiastic hierarchies, minorities, devotional and communal change, and Iranian influences on Islam. Visual and archaeological aids used. No previous knowledge of subject matter required.
Repeatability
Credit given for only one of CEUS-R 351 or CEUS-U 311.
- Spring 2025CASE GCCcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE GCCcourse
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE SHcourse
CEUS-R 370 Introduction to the History of Tibet
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Survey of Tibet's history from its beginning to present. Studies facets of Tibet's history including the Tibetan empire of the seventh to ninth centuries, the impact of Buddhism, Tibet's relations with neighboring peoples, the rise of the Dalai Lama, and current issues of Tibet.
Repeatability
Credit given for only one of CEUS-R 370 or CEUS-U 483.
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE SHcourse
CEUS-R 371 Tibet and the West
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Examines Western perception of Tibet during the past 700 years and compares Tibetan civilization with popular conceptions that prevailed in the West during corresponding periods. Subjects include Tibet as "Shangri-La," reflected in such novels and films as 'Lost Horizon', along with Tibetan perceptions of Westerners and Western civilization.
Repeatability
Credit given for only one of CEUS-R 371 or CEUS-U 489.
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE SHcourse
CJUS-P 407 Terrorism
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Terrorism is a serious challenge today and its policing demands varied responses. In this course we study how terrorists evolve and carry out their operations. The course will analyze police responses and debate the issues of legal boundaries and systems of checks and balances using case studies.
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE SHcourse
GEOG-G 220 Social and Historical Studies Topics in Geography
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Exploration of an intriguing topic from a geographic perspective. Topics vary.
Repeatability
May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE SHcourse
GEOG-G 415 Advanced Urban Geography
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
An in-depth examination of modern cities, growth dynamics, and sustainability. Explores a range of contemporary socioeconomic topics in an urban setting, including housing markets, segregation, crime, telecommunication, transportation, and regional development. Basic geographic models and spatial statistics are used to explore differences in urban areas.
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE SHcourse
GEOG-G 441 Migration and Mobility
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Geographers are turning attention to the processes that drive, regulate and accompany various scales of movement, the politics of mobility, and the experience and effect of mobility. A better understanding of mobility helps them investigate processes like globalization, migration, tourism, homelessness, security and transport, international flows as well as micro-scale bodily movements in more nuanced ways.
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE SHcourse
HIST-G 300 Issues in Asian History
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Study and analysis of selected historical issues and problems of limited scope. Topics vary but usually cut across fields, regions, and periods.
Repeatability
May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 9 credit hours.
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE SHcourse
HIST-G 350 Modern South Asia: Eighteenth to Twentieth Century
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
In-depth examination of the \"making of modern South Asia\" through this region\'s experience as an imperial territory of Great Britain. The focus of the course is upon social and cultural change, colonial governance, and forms of Indian nationalism.
- Spring 2025CASE GCCcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE GCCcourse
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE SHcourse
HIST-H 238 Introduction to South Asian History and Civilization
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Survey course which examines some of the important problems and debates current in South Asian history. Topics covered range from the Neolithic period to the present day, and include the nature of ancient South Asian society, medieval Islamic empires, and British imperialism in the region.
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE SHcourse
HIST-W 300 Issues in World History
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Study and analysis of selected historical issues and problems of general import. Topics will vary from semester to semester but will usually be broad subjects that cut across fields, regions, and periods.
Repeatability
May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 9 credit hours.
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE SHcourse
INTL-I 422 Contested Territories/Conflicted Identities

Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Study of nationalism to explore how history, politics and culture conflict and converge in shaping multiple identities.
Repeatability
May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 12 credit hours.

INTL-I 423 Postcolonial/Postcommunist Discourses

Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Study of emergence and use of postcolonial and postcommunist theories to analyze colonial and communist discourses as well as their political and cultural legacies.
Repeatability
May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 12 credit hours.

INTL-I 425 Gender: International Perspectives

Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Examination of gender issues from international and interdisciplinary perspectives.
Repeatability
May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 12 credit hours.
MSCH-J 448 Global Journalism: Issues and Research
Credits
3
Prerequisites
At least junior standing; or consent of instructor
Description
Structure and function of international communication systems and barrier to flow of information among nations. Emphasis on gathering and disseminating information around the world. Study of the major newspapers of the world, international news agencies, and international broadcasting and satellite networks.
Repeatability
Credit given for only one of JOUR-J 448 or MSCH-J 448.
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE SHcourse
POLS-Y 356 South Asian Politics
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Introduction to the legacy of British colonialism in South Asia, to the development and decay of political institutions, to questions of economic growth, to social movements, and to regional conflicts.
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE SHcourse
POLS-Y 362 International Politics of Selected Regions
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
The region studied will vary with the instructor and the year. Current information may be obtained from the Department of Political Science.
Repeatability
May be repeated once for credit, with permission of the departmental undergraduate advisor.
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE SHcourse
Electives. Additional credit hours, as needed, to fulfill remaining requirements:
- Additional courses from the Culture, Art, Religion list
- Additional courses from the Society, History, Politics list
- INST-B 300 Advanced Bengali I
- INST-B 325 Bengali Conversation
- INST-B 350 Advanced Bengali II
- INST-H 300 Advanced Hindi I
- INST-H 325 Hindi Conversation
- INST-H 350 Advanced Hindi II
- INST-H 420 Hindi Literature
- INST-I 212 The Civilization of Tibet
- INST-I 300 Passage to India: Emperors, Gurus and Gods
- INST-I 303 Issues in Indian Culture and Society
- INST-I 305 Exploring Indian Languages and Literature Through Film
- INST-I 310 An Introduction to India
- INST-I 320 Contemporary India: History, Politics, and Society
- INST-I 330 Issues in Indian Culture and Society
- INST-I 347 Meditation Traditions of India
- INST-I 362 International Relations of South Asia
- INST-I 368 Philosophies of India
- INST-I 402 Introduction to the History of Tibet
- INST-I 412 Criminal Justice in India
- INST-I 414 India: Lost and Found in Translation
- INST-S 300 Advanced Sanskrit I
- INST-S 350 Advanced Sanskrit II
- INST-T 300 Advanced Tamil I
- INST-T 325 Tamil Conversation
- INST-U 300 Advanced Urdu I
- INST-U 325 Urdu Conversation
- INST-U 350 Advanced Urdu II
INST-B 300 Advanced Bengali I

Credits
3
Prerequisites
INST-B 250 or consent of instructor
Description
Development of higher level linguistic functions in Bengali in the four skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. Cultural literacy is enhanced through interaction with native speakers and the use of authentic media and literature. Culminates with a research paper in Bengali. Conducted entirely in Bengali.

INST-B 325 Bengali Conversation

Credits
2
Prerequisites
INST B-150 or consent of instructor
Description
Develops conversational skills in several registers of colloquial Bengali, a language spoken in Bangladesh and India. Students participate in everyday conversations, learn popular songs, and watch and discuss Bengali movies.
Repeatability
May be repeated for a maximum of 8 credit hours.

INST-B 350 Advanced Bengali II

Credits
3
Prerequisites
INST-B 300 or consent of instructor
Description
Continues the refinement of language skills from INST-B 300. Culminates with a research paper in Bengali. Conducted entirely in Bengali.

INST-H 300 Advanced Hindi I

Credits
3
Prerequisites
INST-H 250 or consent of instructor
Description
Development of higher level linguistic functions in Hindi in the four skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. Cultural literacy is enhanced through interaction with native speakers and the use of authentic media and literature. Culminates with a research paper in Hindi. Conducted entirely in Hindi.

INST-H 325 Hindi Conversation

Credits
2
Prerequisites
INST-H 150 or INST-U 150, or consent of instructor
Description
Develops conversational skills in several registers of modern Hindi. Students participate in everyday conversations, learn popular Bollywood songs, and watch and discuss Hindi-Urdu movies.
Repeatability
May be repeated for a maximum of 8 credit hours in INST-H 325 and INST-U 325.

INST-H 350 Advanced Hindi II

Credits
3
Prerequisites
INST-H 300 or consent of instructor
Description
Continues the refinement of language skills from INST-H 300. Culminates with a research paper in Hindi. Conducted entirely in Hindi.
INST-H 420 Hindi Literature
Credits
3
Prerequisites
INST-H 250 or consent of instructor
Description
Overview of Indian culture through its literature. Taught in Hindi.
Repeatability
May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
- Spring 2025CASE AHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE AHcourse
INST-I 212 The Civilization of Tibet
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Introduction to the diverse aspects of Tibetan civilization. Topics include Tibet's literature, art, religion, society, history, and language.
Repeatability
Credit given for only one of CEUS-R 270, CEUS-U 284, or INST-I 212.
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE SHcourse
INST-I 300 Passage to India: Emperors, Gurus and Gods

Description
None
Additional information
Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.

INST-I 303 Issues in Indian Culture and Society

Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Examination of the culture and society of India through the study and analysis of a specific issue or theme. Topic varies.
Repeatability
May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours.

INST-I 305 Exploring Indian Languages and Literature Through Film

Description
Explores the languages of India from genealogical, linguistic, typological, historical, and sociological perspectives. Provides an overview of literatures of several main South Asian languages with a focus on Hindi and Urdu literatures. No previous knowledge of Hindi or Urdu is required.
Additional information
Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.

INST-I 310 An Introduction to India

Description
Geared toward those majoring in India Studies and those with an interest in India. Designed to familiarize students with the art, culture, religion, history, economics, politics, media, and contemporary issues of India.
Additional information
Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.
INST-I 320 Contemporary India: History, Politics, and Society
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Critical survey of social, economic, and political trends in modern India (1947-present), primarily through the study of relevant novels. Lectures and readings provide students with knowledge of modern Indian history and politics, caste and class relations, the evolution of India\'s political institutions since independence, and current debates in Indian society.
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE SHcourse
INST-I 330 Issues in Indian Culture and Society

Credits
1–3 credit hours
Prerequisites
None
Description
Examination of the culture and society of the Indian subcontinent through the study and analysis of a specific issue or theme. Topic varies.
Repeatability
May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 3 credit hours.

INST-I 347 Meditation Traditions of India

Description
Survey and analysis of the practice of meditation in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions of India. Focus on the philosophical and structural basis of meditation and the relation of meditation to the monastic traditions of India. The role of the holy person and the importance of the guru-student relationship.
Additional information
Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.
INST-I 362 International Relations of South Asia
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Focuses on terrorism, nuclear proliferation, inter-state war and ethnic conflict in South Asia as these issues relate to American foreign and security policy.
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE SHcourse
INST-I 368 Philosophies of India
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Historical and critical-analytic survey of the major intellectual traditions of the cultures and civilizations of India. Attention to early philosophizing and the emergence of the classical schools in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain traditions. Attention also to contemporary thought in India, including critical theory and subaltern theorizing.
Repeatability
Credit given for only one of INST-I 368, PHIL-P 328, or REL-R 368.
- Spring 2025CASE AHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE AHcourse
INST-I 402 Introduction to the History of Tibet
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Surveys Tibet's history from its earliest period through the present, including the Tibetan empire of the seventh through ninth centuries, the impact of Buddhism on political and social structures, Tibet's relations with neighboring peoples, the development of the Dalai Lama's government, and the current issues of Tibet.
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE SHcourse
INST-I 412 Criminal Justice in India

Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Presents an overview of the Indian criminal justice system, issues related to crime, and its control mechanism in the country. Topics include Indian history, system of government, constitution, court system, police, corrections, and the phenomenon of crime.

INST-I 414 India: Lost and Found in Translation

Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
An ethnographic approach to international fictional films produced in recent decades that treat both the political/public and domestic/private spheres of Indian life as sites that invite cultural critique and debate over the success of India as a modern and modernizing nation.

INST-S 300 Advanced Sanskrit I

Credits
3
Prerequisites
INST-S 250; or consent of instructor
Description
Students will read from a variety of genres including kavya, shastra, and religious literature.

INST-S 350 Advanced Sanskrit II

Credits
3
Prerequisites
INST-S 300; or consent of instructor
Description
Continuation of INST-S 300. Students will continue reading from a variety of genres including kavya, shastra, and religious literature.

INST-T 300 Advanced Tamil I

Credits
3
Prerequisites
INST-T 250 or consent of instructor
Description
Advanced issues in Tamil syntax and grammar. Work with Tamil short stories and films to develop the ability to converse and analyze using sophisticated Tamil.

INST-T 325 Tamil Conversation

Credits
2
Prerequisites
INST-T 150 or consent of instructor
Description
Develops conversational skills in colloquial Tamil, a language spoken primarily in South India and Sri Lanka. Students participate in everyday conversations, learn popular songs, and watch and discuss Tamil movies.
Repeatability
May be repeated for a maximum of 8 credit hours.

INST-U 300 Advanced Urdu I

Credits
3
Prerequisites
INST-U 250 or consent of instructor
Description
Development of higher level linguistic functions in Urdu in the four skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. Cultural literacy is enhanced through interaction with native speakers and the use of authentic media and literature. Culminates with a research paper in Urdu. Conducted entirely in Urdu.

INST-U 325 Urdu Conversation

Credits
2
Prerequisites
INST-H 150, INST-U 150, or consent of instructor
Description
Develops conversational skills in several registers of modern Urdu. Students participate in everyday conversations, learn popular Bollywood songs, and watch and discuss Hindi-Urdu movies.
Repeatability
May be repeated for a maximum of 8 credit hours in INST-H 325 and INST-U 325.

INST-U 350 Advanced Urdu II

Credits
3
Prerequisites
INST-U 300 or consent of instructor
Description
Continues the refinement of language skills from INST-U 300. Culminates with a research paper in Urdu. Conducted entirely in Urdu.
400–499 Level Requirement. At least one (1) course:
- Any INST-H 400–499
- Any INST-I 400–499 except INST-I 414
- REL-B 414 Buddhist Philosophy in India
- REL-B 420 Topics in Hindu Religious Traditions
- REL-B 433 Embodying Nirvana
- CJUS-P 407 Terrorism
- GEOG-G 415 Advanced Urban Geography
- GEOG-G 441 Migration and Mobility
- INTL-I 422 Contested Territories/Conflicted Identities
- INTL-I 423 Postcolonial/Postcommunist Discourses
- INTL-I 423 Postcolonial/Postcommunist Discourses
- MSCH-J 448 Global Journalism: Issues and Research
REL-B 414 Buddhist Philosophy in India
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Examines ideas, methods, and practices of seminal importance for Buddhist philosophical traditions in and beyond the Indian subcontinent. Explores how certain Buddhist thinkers have asked and attempted to answer questions regarding the self, reality, knowledge, conduct, and liberation.
- Spring 2025CASE AHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE AHcourse
- Spring 2025CASE GCCcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE GCCcourse
REL-B 420 Topics in Hindu Religious Traditions
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Selected topics such as Upanishadic thought, the Bhagavad Gita, Advaita Vedanta, Hindu ethics, monastic traditions, Hindu soteriology.
Repeatability
May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours in REL-B 420 and REL-R 458.
- Spring 2025CASE AHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE AHcourse
REL-B 433 Embodying Nirvana
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Addresses the divergent ways in which Buddhists have understood the figure of the Buddha and the nature of Buddhahood. Draws from a number of primary texts in translation, concentrating principally (although not exclusively) on Indian Buddhist materials.
- Spring 2025CASE AHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE AHcourse
- Spring 2025CASE GCCcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE GCCcourse
CJUS-P 407 Terrorism
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Terrorism is a serious challenge today and its policing demands varied responses. In this course we study how terrorists evolve and carry out their operations. The course will analyze police responses and debate the issues of legal boundaries and systems of checks and balances using case studies.
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE SHcourse
GEOG-G 415 Advanced Urban Geography
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
An in-depth examination of modern cities, growth dynamics, and sustainability. Explores a range of contemporary socioeconomic topics in an urban setting, including housing markets, segregation, crime, telecommunication, transportation, and regional development. Basic geographic models and spatial statistics are used to explore differences in urban areas.
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE SHcourse
GEOG-G 441 Migration and Mobility
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Geographers are turning attention to the processes that drive, regulate and accompany various scales of movement, the politics of mobility, and the experience and effect of mobility. A better understanding of mobility helps them investigate processes like globalization, migration, tourism, homelessness, security and transport, international flows as well as micro-scale bodily movements in more nuanced ways.
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE SHcourse
INTL-I 422 Contested Territories/Conflicted Identities

Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Study of nationalism to explore how history, politics and culture conflict and converge in shaping multiple identities.
Repeatability
May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 12 credit hours.

INTL-I 423 Postcolonial/Postcommunist Discourses

Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Study of emergence and use of postcolonial and postcommunist theories to analyze colonial and communist discourses as well as their political and cultural legacies.
Repeatability
May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 12 credit hours.

INTL-I 423 Postcolonial/Postcommunist Discourses

Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Study of emergence and use of postcolonial and postcommunist theories to analyze colonial and communist discourses as well as their political and cultural legacies.
Repeatability
May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 12 credit hours.
MSCH-J 448 Global Journalism: Issues and Research
Credits
3
Prerequisites
At least junior standing; or consent of instructor
Description
Structure and function of international communication systems and barrier to flow of information among nations. Emphasis on gathering and disseminating information around the world. Study of the major newspapers of the world, international news agencies, and international broadcasting and satellite networks.
Repeatability
Credit given for only one of JOUR-J 448 or MSCH-J 448.
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourse
  
  Fall 2024CASE SHcourse
Major GPA, Hours, and Minimum Grade Requirements.
1. Major GPA. A GPA of at least 2.000 for all courses taken in the major—including those where a grade lower than C- is earned—is required.
2. Major Minimum Grade. Except for the GPA requirement, a grade of C- or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the major.
3. Major Upper Division Credit Hours. At least 18 credit hours in the major must be completed at the 300–499 level.
4. Major Residency. At least 18 credit hours in the major must be completed in courses taken through the Indiana University Bloomington campus or an IU-administered or IU co-sponsored Overseas Study program.
5. College Breadth. At least 58 credit hours must be completed in courses from College of Arts and Sciences disciplines outside of the major area.

Major Area Courses

Unless otherwise noted below, the following courses are considered in the academic program and will count toward academic program requirements as appropriate:
- Any course at the 100–499 level with the INST subject area prefix—as well as any other subject areas that are deemed functionally equivalent
- Any course contained on the course lists for the academic program requirements at the time the course is taken—as well as any other courses that are deemed functionally equivalent—except for those listed only under Addenda Requirements
- Any course directed to a non-Addenda requirement through an approved exception

Exclusions

The following courses cannot be applied toward major requirements or the College Breadth requirement (unless otherwise noted) :

INST-B 100 Elementary Bengali I *
INST-B 150 Introductory Bengali II *
INST-H 100 Beginning Hindi I *
INST-H 150 Elementary Hindi II *
INST-L 100 Elementary Indian Languages I *
INST-L 150 Elementary Indian Languages II *
INST-M 100 Elementary Hindi/Urdu *
INST-M 150 Elementary Hindi/Urdu II *
INST-S 100 Elementary Sanskrit I *
INST-S 150 Elementary Sanskrit II *
INST-T 100 Elementary Tamil I *
INST-T 150 Elementary Tamil II *
INST-U 100 Elementary Urdu I *
INST-U 150 Elementary Urdu II *

Courses marked with an asterisk (*) will count toward the College Breadth requirement.

This program of study cannot be combined with the following:

Certificate in India Studies (INSTACRT1)
Minor in India Studies (INSTMIN)

Exceptions to and substitutions for major requirements may be made with the approval of the unit's Director of Undergraduate Studies, subject to final approval by the College of Arts and Sciences.

Bachelor of Arts in India Studies

Requirements

Major hours and GPA

Major Area Courses

Exclusions

Restrictions on combining this major with other academic programs

Major requirement exceptions and substitutions