Departments & Programs

India Studies

Course Descriptions

  • INST–B 100 Introductory Bengali I (5 cr.) Basic sound patterns and writing system with ideas about grammar. Ideas about simple sentence structure and basic grammar leading to reading and construction of short sentences. Learning essential vocabulary for everyday conversation. Practicing different expressions: apology, greeting, etc. Classroom use of films, tapes, short conversation, stories, etc.
  • INST–B 150 Introductory Bengali II (5 cr.) P: B100 or equivalent proficiency. Exercises in basic grammar and sentence structure. Emphasis on learning new words, composing short dialogues, and using them in everyday conversation by developing basic reading skills and understanding main ideas from texts.
  • INST–B 200 Intermediate Bengali I (3 cr.) P: B150 or equivalent proficiency. Focuses on listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Special emphasis given to communicative approach to language learning.
  • INST–B 250 Intermediate Bengali II (3 cr.) P: B200 or equivalent proficiency. Focus given to listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Emphasis given to communicative approach to language learning.
  • INST–G 100 Elementary Gujarati I (5 cr.) Basic sound patterns and writing system with ideas about basic grammar. Ideas about simple sentence structure and basic grammar leading to reading and construction of short sentences. Learning essential vocabulary for everyday conversation. Practicing different expressions: apology, greeting, etc., Classroom use of films, tapes, short conversation, stories.
  • INST–G 150 Elementary Gujarati II (5 cr.) P: G100 or equivalent proficiency. Exercises in basic grammar and sentence structures. Emphasis on learning new words, composing short dialogues, and using them in everyday conversation by developing basic reading skills and understanding main ideas from texts.
  • INST–G 200 Intermediate Gujarati I (3 cr.) P: G150 or equivalent proficiency. Focuses on listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Special emphasis given to communicative approach to language learning.
  • INST–G 250 Intermediate Gujarati II (3 cr.) P: G200 or equivalent proficiency. Focus given to listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Special emphasis given to communicative approach to language learning.
  • INST–H 090 Elementary Hindi: Pre-College (2-3 cr.) Available only to students participating in the STARTALK program. Designed to teach Hindi to beginners with little or no prior experience with the language. Students learn Hindi script (Devanagri), and attain practical competency in Hindi with equal focus on reading, listening, writing, and speaking. Students also gain an understanding of the culture and learn the importance of culturally appropriate behaviors.
  • INST–H 091 Intermediate Hindi: Pre-College (2-3 cr.) P: H 090 or equivalent proficiency. Available only to students participating in the STARTALK program. Extends the knowledge of students who can already read and write basic Hindi. Building on skills obtained in a previous year, students will gain more in-depth knowledge of Hindi through family activities. Cultural elements are incorporated into the lessons.
  • INST–H 100 Beginning Hindi I (5 cr.) Introduction to the Hindi language, the writing system and basic grammar. Graded exercises and readings leading to mastery of grammatical structures and essential vocabulary. Development of reading and writing competence and simple conversations based on personal information, courtesy expressions, greetings in contemporary Hindi. Classroom use of stories, tapes, films and songs.
  • INST–H 101 Advanced Hindi (2-3 cr.) P: H 091 or equivalent proficiency. Available only to students participating in the STARTALK program. For continuation of proficiency obtained in intermediate Hindi. Familiarizes students with literary, formal Hindi and leaves them well equipped to express themselves on a range of topics. Deepens understanding of the culture through the study of various festivals. Credit given for only one of H 101 or H 100.
  • INST–H 150 Beginning Hindi II (5 cr.) P: H100 or equivalent proficiency. Continuation of the first semester. Graded exercises and reading for mastery of grammatical structures and essential vocabulary. Composing short dialogues on everyday survival topics. Improve reading skill to understand main ideas from the simplest connected texts. Writing competence is increased to be able to write letters and journals, etc.
  • INST–H 200 Second-Year Hindi I (3 cr.) P: H150 or equivalent proficiency. 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 Second-Year Hindi II (3 cr.) P: H200 or equivalent proficiency. 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–I 100 Introduction to India (3 cr.) CASE S&H, CASE GCC Basic cultural literacy in India Studies through critical reading/lectures from India Studies faculty/film/discussion to discover what makes India the world power it is today, and why we need to know more about it, from its bloody birth in Partition to her ancient history and back to contemporary India.
  • INST–I 211 Introduction to South Asian History (3 cr.) CASE S&H, CASE GCC 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.
  • INST–I 212 The Civilization of Tibet (3 cr.) CASE S&H, CASE GCC Introduction to the diverse aspects of Tibetan civilization. Topics include Tibet's literature, art, religion, society, history, and language.
  • INST–I 303 Issues in Indian Culture and Society (3 cr.) Examination of the culture and society of India through the study and analysis of a specific issue or theme. Topic varies. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
  • INST–I 305 Exploring Indian Languages and Literature through Film (3 cr.) CASE A&H, CASE GCC 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.
  • INST–I 320 Contemporary India: History, Politics, and Society (3 cr.) CASE S&H, CASE GCC 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.
  • INST–I 347 Meditation Traditions of India (3 cr.) CASE A&H, CASE GCC 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.
  • INST–I 362 International Relations of South Asia (3 cr.) CASE S&H Focuses on terrorism, nuclear proliferation, inter-state war and ethnic conflict in South Asia as these issues relate to American foreign and security policy.
  • INST–I 368 Philosophies of India (3 cr.) CASE A&H, CASE GCC 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. Credit given for only one of INST-I 368, PHIL-P 328, or REL-R 368.
  • INST–I 370 Literature of India in Translation: Ancient and Classical (3 cr.) CASE A&H, CASE GCC Survey of the ancient and classical Sanskrit literature of India in translation, presented in cultural context.
  • INST–I 371 Medieval Devotional Literatures of India (in Translation) (3 cr.) CASE A&H, CASE GCC Survey of medieval Indian devotional literatures with reference to the various cultural milieus in which they were produced and their impact on and importance for contemporary Indian cultures.
  • INST–I 380 Women in South Asian Religious Traditions (3 cr.) CASE A&H, CASE GCC 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. Credit given for only one of I380, REL B330, or REL R382.
  • INST–I 402 Introduction to the History of Tibet (3 cr.) CASE S&H, CASE GCC 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.
  • INST–I 412 Criminal Justice in India (3 cr.) 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 (3 cr.) 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–I 496 Individual Readings in Indic Studies (1–6 cr.) P: Reading knowledge of Sanskrit and Hindi. Selected substantive topics investigated from ancient, medieval, and modern texts about the civilization of India. May be repeated with different topics for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
  • INST–L 100 Elementary Indian Languages I (5 cr.) Language instruction in the specific Indian language named in the online Schedule of Classes. Various languages will be offered when available. May be retaken for credit, but only in a language different from that of the first enrollment.
  • INST–L 150 Elementary Indian Languages II (5 cr.) P: L100 or equivalent proficiency in the same language. Various languages will be offered when available. May be retaken for credit, but only in a language different from that of the first enrollment.
  • INST–L 200 Intermediate Indian Languages I (3 cr.) P: L150 or equivalent in the same language. Language instruction in the specific Indian language named in the Schedule of Classes. Various languages will be offered when available. 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 (3 cr.) P: L200 or equivalent in the same language. Language instruction in the specific Indian language named in the Schedule of Classes. Various languages will be offered when available. These courses may be retaken for credit, but only in a language different from that of the first enrollment.
  • INST–S 100 Elementary Sanskrit I (5 cr.) Introduction to Sanskrit, a classical language of ancient India. Students master the script and begin to learn grammar as they read simple material and gain vocabulary. Credit given for only one of S100 or I339.
  • INST–S 150 Elementary Sanskrit II (5 cr.) Credit given for only one of S150 or I340. P: S100 or I339. Continues the work begun in S100. Students acquire grammar needed to read authentic texts, with attention to reading increasingly difficult materials.
  • INST–S 200 Intermediate Sanskrit I (4 cr.) P: S150 or I340 or permission of instructor. 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. Credit given for only one of S200 or I349.
  • INST–S 250 Intermediate Sanskrit II (4 cr.) P: S200 or I349 or permission of instructor. Development of reading skills with a broadening range of materials, including Vedic Sanskrit. Credit given for only one of S250 or I350.
  • INST–U 090 Elementary Urdu: Pre-College (2-3 cr.) Available only to students participating in the STARTALK program. Designed to teach Urdu to beginners with little or no prior knowledge of the language. Students learn Urdu script (Nastaliq), and attain practical competency in Urdu with equal focus on reading, listening, writing, and speaking. Students also gain an understanding of the culture and learn the importance of culturally appropriate behaviors.
  • INST–U 091 Intermediate Urdu: Pre-College (2-3 cr.) P: U 090 or equivalent proficiency. Available only to students participating in the STARTALK program. Extends the knowledge of students who can already read and write basic Urdu. Based on skills obtained in a previous year, students gain more in-depth knowledge of Urdu through family activities. Cultural elements are incorporated into the lessons.
  • INST–U 100 Beginning Urdu I (5 cr.) Introduction to the Urdu language and basic grammar. Graded exercises and readings leading to mastery of grammatical structures and essential vocabulary. Simple conversations based on personal information, courtesy expressions, and greetings in contemporary Urdu. Classroom use of stories, tapes, films and songs.
  • INST–U 101 Advanced Urdu (2-3 cr.) P: U 091 or equivalent proficiency. Available only to students participating in the STARTALK program. Continues and improves language proficiency gained in intermediate Urdu. Familiarizes students with literary, formal Urdu and leaves them well equipped to express themselves on a range of topics. Deepens understanding of the culture through the study of various festivals. Credit given for only one of U 101 or U 100.
  • INST–U 150 Beginning Urdu II (5 cr.) P: U100 or equivalent proficiency. Continuation of the first semester. The writing system of Urdu and development of reading and writing. Graded exercises and reading for mastery of grammatical structures and essential vocabulary. Composing short dialogues on everyday survival topics.
  • INST–U 200 Second-Year Urdu I (3 cr.) P: U150 or equivalent proficiency. 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 Second-Year Urdu II (3 cr.) P: U200 or equivalent proficiency. Promotes rapid reading skills and vocabulary building. Study of grammar is based on Urdu reading material and includes regular grammar drills. Students sharpen composition skills by retelling stories from the reading material orally and in writing. Increase speaking skill to initiate, sustain, and close a general conversation on a range of topics.