College Schools, Departments & Programs

India Studies

Introduction

The Madhusudan and Kiran C. Dhar India Studies Program (INST) seeks to provide for the interdisciplinary study and critical analysis of the cultures and civilizations that have developed on the Indian subcontinent from ancient times to the present. The primary focus of the program is on present-day or modern India, but in order to understand modern India, it is important to have some basic knowledge about the great periods in the history of India that have shaped modern Indian social reality. This approach requires a sophisticated understanding of the country's highly developed arts, music, literature, drama, philosophy, religions, and social and political structures. In addition to providing an overall, comprehensive education about Indian civilizations, the program allows for more specialized work in (a) literary and performance studies, (b) philosophical and religious studies, and (c) social, political, and historical studies. The India Studies Program also offers beginning and intermediate-level courses in several Indian languages. All students in the program are encouraged to take language classes, as well as to consider study abroad in India.

The Dhar India Studies Program is affiliated with the new School of Global and International Studies (SGIS), which prepares students for opportunities in any international field they choose, whether they plan to work in the public, private, or nonprofit sectors. The School has a dual focus that sets it apart. On the one hand, it teaches the languages and histories of strategically important regions of the world. IU has long been a leading university for studying the cultures of communities around the world, and SGIS seeks to maintain and build upon this proud tradition. At the same time, SGIS also examines crucial contemporary issues that transcend borders. Areas of focus include security, trade and development, global governance, and human rights. SGIS prioritizes a pragmatic, nonpartisan understanding of some of the most challenging issues of our times. Perhaps no one exemplifies the approach and impact that SGIS hopes that its alumni will have better than two of its distinguished faculty members, former Representative Lee Hamilton and former Senator Richard Lugar.

SGIS provides its students with unmatched opportunities. Students have the opportunity to study in a state-of-the-art building at the center of campus. The ratio of faculty to undergraduate majors is seven-to-one, and virtually all SGIS faculty teach undergraduates. Over 60 percent of SGIS students study abroad, for which SGIS offers a wide range of scholarships. Finally, SGIS has top-notch academic and career advisors who develop close relationships with the students.

Majors, Minors, and Programs
Contact Information

Madhusudan and Kiran C. Dhar India Studies Program
Indiana University
GISB Second Floor East
355 North Jordan Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47405-1105

(812) 855-5798
india [at] indiana [dot] edu

http://www.indiana.edu/~isp