Our M.A. Programs in International Studies

M.A. – South Asia Studies

2026-27 ACADEMIC YEAR ADMISSIONS SUSPENDED

Thank you for your interest in our M.A. program in South Asia Studies; the Jackson School of International Studies has decided to suspend admissions to the program for the 2026-27 academic year.

We look forward to receiving new applications in Autumn 2026 for the 2027-2028 academic year.

————————————————————————————————————–

 

New in 2023: all applicants to the M.A. in South Asia Studies are automatically considered for the Frank F. Conlon Fellowship in South Asian Studies.

The M.A. program in South Asia Studies offers students a framework within which to carry out the interdisciplinary study of the peoples and nations of the South Asian subcontinent – India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Afghanistan and Bhutan. The curriculum combines rigorous training in one or more South Asian languages with study of various aspects of modern and classical South Asian civilizations. The University has a distinguished faculty of scholars who provide instruction in diverse areas of South Asia studies, offering a rich variety of courses on these topics.

Students in the Masters Degree program in South Asia studies may specialize in one or more areas of expertise represented by the faculty. These include language, religion, culture, cinema, environment, international development, human-animal-interactions, ethnicity and nationalism, human rights, gender, migration and contemporary politics.

Students may draw on the notable strength the program has in classical South Asian languages, literature and religions, especially Hinduism and Buddhism. Several of the South Asia faculty teach courses in Comparative Religion. Areas of expertise include the religious literature of northern India in the late middle ages, and South Asian Buddhism.

In modern and contemporary South Asia, topics covered include international development, public affairs, architecture and urban planning, law, business, women and gender studies, environmental protection and nature conservation, health and demography, communications, dalit studies and postcolonial literature. For instance among these faculty are experts teaching courses on international feminism, cultural aspects of international development, social ecology of the tropics, South Asian architecture, media and communications, international relations and human rights, contemporary political changes and government.

Faculty with research and teaching interests in South Asia work in departments or interdisciplinary programs including Anthropology, Architecture, Art History, Business, Chemistry, Cinema and Media Studies, Communication, Comparative Religion, Economics, English, Ethnomusicology, Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies, Geography, Global Health, History, International Studies, Law, Political Science, Psychology, Public Affairs, and Urban Design & Planning.

Languages of South Asia offered on a regular basis by the Department of Asian Languages and Literature include Hindi, Bengali, Urdu and Sanskrit. Persian is offered by the Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures. There are special offerings of other major languages, such as Pali, Gujarati, Panjabi, and Nepali, as well as special fields such as sociolinguistics, Vedic literature, Bhakti literature, epigraphy, and Paninian grammar. Instruction is available both in English and, for advanced students, in the languages involved. South Asia Studies graduates have gone on to graduate programs in various academic disciplines, as well as careers in government service, journalism, teaching, research, international trade and the travel industry.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications must be submitted by January 31 for admittance to the autumn quarter cohort. We only accept students into the M.A. program during autumn quarter.

You can find information about the application requirements and process on our website.

APPLY NOW

Visit The South Asia Center for the latest information, news and events on South Asian Studies in the Pacific Northwest.

Credit: Quinn Clark

2025-2026 HANDBOOK

Our handbook serves as a compilation of UW and Jackson School resources for students and a reference guide containing the school’s academic requirements, deadlines, policies, and procedures. You are responsible for knowing and adhering to the contents of this handbook. Any questions about this handbook can be directed to the appropriate adviser as listed in the general advising section.

We encourage you to seek out and take full advantage of the opportunities all over the UW campus as well.

Information about advising, M.A. degree requirements, curriculum requirements, language requirement, capstone research paper(s), and a timeline to finish the degree is included below.

  1. General Advising
  2. M.A. Degree Requirements
  3. Course of Study
  4. Capstone Research Paper(s) and Oral Exam
  5. Prerequisites and Language Proficiency
  6. Model Timeline for Completing the Degree

In addition, you will find more information about policies, procedures and other resources related to the program on the following webpages:

  1. Concurrent Degrees
  2. Graduate Certificates
  3. Tuition & Funding
  4. UW Academic Policies
  5. Graduation Processes
  6. Other Resources

GENERAL ADVISING

The Jackson School staff and faculty offer a variety of support and guidance to prospective and current students.

Professor Aditya Ramesh is the Graduate Program Coordinator (GPC) for M.A. in South Asia Studies. As the GPC, Dr. Ramesh serves as the academic adviser for the program. Please meet with him at least once per year to review your course of study and request any necessary approvals required. After you have formed your supervisory committee in your second year, your committee chair also advises you. Please see the section titled supervisory committee for more information on your committee’s role, duties, and your responsibility to it.

Jesús Hidalgo is the Graduate Program Adviser (GPA) for all our graduate programs. He will advise you regarding degree requirements, academic planning, policies and procedures, and graduation. Please meet with him at least once per year to ensure you are on track to graduate. >

The adviser-student relationship implies mutual responsibility. Faculty and staff advisers have office hours over Zoom and in person, where you can drop by to talk, and they may also be available by appointment at other times. Students are responsible for seeking out faculty and staff either during office hours or by making appointments. Please be proactive about your advising and ask early for the assistance that you need.

If you find yourself struggling academically, meet with the GPC or GPA to discuss your options.

Other advisers

Back to Handbook

M.A. DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Students receive the M.A. degree when they have fulfilled the following requirements:

  1. Complete curriculum requirements, including thirty-six (36) credits of graduate level work (400-level classes and above, of which eighteen credits must be 500-level and above), not including language classes;
  2. Maintain a GPA of 3.0 or above;
  3. Achieve third-year level proficiency in South Asian Language;
  4. Take courses from at least two different departments;
  5. Complete either a thesis or two article length papers under faculty supervision;
  6. Pass the oral exam; and
  7. Comply with the rules and regulations of the UW Graduate School.

All degree requirements must be met within six years of the start of your program. This time limit includes leaves ofabsence. Under extraordinary circumstances this limit may be extended with the agreement of your GPC and GPA.

Back to Handbook

COURSE OF STUDY

A summary of the curriculum is provided below.

JSIS A 508 Seminar: Interdisciplinary Study of South Asia I (5 credits) Examines how scholarly disciplines in the humanities have interpreted and analyzed the past in South Asia.

JSIS A 509 Seminar: Interdisciplinary Study of South Asia II (5 credits) Examines how scholarly disciplines in the social sciences analyze political transitions, social change, and cultural transformations in South Asia in the twentieth century.

JSIS 511 Research Design and Methods for International Studies (5 credits) Review of the approaches to posing and answering research questions in the disciplines affiliated with international studies. Explores epistemological approaches and associated methodologies to prepare students to effectively read across the literature of international studies, develop their own research design based on a research question, and write a research proposal.

Starting in Autumn 2022, JSIS A 508 and JSIS A 509 will be taught in alternating years; with one of them offered in odd years and the other in even years.

21 Credits Electives

You must take twenty-one additional credits at the 400-, 500-, or 600-level, including at least three credits at the 500-level or above, to fulfill your remaining required eighteen credits of 500-level work. Ten of these credits can be taken in classes unrelated to South Asia. Ideally, these courses will complement a student’s degree goals, either by fulfilling disciplinary or professional objectives. Students are advised to select courses in consultation with the GPC or adviser to ensure that both individual and program goals are met.

These classes must be taken in two or more different departments on campus to ensure students receive an interdisciplinary education. Students will find information about UW faculty members across campus teaching courses on South Asia through the South Asia Center website.

**You must cc the GPA on all approval emails with the GPC to ensure your approvals are noted in your academic record.

Back to Handbook

CAPSTONE RESEARCH PAPER(S) AND ORAL EXAM

Students can complete either a thesis or two separate research papers. Each student must form a supervisory committee to advise them during their work and assess their completed work. You should consult what option you would like to select with the GPC initially and then regularly with your supervisory committee members for guidance in research and writing.

Thesis

This option is designed for students who wish to undertake a major research project that involves extensive use of primary sources. The thesis can be an expanded version of a seminar paper or an Independent Study project.

A thesis is typically about 20,000 words long.

You must register for at least nine JSIS 700: Master’s Thesis credits to complete this option. Your supervisory committee chair generally supervises and submits grades for these credits. You can take them all in one quarter or spread out over several quarters.

Two papers

Students may choose to write two research papers expanding on papers written for their seminar classes.

Each paper is typically about 8,000 words long and it must be revised to incorporate comments from the supervisory committee.

Most students choose this option, as it allows them to develop expertise in two distinct fields of South Asia studies.

ORAL EXAM

The final oral exam is based on the thesis or two research papers, any implications of your topic(s), and its relevance to global trends. All exams are different and you should ask your committee about your exam specifically. Below is an example of how the exam may be structured.

At the start of the exam, students are asked to step out of the exam room, while the committee members deliberate about the student’s candidacy and the line of questioning they will pursue. Students are expected to prepare a brief, ten- to twenty-minute presentation about their research projects. Following these deliberations, committee members will ask the student questions for about forty-five to sixty minutes. The student will then leave the room while the committee deliberates on the results of the oral exam. Following their second deliberation, the chair will invite the student back to the exam room to inform them of the results of their exam.

You will take your oral exam with your supervisory committee during the quarter you intend to graduate.

Committee members may award distinction to students with outstanding performance in their written work (essay or two papers) as well as in their oral exam. The following two categories of distinction will be awarded to students for their overall body of work and with unanimous consent of all committee members.

  • High Pass: A High Pass will be awarded to students who (1) showed overall mastery of material in their thesis or, whose two papers exhibit a close to publishable quality; and (2) delivered an impressive performance during their oral exam that showed substantial theoretical and empirical knowledge of their fields of study.
  • Honors: Honors will be awarded to students who (1) showed excellent mastery of material in their thesis or, whose two papers are of publishable quality; and (2) delivered an outstanding performance during their oral exam that showed excellent and broadly situated theoretical as well as empirical knowledge of their respective fields of study in the context of international affairs.

Back to Handbook

PREREQUISITES & LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

Language proficiency is not required for admission. Once admitted to the M.A. program, students must reach third-year level proficiency in a South Asian language. If you believe you have attained the required level before you enter the Jackson School, you must take and pass a proficiency exam. Native speakers are exempt from this requirement.

South Asian language study is an essential part of the program. Courses in beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels in Bangla, Hindi, Sanskrit, and Urdu are offered by the Department of Asian Languages and Literature, while Persian is offered by the Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures.

Summer language study opportunities are available at other institutions in the US, such as the University of Wisconsin, and in South Asia through organizations like the American Institute of Indian Studies. The program will work with students in an effort to provide partial or full funding for such programs if possible. Please note, it is the student’s responsibility to apply for admission and funding in a timely manner for summer language study. Students may also choose to apply for a nine-month language course in South Asia during the academic year, which may extend a student’sM.A. timetable by a year.

If you believe you are at or beyond the required language level but do not have a transcript to show this, you should arrange to take a proficiency exam. Do this early; if your exam results do not show the required proficiency, you will need time to take the appropriate course work. We encourage these students to increase their language abilities by studying a second South Asian language during their program. Students who are uncertain about what level of language to take should contact the appropriate language department for assistance.

Back to Handbook

MODEL TIMELINE FOR COMPLETING DEGREE IN TWO YEARS

This timeline is for students who have no prior training in a language. It is intended to be a guideline and model for courses taken as a full-time M.A. student, not a required path for all students. It is also different than the path concurrent students will take.

YEAR 1

  • Autumn (15 credits: 10 graduate cr + 5 language cr):
    • Language Year 101 (5 cr)
    • Either JSIS A 508 or JSIS A 509 (5 cr)
    • South Asia Related Course (5 cr)
  • Winter (15 credits: 10 graduate cr + 5 language cred):
    • Language Year 102 (5 cr)
    • JSIS 511 (5 cr)
    • Either JSIS A 508 or JSIS A 509 (5 cr)
  • Spring (15 credits: 10 graduate cr + 5 language cr):
    • Language Year 103 (5 cr)
    • South Asia Related Course (5 cr)
    • Non-South Asia Related Course (5 cr)
  • Summer (15 credits):
    • Intensive South Asian Language Year 2 (15 cr)

YEAR 2:

  • Autumn (15 credits: 10 graduate cr + 5 language cr):
    • Language Year 201 (5 cr)
    • South Asia Related Course (5 cr)
    • Non-South Asia Related Course (5 cr)
  • Winter (14 credits: 5 graduate cr + 5 language cr + 4 thesis cr):
    • Language Year 302 (5 cr)
    • South Asia Related Course (5 cr)
    • JSIS 700 (4 cr)
  • Spring (10 credits: 5 language cr + 5 thesis cr):
    • Language Year 303 (5 cr)
    • JSIS 700 (5 cr)

* If approved by the Graduate Program Coordinator, up to five (5) 400-level credits taken at the Jackson School as an undergraduate student can be counted towards the 38 graduate credits you have to accumulate for your M.A. degree.

Back to Handbook

HANDBOOKS

M.A. in South Asia Studies Handbook 2023-24

M.A. in South Asia Studies Handbook 2022-23

AFFILIATED CENTERS

The Jackson School houses 14 outreach centers. These centers provide opportunities for educators, students, and the community to learn about the world. Some of them have specific scholarship opportunities and other resources that may be useful. Here is one you might find particularly useful:

SOUTH ASIA CENTER