South Asian Studies

Overview

South Asia comprises some of the most geographically diverse and populous countries in the world. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Tibet are all South Asian countries. That’s a lot of real estate to cover, not to mention history, which in some cases stretches back for several millennia—almost to the dawn of civilization itself. There are hundreds of languages and several religions (including Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, and Christianity) that converge in the South Asian Studies major. Part of what’s important about a South Asian Studies major is that you don’t try to learn everything in detail. In combination with an interdisciplinary approach that includes related fields such as history, political science, literature, and economics, you will have the opportunity to pick a region or country that interests you most and focus on it.

Not all colleges and universities offer a major specifically in South Asian Studies. In some cases it is listed as a possible concentration within a larger major such as International Studies or Asian Studies.