Modern South Asian Studies MSc

University of Oxford

MPhil

The MPhil in Modern South Asian Studies is a 21-month, taught master's course, offered jointly by the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies and the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. You will study this important region, with its rich history and its complex present-day societies, via an intensive language route or a non-language route, culminating in a substantial thesis.

The MPhil in Modern South Asian Studies is an exciting degree bringing together Oxford’s wealth of expertise on South Asia in a single programme. You will gain access to teaching and expert supervision across departments in the Social Sciences and Humanities Divisions. You will receive rigorous training in one of two tailored modules in research methods, and have the option to build in Hindi, Urdu, Classical Hindi/Hindavi, Persian or other language training.

You may choose to explore the social, economic and political achievements and challenges of the present-day states of South Asia, and the connections between the countries’ democratic and developmental successes and failures, or to range more broadly across the states and societies of the subcontinent over the past five hundred years.

MSc

The MSc in Modern South Asian Studies is a nine month, taught master's course, offered jointly by the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies (OSGA) and the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. You will study this important region, with its rich history and its complex present-day societies, from a number of disciplinary and analytical perspectives, culminating in a thesis.

The MSc in Modern South Asian Studies is an exciting degree bringing together Oxford’s wealth of expertise on South Asia in a single programme. Students gain access to teaching and expert supervision across departments in the Social Sciences and Humanities Divisions. They receive rigorous training in one of two tailored modules in research methods, and subject to timetabling and demand, may have the opportunity to build in Hindi, Urdu, Classical Hindi/Hindavi, Persian, Gujarati, Bengali, Marathi or other language training. Students may pursue any combination of interests, including history, literature, language, religion, economy and interstate relations.

The MSc in Modern South Asian Studies comprises five components: the core course, a module in research methods, two option papers and the thesis. All students attend the core course, introducing modern South Asia across the disciplines. Delivered by faculty members with a range of specialisations, the course explores both individual states within the region and the connections and comparisons between them.