Fishing village of Gorai, located outside Mumbai, India.

Photo Credit: Byron Gray (Fishing village of Gorai - Mumbai, India 2020)

Undergraduate Minor

Stanford Global Studies Minor with a Specialization in South Asian Studies

The Minor in Global Studies with a specialization in South Asian Studies presents you with a significant opportunity to scaffold your interest in and knowledge of South Asia. This track allows you to focus on South Asia while locating your work within larger global conversations. Visit the Global Studies Minor page to view all of the specializations.

View the South Asian Studies Minor Flyer

Learning Outcomes

The SGS minor specialization in South Asian Studies enables students to:

  1. acquire a nuanced and sophisticated understanding of the texts and contexts of South Asia.
  2. work on this geographical and disciplinary area within the broader contours, conversations, and methods of Global Studies.
  3. enhance students’ ability to understand and participate in an increasingly interconnected world.

  4. develop critical  and wide-ranging insights into a key world area.

Upon completion of requirements, final certification of the minor is made by the Center for South Asia. The minor and the specialization appear on the transcript, but they do not appear on the diploma.

Leaving Stanford, I have a deeper understanding and appreciation for my Indian identity. I am proud of who I am and have the confidence to be my whole and true self. Though I specialized in South Asian studies, I learned that people around the world are more alike than different and that we can find strength in empathy and support for one another.
Ayushi Tandel
Minored in South Asian Studies, 2021

Requirements

The South Asian Studies specialization requires a total of 28 units which includes the following:

1. GLOBAL 101: Critical Issues in Global Affairs (3 units)
REQUIRED
2. Completion of at least 25 units of South Asia-related courses
REQUIRED
  • In various courses that preferably together represent an area of interdisciplinary focus such as: immigration and law, urbanization and film, history and culture, and so on.
  • Each course (with the exception of BOSP courses) must be at the 100-level or higher.
  • At least 10 of the 25 units must be completed at Stanford.

NOTE: Students may not double-count courses for completing major and minor requirements. All courses to be counted toward the minor must be taken for a letter grade, except where letter grades are not offered.

View current South Asia courses

3. Proficiency in a South Asian language
REQUIRED

Students may fulfill this language requirement by one of the following:
 

  • Completion of two introductory language courses in a South Asian language (Urdu, Hindi, Persian, Bengali, Pashto, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Gujarati, Malayalam, Garhwali, Nepalese, Tibetan, Sindhi, Sanskrit, and others may qualify).
  • Intermediate proficiency in any of the above languages, as measured by the ACTFL scale in a test administered by the Stanford Language Center.
  • A maximum of 15 language credits (in a relevant language) may be counted towards the Minor.
A capstone project
OPTIONAL

Students may work with the subplan advisor to develop a capstone project to count towards the unit fulfillment of the minor. Projects may include (but are not limited to):

  • Research with units through directed reading under the supervision of the subplan advisor.

    • Research may take place at Stanford or during a relevant study abroad program, and options may include regional fieldwork, creative arts projects, short films, etc.

  • Advanced language study beyond the subplan minimum requirement with units through directed reading under the supervision of the subplan advisor.

    • Intensive language training may take place at Stanford, off-campus, or overseas.

NOTE: Students may propose other projects related to their subplan.

How to Declare the Minor


Set up an appointment with the Associate Director of the Center for South Asia, Dr. Lalita du Perron. Email: lalita [at] stanford.edu (lalita[at]stanford[dot]edu).

  • After your meeting, register through Axess and select the Global Studies Minor.
  • If you encounter any problems with declaring in Axess, you may submit a SUHelp request to the Registrar’s Office.

Student Spotlights