The Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations is a multidisciplinary department made up of faculty with expertise in the languages, literatures, histories, philosophies, and religions of South Asia. The study of South Asian texts, broadly defined, is the guiding principle of our PhD degree. This involves exposure to a wide range of South Asian texts and their historical contexts, and theoretical reflection on the conditions of understanding and interpreting these texts. These goals are met through departmental seminars, advanced language courses, two written papers, and oral examinations on an interdisciplinary reading list, all of which leads up to the dissertation project.

Current students should familiarize themselves with the PhD Handbook as well as pages on Funding and Teaching. Students are encouraged to reach out to their advisors or the Director of Graduate Studies with any questions.

Prospective students are invited to read the PhD Handbook about the structure of our program and consult our Application Requirements.