Major Program Requirements

Requirements | Sample Major | Honors

Ideally, students will begin their study with the two-quarter sequence SALC 20100-20200 Introduction to the Civilizations of South Asia I-II. All SALC majors must take this sequence or the equivalent program taught in Pune, SOSC 23004-23005 South Asian Civilizations in India I-II. If this sequence is not used to satisfy the civilization studies general education requirement, then it will count toward the major.

The major requires three courses in a South Asian language at the second-year level or above. These courses must be taken at the University of Chicago, and credit cannot be granted by examination. Students with prior knowledge of one of the languages offered by SALC may take a placement test in order to determine the right level for them to enroll. The College's language competency requirement may be satisfied by demonstrated proficiency equivalent to one year of study of a South Asian language offered through SALC.

Students are also required to take six courses related to South Asia. In addition to SALC offerings, courses with significant South Asian content that originate in other departments may be eligible, subject to the approval of the SALC Director of Undergraduate Studies. Three of these six courses may be language courses, either further courses in the same language or courses in another South Asian language. Students should choose courses in consultation with the SALC Director of Undergraduate Studies and fill out a form indicating what they intend to list for their major requirements.

Summary of Requirements

*All students must take one of these two sequences. The sequence may not be used to meet both the civilization studies general education requirement and the major course total.  If the sequence is used to meet the general education requirement, two further courses related to South Asia must be taken in order to meet the total major requirement of 11 courses.

** Credit may not be granted by examination. Courses must be taken at the University of Chicago.

*** Three of these six courses may be further courses in the same language or in another South Asian language.

Sample Major 

I. Emphasis on Language(s)

II. Emphasis on Civilization

Honors

To be eligible for honors, students must:

1. maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher
2. maintain a departmental GPA of 3.3 or higher
3. complete a BA thesis of superior quality

In order to be eligible to write a BA thesis in SALC, students must meet the civilization studies sequence and language requirements by the end of their third year. By then, they must also have completed the honors form and returned it to the SALC Director of Undergraduate Studies. In Winter Quarter of their third year, the student will arrange to work with a SALC faculty member for the Autumn and Winter Quarters of the following year. It is the student's responsibility to find and make an arrangement with an appropriate faculty member who will be in residence during the student's fourth year. In consultation with the BA thesis adviser, the student must also suggest the name of a faculty member who will act as a second reader.

Students will research, discuss, and write the BA thesis in the context of SALC 29800-29801 BA Paper, for which they will register in the Autumn and Winter Quarters of their fourth year. Students may use SALC 29801 as one of their six content courses in the major. SALC 29800 will be for general elective credit only.

Two hard copies of the thesis must be submitted to the SALC departmental office, and a PDF version must be sent electronically to the Director of Undergraduate Studies. The deadline for the submission of the thesis is Friday at 5 p.m. in the first week of Spring Quarter.