The MA in Society and Culture is a unique program conceptualized and implemented by the faculty at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Gandhinagar. The programme focuses on the key disciplines within the Humanities and Social Sciences and is meant for students belonging to any academic stream. The structure of the programme centres around the idea of interdisciplinarity and allows students to explore beyond the limits of a single discipline. It does so by providing fundamental learning, debates, and methods in literature, sociology, anthropology, political science and history. The two-year master’s programme equips students to understand and analyze the socio-political contexts of South Asia. Focusing on cutting-edge formulations on society and nations, the programme is devised in such a way to provide fieldwork, travel opportunities, and real-life observation to strengthen the understanding of the students.
The programme helps students to understand intersections between disciplines. The student’s understanding of important themes such as identity, traditions, modernity, democracy, citizenship, and selfhood does not get restricted to a narrow disciplinary focus. It is developed in a holistic manner and developed through rigorous research.
The IIT in Gandhinagar provides students with access to journals and scholarships across the world. The faculty’s international network allows students to find internships and research experience relevant to their chosen research project. The MA program allows students to deepen their knowledge and yet remain boundless and equipped to tackle issues in creative ways. Students after their Master’s will be well prepared to pursue doctoral studies, journalism, social development sector consultancy, policy work, and a range of jobs and research careers.
The master’s course is a two-year, 80 credits programme that provides an analytical lens and theoretical perspectives in multiple disciplines including Culture Studies, Literature, History, Translation Studies, Political Science, Sociology, and Anthropology. The MA programme offers core learning modules along with a range of specialized and advance elective modules. The students interested in particular disciplines can opt to choose a specific track that allows exploring the contemporary scholarship and theoretical formulations in humanities and social sciences. Students can also complete the program by opting for a specific task. All students pursuing a Master’s degree have to complete a thesis under their assigned supervisor. The institution also provides the students with a monthly stipend of 5,000 rupees.
Overall, the MA programme trains graduate students in independent research allowing them to pursue an advanced academic degree (e.g. Ph.D.) and also prepares them for professional careers in journalism, writing, the social development sector, and public policy.
