Admissions are open!

The MA in Society and Culture, a unique program conceptualized and implemented by the faculty at the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (since 2014), has a specific goal of providing to students (from any disciplinary background) breadth and focus in the key disciplines within the Humanities and Social Sciences. It does so by providing fundamental learning, debates, and methods in literature, sociology, anthropology, political science, and history. The two-year MA program emerges from a conviction that students need to be trained to understand the social and political context around them; that encounters with theoretical and cutting-edge formulations on societies and nations are necessary and must also be learned in tandem with real-life observation and fieldwork.

The program also helps students understand intersections between disciplines so that recurring themes such as identity, democracy, tradition, modernity, citizenship, selfhood do not get restricted to a narrow disciplinary focus. Exposure to interdisciplinarity is an integral part of a student’s learning. This is further developed and tested through rigorous research.

Students were provided with an opportunity to access journals, scholarships from any part of the world, and the faculty’s vast international network to provide them with internship and research experience relevant to their chosen research project. In short, the MA program allows one to deepen their knowledge and yet remain free of boundedness that is so characteristic of other systems.

Students graduating with a Master’s in Society and Culture are equipped with a nuanced and more in-depth understanding of their context, sufficient enough for them to realize the dangers of single narratives. Their learning and skills prepare them for doctoral studies, policy work, consultancy, and a range of jobs and research careers.

Curriculum

The two-year, 80-credits MA program in Society and Culture at IIT Gandhinagar aims to provide analytical lens and theoretical perspectives in disciplines including History, Culture Studies, Literature, Translation Studies, Sociology, Political Science and Anthropology. The MA curriculum combines core learnings in theory and methods with a range of advanced electives in specific disciplines. That is, students interested in particular disciplines may take specific tracks that allow them to deepen their knowledge and critically engage in the contemporary body of scholarship shaping the humanities and social sciences intellectual traditions. Please note that, students can also complete the program without opting for a specific track. As a capstone project, all MA students complete a Master’s level thesis that allow them to work closely with a faculty advisor in the students’ preferred field of specialization. Overall, the MA program trains graduate students in independent research allowing them to pursue an advanced academic degree (e.g. PhD) and also prepares them for professional careers in journalism, writing, social development sector and public policy.

M.A. Program Credit Structure

Core Courses (24 Credits)

Perspectives in History
Political Thought
Critical Approaches on Anthropology and Sociology
Perspectives on Indian Civilization
Literature, Theory, and Social Context
Research Methods in Social Sciences and Humanities

General Requirements (16 Credits)

Writing Course
Two Non-HSS Electives
Summer internship
Masters Thesis (20 Credits)

Electives and Project courses (20 Credits)

Humanism, Anti-Humanism, and Posthumanism
The Politics of the Environment
Philosophy, Cognition, and Psychoanalysis
Behavioral Economics
Philosophy of Mind
Introduction to Archaeology
Introduction to Cognitive Linguistics
Exploring India’s Scientific and Technological Heritage
Perspectives in Psychology
Linguistic Anthropology
Fundamentals of Cognitive Psychology
Phenomenology, Embodiment, and Consciousness
Literary Experiments in European Modernism

Creativity, Design, and Doing
Foundational Sanskrit
Urdu Script & Poetry
Urdu Poetry Interpretation
Harappan Civilization
Introduction to Politics
Indian Systems of Ethics
Introduction to Indian Knowledge Systems
Digital Cultures and New Media
India Through the Writer’s Eye
Human Evolution
Business Communication
Principles of Business Management
Introduction to Marketing

Program Highlights

Opportunity to engage in original research

Off-campus academic and policy internships

Student-led graduate seminars and symposiums

Opportunities for international exposure

International Conference support

Explorer’s Fellowship and Gram Fellowship

Need-based financial support

Career Development Service

Financial Support

Eligible candidates admitted to the MA program will be able to apply for the ‘On-Campus Employment Opportunities Program’ at IIT Gandhinagar. The selected students will be allowed to work for a maximum of 10 hours per week during the semester and 40 hours per week during the vacations including mid semester breaks. The remuneration rates will be in the range of Rs.150-200 per hour and most of the students would start at the base rate and pay-hikes will be based on the performance and engagement.

Career Prospects

We envision the program to give students a critical ability to approach the world and its many challenges. Careers after the MA program could be related to journalism, advertising/media, communications, writing, teaching, human resources, nonprofit (NGOs, policy think-tanks), and of course, higher studies in academia should you choose to pursue a Ph.D. Students will also have the option of taking the University Grants Commission Lectureship exams (NET/SLET/GATE) in the allied disciplines. We believe that the possibilities are endless.

Recent graduates from our program have received admission at top international universities such as the Kings College (London, the UK), the National University, the Singapore, the University of Geneva, the University of Amsterdam, the Queens University (Canada), the Florida State University (USA), the University of Arizona, the Northwestern University (USA), and the University of Adelaide (Australia), to pursue their PhDs. Students have also received PhD admission at top IITs, central universities, and leading private universities in India.

Graduates have also gone on to pursue a variety of careers in agencies and non-governmental organizations such as the Ministry of Labour, Government of India; Population of Council of India, Indira Gandhi National Council for the Arts; National Museum, New Delhi; AITREE Foundation; Deshpande Foundation. They also have secured positions at companies like Olivian or Ernst and Young; or media organizations such as Spark Media, Youth ki Awaaz, and The Print.

As with any other degree, career success is a combination of an excellent academic record, motivation, and a positive approach.

Experiences

Admission

Admission to MA in Society and Culture is offered based on entrance test and interview. The minimum criterion to apply is a bachelor’s degree in any discipline with a minimum of 55% marks (or equivalent CPI/GPA). Meeting the minimum application criterion will not guarantee admission to the program. The students who are awaiting final semester/year results and those who would be completing a Bachelor’s degree in the current are also eligible to apply. Eligibility requirements for SC/ST/OBC candidates will be in accordance with the Supreme Court guidelines. The shortlisting of the applications will be based on the overall credentials (marks in the bachelor’s program, academic achievements, aptitude for studying society and culture, etc.). The eligibility criteria mentioned above are minimum expectations, and the committee may use higher cut-off levels for shortlisting.

Application opens: October 15, 2024

Application Deadline: January 15, 2025

Test and Interviews: February 22 & 23, 2025

You NEED NOT send the hard copy of the application form. However, you need to furnish a hard copy of the application form with a photograph and all the documentary evidence in original (testimonials, certificates, publications, work experience, and research/professional experience) at the interview time. Incomplete applications will be rejected. Application Fees for SC/ST/PwD: Rs. 150 and all others: Rs. 300.

If you have any query about the program, please email us at: inquiry.masc@iitgn.ac.in