Sanskrit and Indian or Tibetan and Himalayan Studies

The Department of Sanskrit and Indian Studies offers programs leading to the doctor of philosophy degree (PhD) in Sanskrit and Indian Studies or Tibetan and Himalayan Studies, and in exceptional cases to a master of arts degree (AM).

The department’s PhD programs emphasize the study of South Asian texts and text traditions, and the cultural, intellectual, and social practices that they inform. Currently, members of the department focus on Sanskrit (Vedic, Classical) and Middle Indic (Pali, Prakrit), Tibetan (Classical, Modern), Hindi/Urdu (including Avadhi, Braj, and modern dialects), and Tamil (Classical, Modern) textual traditions. The department also supports instruction in Gujarati, Sindhi, and Thai. In the past, the department has offered courses in Bengali and Malayalam. Persian is regularly offered through the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations.

The department trains students to approach South Asian textual traditions from a variety of disciplinary perspectives in the humanities including history, literature and literary theory, religious studies, theology, and philosophy. Students are encouraged to view their chosen texts and topics in their historical contexts, while also exploring their significance to South Asian traditions up to the present and contemporary issues in the humanities and social sciences. We emphasize both a rigorous philological approach to South Asian texts, and the multidisciplinary perspectives that are needed to study and write about them.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the AM and PhD programs is granted on the basis of an outstanding academic record and, ordinarily, GRE examinations. Applicants should contact the department well before the admissions deadline, preferably visit the department, or make arrangements for a telephone interview.

Prerequisites for admission to the department are two years of Sanskrit (Sanskrit and Indian Studies) or Tibetan (Tibetan and Himalayan Studies)—corresponding to first- and second-year Sanskrit/Tibetan taught at Harvard. The student’s command of Sanskrit/Tibetan will be evaluated during the first term. If necessary the student may be required to take (or repeat) second-year Sanskrit/Tibetan. For the PhD program a strong background in one or more areas of South Asian/ Himalayan Studies is also required.

Structure of the Program

Coursework

General requirements: For the AM: Eight half-courses and at least one year in residence, although two years are usually needed to complete the necessary requirements. For the PhD: Sixteen half-courses and a minimum of two years in residence. Students are expected to continue with advanced language coursework in each semester of residence.

Core requirements/AM: Two half-courses of seminars, two half-courses in Classical Sanskrit or Tibetan literature at the advanced level, and four half-courses in the student’s special field, including related courses in other departments. An AM thesis is also required.

Core requirements/PhD: Two half-courses of seminars, a minimum of four half-courses in Classical Sanskrit or Tibetan at the advanced level, two half-courses in a second South Asian language, and eight other half-courses in the student’s special fields, including related courses in other departments.

Language requirements: AM: Reading knowledge of either French or German must be documented before the student is admitted to the AM examination, and no later than the end of the first year of study.

PhD: Written examinations in two modern research languages, generally French and German, must be passed with an honors grade by the end of the second year of residence. Another modern language relevant to the student’s special field, but not the student’s native language, may be substituted for one, but not both of the required languages.

Advising

Through the pre-generals period, and until the time a prospectus is approved, the director of graduate studies advises all graduate students. When a student submits his or her prospectus to the department, she or he also names an advisor to direct the dissertation. Once the department approves the prospectus, it then designates a second advisor, and the student will work with these two faculty advisors, at least one of whom should be a department member. At the beginning of each term, the director of graduate studies is responsible for meeting with all graduate students and signing their study cards.

General Examinations

AM Examinations. Two written translations (not to exceed three hours) of texts chosen from a specified reading list and an oral exam in the student’s special field. A dictionary is not permitted for the translation exams.

PhD Examinations. Students are expected to take their general examinations no later than the middle of their third year in the program. There are four written examinations, each up to three hours.

1. Translation, without dictionary, from a Sanskrit or Tibetan text of average difficulty. 
2. Translation, with dictionary, of texts in the student’s special field, with a discussion of textual problems, thematic issues, etc. 
3. A general exam in South Asian studies based on reading lists put together by the student in consultation with the director of graduate studies. 
4. An examination in the student’s special field, in which students must show familiarity with both primary texts and secondary scholarship. 
5. An optional fifth exam in a secondary field or discipline, often involving a faculty member from another department.

Upon passing the qualifying exams students will be expected to complete a dissertation prospectus no later than the fall term of their fourth year, and will be expected to complete two chapters of their dissertation no later than the fall term of their sixth year. Many students apply for travel fellowships in their fourth year and spend a part of their fifth year in the field.

Prospectus

After passing general exams, and no later than the end of the fall semester of the fourth year, doctoral students must submit a prospectus of their dissertation. Once the prospectus has been approved, a public defense of the prospectus will take place with the prospectus committee, other interested faculty, students, etc. It is recommended that the prospectus be in the range of fifteen to twenty pages and include:

1. a clear statement of the dissertation project, its central problems and methodology; 
2. its place in the context of related scholarship; 
   
3. its importance to the field. The prospectus should also include a chapter outline and extensive bibliography.
   

Thesis

AM Thesis: The AM thesis will be a substantial paper demonstrating the student’s knowledge of primary texts, and the scholarly literature and methodologies appropriate to the topic of the student’s choice. The topic will be determined by the student in consultation with his or her advisor. A typical AM thesis is expected to be approximately 75 pages in length.

PhD Dissertation: The dissertation should not exceed 75,000 words or 300 pages in length. It must be a substantial and original piece of work that demonstrates mastery of the field and the student’s chosen topic. The dissertation committee normally consists of three members, including the dissertation advisor. Two members of the committee must be members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Frequently, the committee will include at least one member from outside the department, and occasionally one from outside the University. The director of graduate studies must approve the proposed dissertation committee. By the beginning of the fall semester of their sixth year, students are expected to have completed two chapters of their dissertation. After this they are expected to produce at least one acceptable chapter of the dissertation each semester. The dissertation must be an original work demonstrating the candidate’s ability to do independent research in the special field. The format of the dissertation must conform to the requirements described in the University publication The Form of the PhD Dissertation (www.gsas.harvard.edu/academic/dissertation.html ), and to any further requirements of style and form specified by the department. After it is completed, the dissertation must be submitted to the dissertation committee (at least 2 months before the official deadline) and be publicly defended in a round-table discussion that includes members of the dissertation committee and other interested parties.

To Apply

Application forms for admission and financial aid may be obtained from the Admissions Office, Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Cambridge, MA 02138, or at http://apply.embark.com/grad/Harvard/GSAS

 

For more detailed information about requirements and individual programs, please visit www.fas.harvard.edu/~sanskrit , or contact the department by phone at (617) 495-3295 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Faculty of the Department of Sanskrit and Indian Studies

Ali Asani, Professor of the Practice of Indo-Muslim Languages and Culture, Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Richard S. Delacy, Preceptor in Urdu-Hindi.

Diana L. Eck, Professor of Comparative Religion and of Indian Studies.

Naseem A. Hines, Preceptor in Urdu-Hindi.

Guy Leavitt, Preceptor in Sanskrit.

Parimal G. Patil, John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Humanities, Director of Graduate Studies.

Leonard W.J. van der Kuijp, Professor of Tibetan and Himalayan Studies, Chair.

Michael Witzel, Wales Professor of Sanskrit.

Affiliates of the Department of Sanskrit and Indian Studies

Francis X. Clooney, Parkman Professor of Divinity and Professor of Comparative Theology (Divinity School).

Anne E. Monius, Professor of South Asian Religions (Divinity School).