Candidates for a degree of Master of Arts are expected to develop a broad knowledge of disciplines relevant to the study of South Asia as well as competency in a South Asian language at an Intermediate-High level equivalent to a minimum of two years of study.

The course of study toward the degree of Master of Arts requires a minimum of eight credit units (CUs). As part of these 8 CUs, students must take

	1 CU in theories and methods relevant to South Asian Studies;
	4 CUs in disciplines taught by members of the South Asia Studies Graduate Group faculty, 2 of which may be devoted to a discipline of specialization;
	2 CUs in intermediate-level courses or higher in a South Asian language;*
*	Candidates who demonstrate Advanced knowledge of a South Asian language may be excused from taking additional language courses. The CUs may then be reallocated to electives. In no case will exemption from further language study result in a reduction of the total number of 8 CUs required for the degree.
	A final CU may be used for research connected with the preparation of the M.A. Thesis.

The Master's Thesis must be a piece of original research and is expected to include sources in South Asian languages.

The M.A. final examination is conducted after all course requirements, including language and thesis requirements, have been satisfied (usually in the second year). M.A. candidates must demonstrate by written and oral examination a broad knowledge of disciplines and methods relevant to the study of South Asia. The M.A. final examination may also serve as the doctoral qualifying evaluation for those who might wish to proceed to a Ph.D. degree.*

*	Neither admission to the M.A. program nor successful completion of the M.A. final examination and/or thesis carries a guarantee or expectation that candidates will be admitted to the Ph.D. program. A separate admission process is required for the Ph.D. program.

Doctor of Philosophy Program:

The doctoral curriculum and examination schedule are designed to help candidates develop before being promoted to advanced doctoral candidacy and all-but-dissertation status:

	Deep familiarity with the history, methodology, and practice of a chosen discipline relevant to the study of South Asia, and a broad knowledge of allied disciplines;
	Advanced competency in a South Asian language of concentration equivalent to a minimum of four years of study and adequate to sustain proposed dissertation research;
	Intermediate-Mid competency in a second language necessary for conducting advanced research, equivalent to a minimum of two years of study;
	Reading knowledge of an additional language used in scholarship relevant to their proposed topic;
	Teaching experience and familiarity with pedagogical practices in South Asian studies; and
	A compelling plan for dissertation research.

The course of study toward the degree of Doctor of Philosophy requires a minimum of twenty course credit units (CUs). As part of these 20 CUs, students must take

	2 CUs in theories and methods relevant to South Asian Studies;
	7 CUs in disciplinary courses, of which at least 4 may be in a discipline chosen for specialization;
	4 CUs in advanced-level courses in a language of concentration;**
	2 CUs in a second research language;**
**	Candidates who demonstrate Advanced knowledge in their language of concentration and/or Advanced knowledge of a second research language may be excused from part of these requirements. Candidates who satisfy language requirements at the South Asia Language Institute or other summer courses, or in advanced language programs abroad may likewise be excused from taking additional language courses. Any CUs not required for language study may be reallocated to electives. The exemption from further language study result in a reduction of the total number of 20 CUs required for the degree.
	4 electives;
	A final CU may be used for research connected with the preparation of preliminary exams and a dissertation proposal.

Choice of disciplinary focus and languages should be made in consultation with student's advisor and the Graduate Chair of the Department.

Pedagogical experience is acquired in four courses in which students are mentored as teaching assistants for undergraduate classes in South Asia Studies.

Candidates who enter the Ph.D. program in South Asia Studies after an M.A. or other graduate study at Penn or at other accredited institutions may petition, after a full year of enrollment in the Ph.D. program, for a transfer of appropriate prior credits toward the 20 CUs required for the Ph.D. program. Transfer of credits requires full documentation and is awarded at the discretion of the Graduate Chair. In no case will transferred credits exceed a total of 8.

Candidates must pass a Ph.D. qualifying evaluation by the end of their second year. They must demonstrate by written and oral examination a broad knowledge of disciplines and methods relevant to the study of South Asia.

The Ph.D. preliminary examination is conducted after all course requirements, including all language requirements, have been satisfied (usually at the end of the third year). Candidates must submit a dissertation proposal with an extensive bibliography, and must demonstrate by written and oral examination knowledge of their specific field and closely allied fields adequate to sustain their proposed dissertation research.

Research for the dissertation is expected to include field work in South Asia and/or South Asian communities and/or library, archival, or material South Asia collections, and to include sources in South Asian languages. After completion of research and writing, candidates present a final dissertation and defend it orally before the entire graduate faculty and fellow graduate students.

Application process:

The application deadline is December 15th for admission in the fall semester of the following year. New students must ensure that their complete applications -- including transcripts, test scores, letters of recommendation, personal statement, and any supporting materials -- arrive by this date in order to be considered for financial aid from or through the university. You should call the graduate admissions office at (215) 898-7444 well in advance of this time to see whether the necessary materials have arrived, and take appropriate steps if any materials are missing. If documents are being sent in close to the deadline, email Sanjukta Banerjee to let us know that they are on the way.

The application fee is $70.00. Payments must be made by credit card, check, or international postal money order written in U.S. currency and made payable to the "Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania."

We encourage all applicants to apply online, using Penn's web interface. Instructions, forms, and a link to the online application are located at
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/GAS/home/apply/admissions.html
or follow this direct link .

If you need to submit any materials by mail, send them to:

Graduate Division
School of Arts and Sciences
University of Pennsylvania
3401 Walnut Street, Suite 322A
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6228

Please do not mail materials to the South Asia Department. After an application is complete, the original application remains on file in the Graduate Division, which forwards a copy to the South Asia Department.

Required Materials:

The Graduate Group in South Asia Studies requires the following materials as part of the applications. Each is discussed in more detail below.

• Academic transcripts of undergraduate courses and grades, and any previous graduate work.
• GRE score for the general test of the Graduate Record Exam.
• TOEFL score for non-native speakers of English.
• A personal statement of your academic goals.
• Recommendations from at least three professors or others familiar with your academic abilities.
• Supporting materials such as writing samples are optional, but recommended.

The same application is used by applicants from either the U.S. or abroad. An admissions committee within the Graduate Group makes decisions regarding admission and financial aid, with the approval of the Graduate Dean. The Office of the Graduate Division of Arts and Sciences generates the official acceptance letter.

The application and all materials submitted to the Admission Office become the property of the University of Pennsylvania and cannot be returned under any circumstances.

Transcripts

Your application must include two copies of an official transcript from the institution(s) where you did previous academic work at the undergraduate or graduate level. They must be in signed and sealed envelopes prepared by the original institution.

After a year in the program, students may be eligible to transfer up to eight semester credits completed prior to admission. Approval will be at the discretion of the Graduate Group.

GRE

We accept any valid set of scores for the general test of the GRE , as long as the test was taken no more than five years before the date the application is completed. This includes both the computer-based test and the paper-based test. For more information on taking the GRE, testing dates and locations, score reporting, and frequently asked questions, visit http://www.gre.org/ .

The GRE is administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) , telephone 609-921-9000. All scores must be officially submitted to the Graduate Division by the testing agency. The codes that you will need to know are University of Pennsylvania: 2926

Your chances for a fellowship will be much better if you score at least 700 on the verbal and (especially) the quantitative sections of the test; if you score lower than 600 on either section, your chances for a fellowship will not be good. The verbal scores of non-native speakers are judged somewhat differently from those of native speakers, but the quantitative scores are not.

TOEFL

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required for non-native speakers of English. For details, see http://www.toefl.org . Anyone who has received a bachelor's degree or higher from an English-speaking university is exempt from this requirement.

The TOEFL is administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) , telephone 609-921-9000. All scores must be officially submitted to the Graduate Division by the testing agency. The codes that you will need to know are University of Pennsylvania: 2926

Applicants are expected to have a score of at least 600 on the paper-based test (PBT), or 250 on the computer-based test (CBT) or the newer internet-based test (IBT). All these versions of the test are accepted, subject to the two-year limit.

Personal Statement

Your personal statement is an important part of your application. The admissions committee looks not only at the general background and qualifications of the applicants, but also at the fit between your specific goals and interests, and the kind of research conducted by the members of the graduate group.

The most successful statement will demonstrate that you understand the kinds of work conducted by members of the faculty with interests related to yours, and why Penn is a particularly appropriate place for you to study. You should be clear about your goals; it is acceptable to have wide interests or not to be entirely focused yet, but you should show that you understand what it means to pursue advanced study in the areas of interest that you identify. Personal anecdotes about how you got interested in South Asia, or childhood experiences with any of the languages or culture, do not generally contribute to the effectiveness of the statement.

The personal statement is the place to describe your past training and work in related areas. We welcome applications from those with limited formal training in the field, but in such cases it is especially important to demonstrate your understanding of what graduate work in South Asia Studies will entail, and to emphasize aspects of your educational background that will contribute to your success.

Note that applicants are not expected to work out arrangements with individual faculty members before applying. The application is made to the graduate group as a whole, and students who matriculate in the program are assigned appropriate advisors after they arrive. Nevertheless, it is entirely sensible to identify how your research interests relate to those of the faculty at Penn.

Recommendations

You will need letters of recommendation from at least three professors or others who are qualified to comment on your academic ability and background. The most effective letters come from those who have worked with you closely, especially on independent research, and who are familiar enough with the field of South Asia Studies to understand what abilities are most relevant.

When you include the email addresses of your recommenders in the online application, each will automatically receive an email with an attached recommendation form. This email will allow the recommender to submit a letter electronically. Once the recommender submits the letter, it will be attached to the online application.

Supporting Materials

A writing sample, such as a substantial term paper or thesis from previous undergraduate or graduate work, is recommended, but not required. If you are submitting an online application, you can include a web address (in your personal statement) for a location where you have posted your work as a PDF file.

Financial Aid

For scholarship consideration, simply indicate on the application that you wish to be considered. Your complete application must, however, be received by December 15th . United States citizens are also eligible for federal loans. Information on graduate student loans is available from the Office of Student Financial Services. Visit http://www.sfs.upenn.edu/home/ , or telephone 215-898-1988.

Timeline

Students who have applied by the December 15th deadline will normally be notified of our decision by March 15th.

The School of Arts and Sciences allows candidates to defer admission for up to one year. Financial award decisions may not be deferred.