South Asia StudiesThe 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:
- 10 CUs in disciplinary courses, of which at least 4 should be in a discipline chosen for specialization
- 4 CUs in advanced-level courses in a language of concentration*
- 2 CUs in intermediate-level courses or higher in a research language (advisor and Grad Chair must approve 2nd language)*
- 3 electives
- 1 final CU may be used for research connected with the preparation for third year Candidacy Exams (formerly ‘Preliminary Exams’) and a dissertation proposal. This is typically an independent study.
- You must fulfill all of your language requirements before you will be permitted to take your candidacy exam in your third year.
- At least six content courses (NOT including language courses) must be taken with the Standing Faculty of the South Asia Studies department in the first two years.
Note: Courses 400-level and above count for Graduate Credit.
*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 does not result in a reduction of the total number of 20 CUs required for the degree.
Policy on Incompletes:
Students are strongly discouraged from taking an incomplete grade in graduate seminars or graduate level courses. Should a student take an incomplete grade in a course for unavoidable reasons, the last date by which the student may submit all work for a Fall Semester course will be the first teaching day of the Spring semester; for a Spring semester course, three weeks from the last day of the Spring semester. Failure to submit work beyond this date will result in a loss of a third of a letter grade for each further day's delay. After seven days a permanent C will be given for the course grade. The Graduate Office of the School of Arts and Sciences reserves the right to suspend funding for PhD candidates on Benjamin Franklin Fellowships who have not resolved their incompletes on time.
NB: In the instance of graduate students being faced with life events or disasters, an Incomplete may be extended, by written permission of both the course instructor and the Graduate Director. In such cases, the student will state in writing the date by which they will submit all work for that course.
Advising and Course Selection:
Incoming graduate students will be assigned an interim advisor to help students select courses and develop their curriculum. A student may change advisors if they so choose, by informing the Graduate Coordinator.
Choice of disciplinary focus and languages should be made in consultation with the student's advisor and the Graduate Chair of the Department.
Graduate students are required to meet with their advisor* at the beginning of each semester to discuss course selection. The following form must be filled out, signed by the student's advisor, and turned into the Department Coordinator prior to the end of the course Add period for each semester.
Once students' coursework is complete PhD students are required to meet with their advisor* at least once per semester to discuss the progress of their research and subsequent dissertation writing.
It is strongly recommended students choose their courses in the first two years of study with preparation for the second year exam as your high priority.
By the end of the second year, the student must establish a Dissertation Committee of up to five people, two of whom must be from the Graduate Group.
*If an advisor is on leave/sabbatical, student should meet with the Graduate Chair.
To acquire pedagogical experience, PhD candidates serve as teaching assistants in four undergraduate courses in South Asia Studies, usually in the second and third years of study.
Candidates who enter the Ph.D. program in South Asia Studies after an M.A. or other graduate study at Penn or at another accredited institutions may petition, after a full year of enrolment 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.
Graduate Student Independent Study Policy and Procedures:
Graded independent studies normally involve:
- completion of a specific reading or research project
- regularly scheduled tutorial sessions with the instructor during the semester
- submission of a substantial paper at the end of the term in which the course is taken.
For graduate students who wish to pursue a graded independent study, the procedure is as follows:
- When you have a clear idea of the topic you would like to study, you should find a faculty sponsor who can supervise your work. Any member of the standing faculty or South Asia Studies Graduate Group may offer an independent study to a student at the professor's discretion.
- When you and your faculty sponsor have decided upon the topic and terms of your independent study, please complete this application and return the following form to Alexandra Zeiger in the South Asia Studies Department, 820 Williams Hall.
All application Forms must also include:
- Syllabus
- Number of Hours
- Assignments
Additional Information
- Independent Studies may be taken for a letter grade ONLY (no Pass/Fail).
- Independent Study applications must be submitted for approval to Department or Graduate Chair no later than one week BEFORE the end of “add period”.
- Exceptions may be approved by the South Asia Studies Department Chair.
- The appropriate Graduate or Undergraduate Chair has discretion to limit the number of independent studies undertaken.