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courses

SIP's academic program is designed to deepen your cultural and intellectual integration with India while meeting the academic requirements of your home university and major.

The courses are divided in three categories: Core, Elective and Individualized Courses. IISAC students are required to take a minimum of 5 total courses or 15 credits. Individualized courses are also available for students desiring more intensive study.

For a detailed course listing, download the Course Directory.

Core Courses

Students are required to take a minimum of two Core Courses. They will provide a framework to understand the economic, political, or cultural complexities of India and South Asia. The current Core Course selections are:

Core Courses
*Subject Area*	*Courses*
Philosophy, Religion and Yoga	Hinduism and Its Practices Practical Classical Yoga South Indian Classical Dance Experiencing the Arts & Indian Architecture in India Christianity and India: 2000 Years of Faith
Literature	Idea of India in Literature Studies in Postcolonial Literature: Women's Writing
Languages	Spoken Tamil Basic Hindi Invitation to Functional Sanskrit Invitation to Spoken French
Politics & Policy	Indo-US Relations India's Foreign Policy Socio-Economic Study of India

Individuals or a group of students are also able to request core courses in advance that relate to India through specialized study. IISAC will attempt to integrate these courses where possible to give students a specialized curriculum.

These courses are typically taken only with foreign students at Pondicherry, though it is possible for Indian students to be engaged in these courses as well.

Elective (Departmental) Courses

In addition to the minimum two Core Courses, students are able to take Departmental Courses. This allows students to engage with Indian students and to get a taste of traditional Indian higher education. Elective courses can satisfy both your major/degree requirements and personal academic interests through Pondicherry University's numerous departments and academic centers.

Departments include:

Philosophy & Performing Arts
Politics & International Studies
Anthropology & Sociology
Women's Studies
Asian Christian Studies
Hindi, Sanskrit & Tamil
French & English
Ecology & Environmental Sciences
Earth Sciences & Chemistry
Ocean Studies & Marine Biology
Economics, Commerce & Management Studies
Molecular Biology & Biochemistry
Biotechnology & Bioinformatics
Computer Science & Physics
Mathematics & Statistics
Tourism Studies
Physical Education

All courses of study except language courses are taught in English.

IISAC will guide you through the entire process of developing a curriculum which is specially tailored to your area of study and interest.

Individualized Courses

Students may also opt for individualized courses such as independent study, internships, tutorials, or directed research through the university and affiliated institutions under faculty guidance. These courses allow you to break away from the pack and personalize your study abroad experience. These courses are developed based on the expertise of the Pondicherry University professors.

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