The major in Social and Political Sciences (SPS) at Ahmedabad University is envisioned as an interdisciplinary programme that goes beyond traditional disciplinary categories such as history, politics, sociology, and economics. It is designed to train students to critically analyse the relationships between contemporary society, politics, economy, and culture. The SPS major addresses the urgent need for well-informed professionals with the societal insights, historical consciousness, critical analytical skills, and methodological training required to engage meaningfully with complex socio-political realities of the 21st century and to design and implement solutions.
Students will explore rich theoretical questions to apply their insights to the problems of contemporary society, such as what is the responsibility of the modern state towards its citizens? What are the values of liberal democracy, and how are they realised or undermined? How do social structures influence individual experiences of power and inequality? How are social identities constructed, and how do they shape understandings and contestations relating to gender, race, class, and caste? In what ways have new media technologies redefined the construction of the self and society? What are the connections between globalisation, transnational institutions, and local phenomena? What are the claims of a free market society, and how does it operate in practice? Is inequality an inevitable outcome of modern capitalist societies?
By engaging with such questions, the coursework will take students through key themes, influential thinkers, and crucial debates in various social science disciplines. Students will be equipped with skills in quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods, case study and comparative research, archival and document analysis, and participant observation. Furthermore, course activities and assignments will require students to examine how abstract ideas specifically relate to their worlds and the possibilities for a critical engagement with the factors that shape individuals and society.
Students will take nine theory courses, one research proposal writing course, two methods courses, and seven elective courses. In their final year, students undertake either a capstone project or an undergraduate thesis project, enabling them to gain a deeper understanding of their specific interests at the culmination of this interdisciplinary programme.
The Social and Political Sciences Major is designed to equip students with a basic understanding of how to apply social science analysis to contemporary economic, political, and social problems:
Domain Knowledge and Application:
On completion of the major, the student will be able to:
Engagement with society:
On completion of the major, the student will be able to:
Personal skills:
On completion of the major, the student will be able to:
Ahmedabad University recognises that career options for young graduates are becoming more diverse. Therefore, it emphasises the skills required to innovate and succeed in a fast-changing economy. Students majoring in SPS can pursue higher studies in anthropology, development studies, international studies, political science, sociology, and urban planning. In addition to academics, students can pursue careers in journalism, law, new media, the development sector, and civil services.
To learn more about the Social and Political Sciences (SPS) major at Ahmedabad University you may send an email to [email protected].
Offered by | School of Arts and Sciences |
Programme | Bachelor of Arts (Honours) |
Degree | Bachelor of Arts (Honours) |
Minimum Programme Credits | 173 |
Minimum Major Credits | 80 |
Social and Political Sciences is also offered as a MINOR |
Credits | |
---|---|
Foundation Programme (Three Studios) | 9 |
First Year Seminar on Critical Thinking and Writing | 3 |
Credits | |
---|---|
Humanities and Languages GER HST101 Ahmedabad as a Gateway to the World |
3 |
Social Sciences GER | 3 |
Biological and Life Sciences GER | 3 |
Mathematical and Physical Sciences GER CSD101 Data Science |
3 |
Performing and Visual Arts GER | 3 |
GER Elective 1 | 3 |
GER Elective 2 | 3 |
GER Elective 3 | 3 |
Communications GER COM101 Effective Reading and Comprehension Skills |
3 |
Sports & Wellness GER | 3 |
Major Requirements | Credits |
---|---|
Major Core | 44 |
SPS103 Politics in Independent India | 3 |
SPS202 Family, Community, and Nation | 3 |
SPS203 State and Society | 4 |
SPS302 Economy and Society | 3 |
SPS205 Studying Culture | 3 |
SPS303 Locating Globalisation | 3 |
PHI260 Political Philosophy | 3 |
SPS301 History of the Social | 3 |
SPS250 International Relations Theory | 3 |
SPS102 Identity, Inequality, Difference | 4 |
RES101 Introduction to Research Methodology | 4 |
SPS300 Qualitative Field Research | 4 |
SPS265 Comparative Political Behaviour | 4 |
Major Electives | 36 |
SPS251 Ecology and Society | 3 |
SPS260 Within the World of Cities | 3 |
SPS262 Gender and Work | 3 |
SPS255 Introduction to Comparative Politics | 3 |
SPS261 Government Secrecy and Intelligence Studies | 3 |
SPS263 Climate Change and Society | 3 |
SPS258 Populism and Democracy | 3 |
SPS264 Development and its Discontents | 3 |
SPS350 Self and Society in the Study of Religion | 3 |
HST205 Industrialisation: Perspectives From World History | 3 |
PHL150 Ideas of India: Gandhi, Savarkar and Ambedkar | 3 |
SPS354 Caste and the Contemporary | 3 |
SPS351 Studying Migration: Cultural Politics of Human Mobility | 3 |
SPS352 Gender and Citizenship | 3 |
SPS353 Political Psychology | 3 |
SPS500 The Dragon and the Elephant: Comparative Perspectives on India and China | 3 |
HST104 Caste, Print and Nation | 3 |
Free Electives provide flexibility to students to customise their education at the University.
All students will complete 30 hours of engagement with society to develop a sense of engagement, concern, build problem solving skills, and understand the role of an engaged member of a society. This will be done through a mandatory course, Engagement with Society, that would be a graduation requirement. This course can be taken anytime during the stay at the University but it is advised that the student engage with the courses during the first two years at the University. The 30 hours of volunteer work may be completed during one semester or during the Winter or Summer Break.
The BxMx Programme (Dual Degree) at Ahmedabad University offers a unique opportunity for students to earn both a bachelor's and a master's degree in just five years by combining their undergraduate studies with relevant graduate coursework. This flexible programme allows students to explore different academic disciplines and gain a competitive edge in the job market. By enabling students to seamlessly transition from their bachelor's to a master's programme, either within the same or a different school, The BxMx Programme fosters interdisciplinary learning and prepares graduates for a wide range of career paths. Know More