Objectives
The course aims to: -provide a multi-disciplinary curriculum informed by the research and scholarly activities of the teaching staff, to stimulate curiosity about a variety of religious cultures, their histories and the present condition; -provide opportunity to understand religious, social and cultural traditions and issues in South Asian contexts; -provide the opportunity to learn a South Asian language; -develop in students a critical understanding of religion, theology and the various approaches to studying this discipline through a diverse range of a diverse range of learning, teaching and assessment methods; -equip students with the skills necessary to interpret primary and secondary sources related to an in-depth study of texts, religious practices and traditions; -provide, when required appropriate, language instruction; -equip students for a variety of careers through subject specific knowledge, active engagement in their own learning and the development of analytical and other transferable skills.
Course description
Course description
This is an innovative programme that prepares you to understand the nature of South Asian communities through a sustained study of their religious, cultural, social and linguistic traditions, and through a further exploration of developments within South Asia's transnational diaspora. South Asia is an important geo-political region in today's world and includes India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan. Transnational South Asian communities span the UK, North America, East Africa and many other locations, as well as the sub-continent itself. The possibility of acquiring a spoken command of a modern South Asian language places this programme at the forefront of efforts to understand the practical dimensions of religious developments in South Asia, and in so doing to confront the methodological problems associated with studying religion as a lived - rather than as a merely textual - phenomenon.
Course content for year 1
The coherence of the curriculum is grounded in the compulsory Core Course, which constitutes one third of the Level 1 timetable. The Core Course is designed to: a) introduce various disciplinary approaches and key concepts; b) develop study and other transferable skills, and an ability to analyse sources, plan, work in teams, tackle problems, listen and communicate more effectively; c) provide induction into the University and pastoral support system, using the Personal Academic Development Plan or PADP (taken up in the tutorial scheme at Levels 2 and 3); d) teach information retrieval and computing skills in association with the Library (JRULM) and Manchester Computing (MC).
In addition at Level 1, students choose 4 courses from a range of foundation units, including units specific to the South Asian Studies pathway.
See Course Units Overview above for lists of options.
Course content for year 2
At Level 2, students start to develop areas of particular interest, while deepening their understanding of the approaches and concepts studied in the Core Course at Level 1. We see Level 2 as a period of consolidation and transition from foundation provided at Level 1 toward the emphasis on independent work of Level 3. Students choose 6 course units and while no unit is compulsory at this level, this will include units specific to the South Asian Studies pathway.
Course content for year 3
At Level 3, students engage with more specialised knowledge and methods.
A compulsory 40-credit Dissertation encourages independent research.
Students choose 4 other units, including units specific to the South Asian Studies pathway.
Career opportunities
You develop skills that are valuable for many occupations, including teaching in schools and colleges, broadcasting and print journalism, publishing, banking, legal, personnel, public sector professions, Civil Service, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), and many others. Our graduates have the highest employability rate of graduates from the School of Arts, Histories and Cultures.
