| The Department of Sanskrit and Indian Studies offers programs leading to the doctor of philosophy degree (PhD) in Sanskrit and Indian Studies or Tibetan and Himalayan Studies, and in exceptional cases to a master of arts degree (AM).
The department's PhD programs emphasize the study of South Asian texts and text traditions, and the cultural, intellectual, and social practices that they inform. Currently, members of the department focus on Sanskrit (Vedic, Classical) and Middle Indic (Pali, Prakrit), Tibetan (Classical, Modern), Hindi/Urdu (including Avadhi, Braj, and modern dialects), and Tamil (Classical, Modern) textual traditions. The department also supports instruction in Gujarati, Sindhi, and Thai. In the past, the department has offered courses in Bengali and Malayalam. Persian is regularly offered through the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations.
The department trains students to approach South Asian textual traditions from a variety of disciplinary perspectives in the humanities including history, literature and literary theory, religious studies, theology, and philosophy. Students are encouraged to view their chosen texts and topics in their historical contexts, while at also exploring their significance to South Asian traditions up to the present and to contemporary issues in the humanities and social sciences. We emphasize both a rigorous philological approach to South Asian texts, and the multidisciplinary perspectives that are needed to study and write about them.
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Admission
requirements
Admission
to Harvard AM and PhD programs is granted on the basis of academic
record and, ordinarily, GRE examinations. Applicants should contact the department
well before the admission deadline, preferably visit the department, or make arrangements
for telephone interview.
Prerequisites
for admission to the department are two years of Sanskrit (for the PhD in Sanskrit
and Indian Studies) or Tibetan (for the PhD in Tibetan and Himalayan Studies)
— corresponding to first- and second-year Sanskrit/Tibetan taught at Harvard
— for the PhD. (For the AM degree, one year of Sanskrit or two years of Tibetan
is required.) The student's command of Sanskrit/Tibetan will be evaluated at the
beginning of the first term. If necessary the student may be required to take
(or repeat) second-year Sanskrit/Tibetan. For the PhD program a strong background
in one or more areas of South Asian/Himalayan Studies is also required.
Any
PhD student who has completed, with honor grades, two years of full-time study
(16 applicable half-courses) will qualify for the degree of AM in the appropriate
area as a record of attainment, which the department will recommend upon application
by the student. Exceptionally students who specifically wish to acquire language
skills may be admitted to an AM program for a terminal AM degree in Sanskrit or
Tibetan.
**To
Apply For Admission**
The
Sanskrit and Indian Studies Department does not mail out admission, financial
aid or application materials. These mailings are handled directly by the GSAS
Admissions Office. You may request an application from them by clicking on the
link below or by calling them at (617) 495-5315. If you prefer, you may click
here to apply on-line.
 
Graduate Handbook
Information on program requirements and policies may be found in the "Handbook for PhD Students".
Graduate Student forms
"Notice of Intent to take Second Year Review"
"Notice of Intent to take PhD General Examinations"
"PhD General Examination Certification form"
"Dissertation Prospectus Checklist"
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