Can you tell me about the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at IITM?
Step into the world of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, where you can discover and explore how people behave, societies work, and diverse cultures come alive.
Department of Humanities and Social Sciences in IIT Madras
Established in 1959, the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences (DoHSS) is a prominent academic department that offers a wide range of programs in humanities and social sciences— delving into fields that include but are not limited to economics, politics, history, literature, foreign languages, linguistics, and psychology. The department fosters research in areas spanning Alternative Education, European and Chinese Studies, Speech and Communication, Ecocriticism, Health Economics, Diaspora and Cultural Studies, Film and Media, literature studies, and much more.
The HSS scholars can build their research prowess outside their specific disciplines. There is immense scope for them to be involved in scientific dialogue as well, by virtue of being in the interstices of a technological institute.
The department is a strong representation of the interdisciplinary nature of social and scientific studies. Students from engineering backgrounds have a mandatory set of credits to be acquired through HS electives. The list of B.Tech electives being offered by the department is very diverse and only gets longer as the years progress. Here are some of the courses offered:
Modern Governments and Comparative Constitutions
- Principle of Economics
- German I and II
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
- War and Peace in West Asia
- Film Theory
Students of the department have earned prestigious fellowships like Erasmus Mundus and Fulbright, enabling research in global universities. Faculty and scholars actively participate in lecture series and conferences broadening their study scope. The research community takes pride in its numerous publications, regularly organizing seminars, department conferences, and academic summits.
Programs Offered
The department used to offer a five-year Integrated MA program in Development Studies and English Studies, which has now been replaced by a 2-year MA program in
Each stream of the MA program is the best choice for students to build a strong theoretical foundation as well as the marketability they need to succeed in jobs in academia, publishing, policy, governance, corporate consulting, and more. The department also offers a robust PhD program, details of which can be found here 1.
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