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:

• Analyse intersections of society, state, culture, and economy
• Understand how the contemporary world is shaped by historical processes
• Demonstrate familiarity with critical social science concepts and frameworks
• Analyse the relationship between knowledge production and power relations in society
• Identify and analyse social processes, mechanisms and institutions
• Frame a research question, identify suitable types of evidence, and gather and interpret quantitative and qualitative data

Engagement with society:

On completion of the major, the student will be able to:

• Use problem-solving approaches to bridge the gap between knowledge and application
• Connect their personal experiences with larger social structures and phenomena

Personal skills:

On completion of the major, the student will be able to:

• Design and carry out independent study and collaborative projects
• Engage in academic reasoning and argumentation and present their analysis using conventional and digital presentation modes.

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].