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For the first few years, Nepā School will offer a one-year programme called the Graduate Diploma in Social Sciences, spread over two semesters. Students will be taught a wide range of disciplines, including sociology, anthropology, political science, economics and research methodology, combining lectures and discussions. They will also take classes in academic reading and writing in both semesters.
Later, in addition to the graduate diploma programme, Nepā School will offer two-year (four-semester) Master’s programmes in two disciplines (most likely sociology/anthropology and political science) and it will eventually offer MPhil and PhD as well as undergraduate programmes after six or seven years.
The Graduate Diploma in Social Sciences is a year-long (post-)graduate course that aims to give the students a strong theoretical and analytical foundation for their subsequent enrolment in university-run Master’s programmes in the social sciences or in their professional career. This programme serves as an advanced version of the Immersion Course in Contemporary Social Issues that Nepā School’s parent organisation, Social Science Baha, had run for close to a decade.
Among the wide selection of disciplines that fall under the social sciences, the diploma course currently focuses on sociology, anthropology, political science, and gender studies. Being interdisciplinary in nature, it enables the student to experience the rich intellectual traditions of each of the disciplines through a rigorous immersion into the key philosophical and theoretical ideas, schools and debates. The design of each course explores both its width and depth, giving our graduates a strong academic base from which they may further explore the social sciences in university-run graduate programmes. For those not intending to pursue further studies, the course will provide a stimulating intellectual conclusion to their undergraduate studies through rigorous instructions on the core subjects within the social sciences and training in Academic English.
The faculty employ pedagogical methodologies prevalent in institutions of repute around the world. Students are given reading lists and are required to participate in seminars and make presentations. Daily readings, regular homework and tests are intrinsic to the programme. The academic team works with each student in building necessary academic and analytical skills, and students can seek academic counselling with the tutors and take part in interactions with the faculty and resource persons. The School’s computer lab provides access to major journal databases and publishers. The students can borrow books from the School’s modest library. They are also encouraged to exploit the more extensive resources in the social science reference library housed at the School’s parent organisation, Social Science Baha.
The Graduate Diploma in Social Sciences is currently not formally recognised by any university. But it is expected that this Diploma holder will stand a good chance of being accepted for Master’s degree programmes in reputed Indian universities and, eventually, universities in the West.
Applicants to the programme should be a graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in the first or high second division in any discipline from a recognized university. Applicants should have a reasonably good command of the English language.
Acceptance to the course will be highly selective and only those students deemed capable of handling the rigorous coursework will be admitted. Admission will be on the basis of (academic) merit and a consideration of the applicant’s English reading and writing skills. Individuals from minorities and disadvantaged groups are also encouraged to apply.
The maximum number of students accepted in each batch will not exceed 25. The course only accepts full-time students.
Go to the application page for information on the 2012 Admissions
Detailed Programme Description
The diploma programme consists of two semesters of 16 weeks each with additional time to prepare for the final examination at the end of each semester. In addition to the final examination, students will be graded on assignments, presentations and participation in class. Attendance is compulsory for all classes and all subjects. The medium of instruction, assignments, exams and class discussion will be English.
Important: Accepted students are required to undertake a five-week compulsory English course before the first semester begins.
Classes in the upcoming 2012 session begin on Monday, 9 January 2012 and the course ends in December of the same year. Visit our 2012 academic calendar page.
Classes will be held four days a week: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Students are required to be present on Wednesdays as well to prepare for the following days’ classes. Saturday and Sunday are weekend holidays. However, classes may be held on Sundays and Wednesdays to make up for holidays and unforeseen disruptions on other days. Students are expected to remain on the Nepā School premises from 9 am to 4 pm from Monday through Friday.
Courses on Offer in 2012
The courses offered in the first semester are:
1) Sociological Theory: From Classical to Contemporary Times (Dr. Sudhindra Sharma)
2) Modern Political Thought (Hari Sharma)
3) Introduction to Anthropological Perspectives (Dr. Kamala Visweswaran)
4) Academic English I (Charlotte Benham)
The courses offered in the second semester are:
6) Introduction to Gender Studies: Concepts, Approaches & Issues (Dr. Rajendra Pradhan)
7) Comparative Social Sciences: Reading Contemporary Classics across Disciplines (Hari Sharma and Dr. Bandita Sijapati)
8) Academic English II (Wayne Redpath)
Graduation Requirements
Upon successful completion of the two-semester course by passing the final exams and fulfilling all academic requirements, graduates will be awarded a certificate and citation. In addition to the final exams, there will be compulsory attendance, class participation, regular tests, assignments and homework, all of which will, depending upon each course, contribute in varying proportions to the final grade.
Programme Fee
The fee for one semester is Rs 15,000. The fee must be paid in full before classes begin. The second semester fee deadline is Friday, 23 December 2011.
In addition, photocopy costs will amount to around Rs. 5000 per semester.
Financial Aid
Financial aid is available to a limited number of students in the form of full and partial tuition fee waivers as well as partial stipends, and is awarded on the basis of need to meritorious students belonging to minority and economically and socially disadvantaged groups. If you want to apply for financial aid, check your eligibility and follow the instructions given on the Admissions 2012 page.
Read about Nepā School’s equal opportunity policy on the Vision & Goals page.