For questions contact: Saiba Varma, Director South Asian Studies minor program at, s2varma@ucsd.edu, or check out the virtual advising center here!
Students completing a minor in South Asian studies are required to complete twenty-eight units of study (at least twenty units must be upper-division), which could include three four-unit core courses with 75–100 percent South Asia content and four four-unit elective courses (with content of 25–50 percent). We also offer one- and two-unit courses that students can combine to meet these requirements.
We publish a list of courses offered that count for our minor every quarter. Here are the current courses for Winter 2025:
CORE
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ANTH 87. India and the US: from democracy to authoritarianism? (1 unit, must be petitioned)
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HISA 120. Race and Empire in South Asia (4 units)
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MUS 95W. Indian Classical Ensemble (2 units, can be taken twice)
ELECTIVE
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ANSC 148. Global Health and Cultural Diversity
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ANSC 166. Film and Culture in Asia
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ANSC 184. Food, Culture, and Society
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ANTH 45. Wisdom and Ecstasy
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ANTH 188. Cultures of Healing
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ANTH 109. Climate Change, Heritage, and Vulnerability
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COMM 106I. Internet Industries
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ECON 116. Economic Development
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ECON 138. Economics of Discrimination
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ECON 185. Detecting Discrimination in Data
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GLBH 100. Special Topics in Global Health: Demography and Social Networks in Global Health
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GLBH 113. Women’s Health in Global Perspective
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LTEN 181. Asian American Literature: Transoceanic Film Corridors
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POLI 117. Bending the Curve: Climate Change Solutions
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POLI 122. Politics of Human Rights
Student Testimonials
"The SAS minor gave me the chance to go out into the world and explore; my anthropology classes guided me through my first attempts at ethnographic research, and eventually helped me build my own independent research thesis. The courses I took for the SAS minor provided necessary historical and anthropological context for the real-world implications of what I learned in my STEM classes.
I would highly recommend this minor as a way to expand one’s understanding of new cultures, while simultaneously exploring their own current interests in a more global context"
- Akshita Silas, Cognitive Science
" The SAS minor is incredibly eye opening and adds much-needed context to my understanding of my family, culture, and history. Additionally, even being premed and from a college with lots of GEs (ERC), this minor fit in well and overlapped with many of my courses. I highly recomment this minor for anyone looking to expand their undergraduate education, particularly if you are a STEM major!"
- Ananya Kandikonda, Global Health
"I first learned about the South Asian Studies classes offered after taking the Social Justice in South Asia seminar offered. That class truly opened my eyes to the simultaneous diversity and unity in South Asian experiences, and how we can develop a shared understanding of the region from a scholarly perspective. The classes I’ve taken have helped me become a more global citizen, questioning traditional establishments while forming opinions based on viewpoints I wouldn’t have otherwise thought to consider. I am so grateful to have had such a unique opportunity such as this during my academic career, and has shaped and inspired my future aspirations. "
- Khushi Kumra, Global Health
"As an International Student, pursuing South-Asian Studies is about reclaiming and honoring the legacy that has perched me for 18-years. When you’re in a foreign-land, forging a community that bridges you to your roots might seem like a distant dream, but its pursuits like these that help you immerse in a tapestry of cultures and identities. It empowers you to contribute to global dialogue, explore questions- academic & personal, articulate the layers of history and modernity. The literature, the philosophy, languages and art—South Asia is a treasure—and it’s time to really propagate that vision."
- Bhavika Ailawadi, Math-Econ