Liberal Arts & Sciences: Admissions open for 2026–27. Explore double major and minor combinations.
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People · Ideas · Perspectives · Building #4

School of Liberal Arts & Sciences

People · Perspectives · Possibilities — A broader mind for a brighter tomorrow.

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Rooted in Curiosity. Open to the World.

More Than a Discipline. A Different Way of Seeing.

At the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, we believe that the most meaningful progress comes from curiosity without boundaries. Here, you'll explore ideas, people, cultures, and systems — and learn to connect them, question them, and reimagine them.

“Different disciplines. A more complete you.”

The Four Core Pillars:

  • Interdisciplinary Learning: Break boundaries. Connect ideas across natural and social domains.
  • World-Ready Perspective: Understand people. Engage courageously with the global community.
  • Real-World Impact: Turn abstract ideas into public policy, civic reform, and cultural action.
  • A Supportive Community: Diverse backgrounds joined in shared dedication to truth and empathy.
School of Liberal Arts & Sciences Official Brochure
Academic Architecture

Curricula Across Four Core Divisions

Detailed semester coursework combining classical literary scholarship, empirical social science, biological exploration, and cognitive inquiry.

Division of Humanities: B.A. (4-Year FYUP Honours / Research)

4 Years · 8 Semesters · 160 Academic Credits · Multiple Exit Awards · UGC CCFUGP Framework

NEP 2020 FYUP
B.A. Humanities Multiple Exit Qualifications Academic Bank of Credits
Stage 1 · Year 1 UG Certificate Certificate in Critical Hermeneutics & World Texts 40 + 4 Archival Credits
Stage 2 · Year 2 UG Diploma Diploma in Cultural Dynamics & Translation Praxis 80 + 4 Studio Credits
Stage 3 · Year 3 B.A. Degree Bachelor of Arts in Humanities 120 Academic Credits
Stage 4 · Year 4 B.A. (Honours / Res.) Honours Monograph or 12-Credit Research Thesis 160 Credits (Direct Ph.D. Eligible)

Stage I: Critical Texts & Philosophical Foundations Semesters 1 & 2 (40 Credits)

HUM101DSCCritical Thinking & Textual Hermeneutics4 Credits
PHI102DSCEpistemology & Classical Philosophy of Mind4 Credits
LIT103MDCGreat Books: Comparative World Literature4 Credits
HIS104MDCHistoriography & Global Civilizations4 Credits
IKS111IKSClassical Indian Epistemology, Sanskrit/Prakrit Poetics & Vedic Philosophy2 Credits
AEC101AECAcademic Writing & Rhetorical Persuasion2 Credits

Stage II: Aesthetics, Ethics & Cultural Dynamics Semesters 3 & 4 (40 Credits)

PHI201DSCMoral Philosophy & Contemporary Bioethics4 Credits
LIT202DSCPost-Colonial Literature & Translation Theory4 Credits
CUL203SECVisual Culture, Media & Digital Aesthetics4 Credits
LIN204DSCStructural & Cognitive Linguistics4 Credits
MIN201MINInterdisciplinary Minor I (CS / Law / Business)4 Credits

Stage III: Advanced Seminars & Disciplinary Rigor Semesters 5 & 6 (40 Credits)

HUM301DSCSocratic Seminar in Political Philosophy4 Credits
ARC302SECArchival Methods & Cultural Heritage Practicum4 Credits
LIT303DSEComparative Poetics & Literary Theory4 Credits
INT301INTMandatory Summer Archival / Museum Internship4 Credits

Stage IV: Honours Specialization or Research Thesis Semesters 7 & 8 (40 Credits)

HUM401DSCAdvanced Hermeneutics & Deconstruction Seminars4 Credits
MIN401MINAdvanced Interdisciplinary Minor Capstone4 Credits
HUM491RESResearch Formulation & Archival Methodology4 Credits
Track A: B.A. (Honours) HUM492: Senior Humanities Honours Monograph & Colloquium
12 Credits
Track B: B.A. (Honours with Research) HUM493: 12-Credit Archival Research Thesis & Defense (Direct Ph.D. Entry for CGPA ≥ 7.5)
12 Credits

NEP 2020 Interdisciplinary Minor Baskets (20–24 Credits)

Minor in Digital Humanities & Computational Linguistics: Offered with CS: Text mining, corpus linguistics, digital archives preservation, and natural language models.
Minor in Environmental Ethics & Law: Offered with Law: Rights of nature, ecological jurisprudence, environmental justice, and climate ethics.
Minor in Creative Industries & Cultural Management: Offered with Business: Arts administration, intellectual property, heritage curation, and cultural enterprise.
Minor in Speculative Fiction & Narrative Design: Offered with Design: Worldbuilding, interactive storytelling, screenwriting, and transmedia dramaturgy.

Specialized Elective Pools (Semesters 5–8)

Sanskrit Hermeneutics & Classical Philology: Rigorous study of primary philosophical texts, grammar traditions, and comparative Indo-European linguistics.
Epistemology of Scientific Knowledge: Falsificationism, paradigm shifts, social construction of facts, and the philosophy of quantum reality.
Comparative Religious Mysticism & Philosophy: Sufism, Advaita Vedanta, Buddhist Madhyamaka, and Christian mysticism in cross-cultural dialogue.
Critical Archive Studies & Museum Curation: Material culture, provenance ethics, colonial restitution, and experimental exhibition design.

Division of Social Sciences: B.A. (4-Year FYUP Honours / Research)

4 Years · 8 Semesters · 160 Academic Credits · Multiple Exit Awards · UGC CCFUGP Framework

NEP 2020 FYUP
B.A. Social Sciences Multiple Exit Qualifications Academic Bank of Credits
Stage 1 · Year 1 UG Certificate Certificate in Sociological & Political Foundations 40 + 4 Survey Credits
Stage 2 · Year 2 UG Diploma Diploma in Quantitative Social Research & Governance 80 + 4 Fieldwork Credits
Stage 3 · Year 3 B.A. Degree Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences 120 Academic Credits
Stage 4 · Year 4 B.A. (Honours / Res.) Honours Policy Capstone or Field Research Thesis 160 Credits (Direct Ph.D. Eligible)

Stage I: Foundations of Human Society Semesters 1 & 2 (40 Credits)

SOC101DSCIntroduction to Sociological Theory4 Credits
POL102DSCFoundations of Political Thought & Statehood4 Credits
PSY103MDCGeneral Psychology & Cognitive Processes4 Credits
ANT104MDCCultural Anthropology & Kinship Systems4 Credits
IKS112IKSIndian Social Structures, Village Republics, Panchayati Raj & Customary Institutions2 Credits
VAC101VACCivic Participation, Gender Justice & Human Rights2 Credits

Stage II: Empirical Methods & Policy Frameworks Semesters 3 & 4 (40 Credits)

SS201DSCQuantitative Research Methods & Social Statistics4 Credits
POL202DSCComparative Governance & Democratic Institutions4 Credits
SOC203DSCSociology of Development & Agrarian Change4 Credits
PSY204SECSocial Psychology & Community Group Interventions4 Credits
MIN202MINInterdisciplinary Minor I4 Credits

Stage III: Applied Policy & Field Ethnography Semesters 5 & 6 (40 Credits)

SS301DSCPublic Policy Analysis & Program Evaluation4 Credits
ANT302SECField Ethnography Practicum (Community Immersion)4 Credits
POL303DSEInternational Relations & Foreign Policy of the Global South4 Credits
INT302INTMandatory Summer NGO / Policy Think-Tank Internship4 Credits

Stage IV: Honours Specialization or Field Research Thesis Semesters 7 & 8 (40 Credits)

SS401DSCAdvanced Theories in Social Epistemology & Critique4 Credits
MIN402MINAdvanced Interdisciplinary Minor Capstone4 Credits
SS491RESResearch Formulation & Ethnographic Design4 Credits
Track A: B.A. (Honours) SS492: Senior Public Policy Project & Governance Capstone
12 Credits
Track B: B.A. (Honours with Research) SS493: 12-Credit Field Ethnography Research Dissertation & Defense (Direct Ph.D. Entry for CGPA ≥ 7.5)
12 Credits

NEP 2020 Interdisciplinary Minor Baskets (20–24 Credits)

Minor in Econometrics & Public Finance: Offered with Business: Empirical microeconometrics, fiscal policy, taxation models, and development funding.
Minor in Constitutional Law & Human Rights: Offered with Law: Judicial review, civil liberties, administrative jurisprudence, and human rights advocacy.
Minor in Computational Social Science: Offered with CS: Complex network analytics, agent-based modeling, online sentiment dynamics, and big social data.
Minor in Urban Design & Spatial Justice: Offered with Design: Inclusive urbanism, zoning governance, transit-oriented ecosystems, and housing equity.

Specialized Elective Pools (Semesters 5–8)

Geopolitics of the Global South & Indian Ocean: Maritime security, non-aligned diplomacy, energy corridors, and post-hegemonic global architecture.
Behavioral Economics & Nudge Architecture: Bounded rationality, heuristic biases, welfare program optimization, and behavioral interventions.
Agrarian Movements & Rural Transformation: Land tenure, peasant political economy, climate agrarian resilience, and supply chain sovereignty.
Digital Surveillance & Privacy Sociology: Platform capitalism, algorithmic sorting, biometric state systems, and digital civil liberties.

Division of Natural Sciences: B.Sc. (4-Year FYUP Honours / Research)

4 Years · 8 Semesters · 160 Academic Credits · Multiple Exit Awards · UGC CCFUGP Framework

NEP 2020 FYUP
B.Sc. Natural Sciences Multiple Exit Qualifications Academic Bank of Credits
Stage 1 · Year 1 UG Certificate Certificate in Natural Systems & Scientific Inquiry 40 + 4 Lab Credits
Stage 2 · Year 2 UG Diploma Diploma in Experimental Biology & Biogeochemistry 80 + 4 Lab Credits
Stage 3 · Year 3 B.Sc. Degree Bachelor of Science in Natural Sciences 120 Academic Credits
Stage 4 · Year 4 B.Sc. (Honours / Res.) Honours Project or 12-Credit Laboratory Thesis 160 Credits (Direct Ph.D. Eligible)

Stage I: Natural Systems & Scientific Inquiry Semesters 1 & 2 (40 Credits)

BIO101DSCPrinciples of Evolutionary Biology & Ecology4 Credits
CHM102DSCChemical Dynamics, Bonding & Structure4 Credits
PHY103DSCClassical Mechanics & Thermodynamics4 Credits
MTH104MDCApplied Mathematical Analysis for Scientists4 Credits
IKS113IKSAncient Indian Astronomy, Ayurveda, Botanicals & Metallurgical Sciences2 Credits
VAC102VACEcology, Climate Systems & Environmental Sustainability2 Credits

Stage II: Experimental Rigor & Biogeochemistry Semesters 3 & 4 (40 Credits)

BIO201DSCCellular & Molecular Biology (with Wet Lab)4 Credits
ENV202DSCBiogeochemical Cycles & Soil Ecology4 Credits
PHY203DSCElectromagnetism, Waves & Optics4 Credits
DS204SECScientific Data Analysis & Computational Modeling Lab4 Credits
MIN203MINInterdisciplinary Minor I (CS / Design / Law)4 Credits

Stage III: Advanced Specialization & Field Studies Semesters 5 & 6 (40 Credits)

ENV301DSCEcological Conservation & Restoration Biology4 Credits
BIO302DSCGenomics, Proteomics & Bioinformatics4 Credits
PHY303DSEQuantum Mechanics & Statistical Ensembles4 Credits
INT303INTMandatory Summer Ecological / Research Lab Internship4 Credits

Stage IV: Honours Specialization or Laboratory Thesis Semesters 7 & 8 (40 Credits)

SCI401DSCAdvanced Topics in Molecular Biophysics & Systems Biology4 Credits
MIN403MINAdvanced Interdisciplinary Minor Capstone4 Credits
SCI491RESExperimental Design & Scientific Methodology4 Credits
Track A: B.Sc. (Honours) SCI492: Senior Scientific Experimental Project & Seminar
12 Credits
Track B: B.Sc. (Honours with Research) SCI493: 12-Credit Laboratory Research Dissertation & Defense (Direct Ph.D. Entry for CGPA ≥ 7.5)
12 Credits

NEP 2020 Interdisciplinary Minor Baskets (20–24 Credits)

Minor in Bioinformatics & Computational Biology: Offered with CS: Next-gen sequencing analysis, protein folding algorithms, and computational metabolomics.
Minor in Climate Policy & Environmental Jurisprudence: Offered with Law: Carbon accounting, Paris Agreement compliance, bio-conservation law, and carbon taxation.
Minor in Sustainable Product Materials & Biomimicry: Offered with Design: Circular bio-composites, nature-inspired structural engineering, and lifecycle analysis.
Minor in Science Communication & Public Engagement: Offered with Humanities: Scientific journalism, policy briefs, scientific podcasting, and public trust in science.

Specialized Elective Pools (Semesters 5–8)

Wetland Biogeochemistry & Lake Ecosystem Dynamics: Fieldwork at Aaranya Living Lake: nutrient flux, limnology, riparian microbial ecology, and restoration.
Quantum Mechanics & Statistical Thermodynamics: Schrödinger equations, wave-particle duality, ensemble theory, and macroscopic emergent states.
Organic Synthesis & Green Chemistry Protocols: Solvent-free reactions, biocatalysis, solar flow reactors, and non-toxic polymer synthesis.
Neurobiology of Learning and Memory: Synaptic plasticity, electrophysiology, hippocampal coding, and optogenetic research methodologies.

Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs: M.A. / M.Sc. (NEP 2020 1-Year / 2-Year)

1 Year (40 Credits post 4-Year FYUP) or 2 Years (80 Credits post 3-Year UG) · Cognitive Science & Ecological Governance

NEP 2020 PG

Year 1: Complex Systems & Synthetic Frameworks Semesters 1 & 2 (40 Credits)

ID501DSCCognitive Neuroscience & Philosophy of Mind4 Credits
ID502DSCEcological Economics & Planetary Boundaries4 Credits
ID503DSCSystems Dynamics & Computational Social Simulation4 Credits
ID504DSCGlobal Environmental Governance & Climate Treaties4 Credits
ID505DSEAdvanced Research Methods in Cognitive & Ecological Science4 Credits

Year 2: Applied Fieldwork & Master's Thesis Semesters 3 & 4 (40 Credits)

ID601DSCAdvanced Seminar on Sustainability Transitions4 Credits
ID602SECPracticum at Aaranya Lake Ecological Observatory4 Credits
ID603DSEGraduate Interdisciplinary Seminar4 Credits
ID691RESInterdisciplinary Master's Research Thesis & Public Defense12 Credits

Graduate Concentration Tracks

Planetary Boundaries & Climate Resilience Earth-system tipping points, ecological threshold analysis, carbon sink restoration, and polycentric governance.
Neuroethics & Cognitive AI Systems Moral status of artificial agents, neural implants, free will in computational cognitive science, and ethical AI.
Indigenous Ecological Knowledge Systems Traditional land management, sacred groves conservation, ethno-botany, and decolonial biodiversity regimes.

Specialized Elective Pools (Semesters 3 & 4)

Complex Adaptive Systems & Agent-Based Modeling Non-linear dynamics, emergence, feedback loops, and multi-agent simulation in NetLogo/Python.
Transboundary Resource Treaties & Water Diplomacy International river basins, dispute resolution, international court mechanisms, and hydro-politics.
Decolonial Thought in Sustainable Development Critique of growth metrics, post-development theory, buen vivir, and Swaraj eco-philosophies.

“A more compassionate, creative, and connected world begins with people who ask better questions.”

Aaranya University · Curiosity · Empathy · Knowledge · Action