In addition to taking the above courses, students will also need to enroll in one of the following two courses:
Independent Study Project
Independent Study Project – syllabus
(ISPR3000 / 4 credits)
Conducted in approved field sites across India, the Independent Study Project is an opportunity to delve more deeply into a field study topic of choice. Sample topic areas: theater for social change; traditional women’s crafts and the modern market; Indian wildlife conservation and international nongovernmental organization involvement; irrigation and water management issues; a critical analysis of elephant tourism; call centers as the job of the educated future; marketing culture and Rajput identity; microfinance and women’s empowerment; language and literacy; a comparison of traditional and mass production of Indian textiles.
Sample ISP topic areas:
- Documentary film project on the holistic impact of hydroelectric dams on rivers in the Himalayas
- Legal pluralism and gender justice
- Biodiversity conservation efforts and promotion of indigenous rice varieties
- Environmental injustice and interconnection in the context of the Ganges
- The role of women in traditional seed supply systems
- Information technology and social change
- Socioeconomics of water scarcity
- Communism in Kerala and its impact on human development measures
- Gandhi and the Khadi industry in contemporary India
- Dams, mining, and tribal displacement and conflict
- Food security and the public distribution system
- Impacts of globalization on traditional art and artisans in northern India
- Usage patterns and social consequences of a mobile phone–based alternative citizen journalism platform
- Climate change, water, and biodiversity conservation
- Urban farming in Indian cities
- Indian wildlife conservation and international NGO involvement
- Human-elephant conflict in northern West Bengal explored through documentary film
- Microfinance, fair trade, and women’s empowerment
Browse this program’s Independent Study Projects / undergraduate research.
OR
Internship and Seminar
Internship and Seminar – syllabus
(ITRN3000 / 4 credits)
This four-week internship provides an opportunity for students to intern with diverse national, international, and community-based nongovernmental organizations and other private entities working on various issues related to environment and development, rural and urban livelihood generation, environmental awareness and advocacy, women’s empowerment, ecological agriculture, sustainable mountain development, implementation and monitoring of federal programs for social security, etc. The key focus is to nurture and support students as they explore and/or build on their individual career interests. In the process, students will have opportunities to build professional networks, apply new knowledge of development and social change in India, including soft skills in an organizational or community setting. While conducting the internship, students participate in weekly debriefing sessions, typically conducted online, and write two progress reports. The internship culminates in a final paper and presentation, which detail the organization and its approaches to development and reflects on the internship experience and how it relates to the program theme.
Sample internships:
- Interning in urban planning, energy, and food distribution at the Institute of Development Management in Rajasthan
- Assisting rights-based approaches to development and adult literacy efforts at Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra in Uttarakhand
- Conducting development communication and field documentation work at DamageControl in New Delhi
- Aiding efforts related to legal rights, reproductive health, and capacity building for women at Jagori Grameen in Himachal Pradesh