The department offers a two-year MA programme in Liberal arts. The programme, commencing in 2025, is the first postgraduate programme of its kind across all Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs).

The programme combines diverse perspectives and methodologies from the humanities and social sciences to address contemporary challenges. Its interdisciplinary nature—embedded in the very conception of the department— serves as its fundamental strength, fostering a holistic academic environment that encourages students to break away from rigid silos and think across domains by drawing connections between various fields. Consequently, the programme integrates the best of the two intellectual traditions by combining liberal arts education with the benefits of its location within a science institute.

MA Programme Structure

• The first semester of the programme consists of foundational courses in humanities and social sciences like Philosophical Inquiry: Methods and Problems, Reading English Literature: Texts and Contexts, Social Stratification and Theories of Culture and Society.
• In the second semester, by choosing among numerous elective courses, students opt to deepen their understanding of specific disciplines.
• In the third semester, in addition to further elective courses, students start working on their MA dissertation on a specific topic.
• The fourth semester is devoted entirely to the dissertation.

Job Prospects

The MA programme in Liberal Arts aims to prepare students for a variety of career paths, including teaching and research, community and NGO work, policy research, and advocacy, civil service positions, corporate roles and HR, journalism, publishing, content writing, translation, and other fields that value analytical thinking and effective communication skills.

Application Procedure

To know more about the eligibility criteria, selection process and for applying, please go here.

For any queries regarding the admission process, please contact admission.hssma@iiserb.ac.in