“The MA programme in English acts as a bridge for students heading towards the next phase of their lives and careers. Students pursuing academic careers will find our preparatory courses in literary theory and the research-intensive final thesis helpful as they gear up for a PhD. Others looking at non-academic careers will benefit from the exposure to rigorous critical thinking and methods of inquiry that our courses provide. All students—whether headed for academic or non-academic careers, and those as-yet undecided—will find the plurality of perspectives across our wide-ranging concentrations transformative.
The MA programme in English offers seven optional concentrations spanning diverse fields designed to cater to student interests. These seven concentrations bring together faculty research and student interests to create a programme of learning built around curiosity and exploration. For instance, the graduate courses I offer draw upon my research on caste, performance studies, and critical race theory. This year I teach Transnational Solidarities, which traces the history of exchange between the struggles against race and caste, and Introduction to Performance Studies, which orients students towards thinking about, and with, performance. In the future, I plan to offer courses on theatres of the Global South, performance and political resistance, and theories and practices of devised performance.”
Vivek V. Narayan, Assistant Professor of English, Theatre, and Performance Studies, Department of English, and, by courtesy, Department of Performing Arts, Ashoka University
MA English Classroom Culture:
“MA students can expect to find a culture of inquisitive reading, writing, and discussion at Ashoka. Engaging in such discussion and debate in class prepares students to engage in scholarly conversations, as they not only develop their own interests, but also recognize the ways in which their unique perspectives contribute to the fields with which they are engaging. We take time to question the questions, asking, are the questions that have been asked of a given text good questions? What is at stake in asking these questions? What new questions might you formulate? Where do you want the field to go?”
Mali Skotheim, Assistant Professor, Department of English, Ashoka University
Voices of the Students
“If there is one good thing that happened to me in this pandemic, it definitely is being in/at and about Ashoka. Out of the many brilliant yet challenging things about the Ashoka fraternity, it definitely has to be the Professors who are just much more than facilitating academic engagements and encouraging discourses in an impeccable way. I had only heard of the peer learning model of education, however, I got the fortunate opportunity to experience it during these testing times when almost everything seemed not just difficult but impossible. Ashoka pushes your unimaginable limits of thinking, unlearning and engaging to re-learn and that according to me, makes it what it is – absolutely unique and creating room for a radical possibility of change. I am so grateful to be a part of this fraternity. Looking forward to making it more valuable and enriching for my own self and everyone around!”
Aafreen Shah, M.A. English 2020-2022
