Master of Arts

Course Duration : 2 years
Study Options: Full Time

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About the Programme:
The MA in Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology programme was introduced at the Cotton University (erstwhile Cotton College State University) in 2016. Following the CBCS pattern, the syllabus was revised in 2018. The revision of the syllabus was made in view of the new developments in the discipline of archaeology. The Department offers papers related to prehistory, protohistory, history and historical archaeology, art history, archeological sciences, museum studies and cultural heritage management. The courses are organised chronologically as well as thematically.  This helps in understanding both temporal and important thematical concepts in a holistic manner. Further, it also helps in questioning previously held chronological frame-work, thereby generating new debates and also new field of research. To underline this aspect of training, students are required to take Core Courses throughout the MA programme. There are 15 Core Courses offered throughout the 4 semesters of the MA programme.  The course familises all students into the larger conceptual milieu of the discipline – the major theories and interventions in the discipline. Different segments of the course introduce students to specific methodologies and their variations, including prevalent theories in archeology and its practical application. There is also emphasis on the museum studies and the emerging trends in the discipline. Further, to enhance the research skills of the students, they are asked to complete a dissertation on a topic of their choice, which involve literature review and collection of primary data from the field. There are 2 Open Elective courses which are offered. They are specially designed for all the students across discipline. One focuses on the Cultural Heritage Management, Toursim and Law and the other is a more specialised paper focussing on the Archaeology of North East India. There are 2 Special Courses, which focus on the cutting edge advances in the field of arcaheology. They are offered in the 3rd and 4th semester of the MA programme respectively.  The department also offers a Skill Enhancement Course on Heritage Tourism, which is open to all the students of the university.

Intake	20
Eligibility:	Graduate in any discipline
Admission Procedure:	Admission to the MA Programme in Ancient Indian, History, Culture and Archaeology is purely based on entrance examination. A total of 50 percent of seats are researved for the Cotton University Graduates, however, these seats are also filled up by the entrance examination. The eligibility criteria are as per the rules of Cotton University. The course coverage for the Entrance Test is based on the knowledge that students should have gained after completing a BA course, especially in the discipline of History, Archaeology and Anthropology. Since it is a post-graduate degree, students are expected to demonstrate knowledge of trends and familiarity with the major developments within the field of Archaeology and History.
Admission Time:	As per the university guidelines,

Programme Outcome:

On completion of their Post Graduate courses students are expected to have acquired the skills of critical thinking, rationalise events, comprehensive knowledge of the debates surrounding archaeology and the study of different aspects of human society. It also emphasizes on the archaeological field methods and methodologies adopted by scholars in different contexts, sites and topographical locations.

The attributes expected from the graduates of the M.A. Archaeology Programme are the following:

PSO 1: Ability to track the development of discipline at global, national and local context from the earliest times up to the present

PSO 2: Ability to compare and differentiate significant patterns of human experience across time and between different cultures and societies

PSO 3: Ability to identify and analyse archaeological artefact including lithics, pottery, bones and rock types.

PSO 4: Ability to identify patterns of change and continuity with regards to issues of contemporary significance over long durations as well as across diverse geo-cultural zones.

PSO 5: Possess the knowledge to identify different forms of art, architecture and iconography of the Indian sub-continent.

PSO 6: Ability to identify inscriptions and coins.

PSO 7: Ability to use archaeological data from a field for their own work.

PSO 8: Ability to conduct field-work on their own and produce a research paper.

PSO 9: Engagement with local community to understand different crafts like pottery, bell-metal and wood work.

PSO 10: Possess knowledge of the values and beliefs of multiple cultures so as to effectively engage in a multi cultural society and interact with diverse groups.

PSO 11: Ability to go beyond and establish the relevance of the discipline through Public Archaeology.

PSO 12: Ability to possess the knowledge of proper referencing and display of independent reasoning.

PSO 13: Understand plagiarism and its fallouts in the academia.

PSO 14: Demonstrate the ability to understand Cultural Heritage from different perspectives.